Last week was my team’s monthly staff meeting.  I’m always looking for ways to encourage next level growth in folks.  Unfortunately, the reality is people often put themselves in boxes.  “I’m just a ……writer, producer, fundraiser, office manager.” You fill in the blank. I have two issues with that.  First, I hate the word JUST.  We’re not JUST anything.  Each of us was created to make a great impact and that little word JUST holds people back. In any organization, team, or community, we all recognize moments when a change is sorely needed. Yet, despite meetings, strategy sessions, and endless brainstorming, the change just doesn’t happen. Why? Often, we expect change to unfold naturally once we identify a problem or plan a solution. But as Dan Heath points out in his book Upstream: The Quest to Solve Problems Before They Happen, "For anything to change, someone has to start behaving differently." This simple but profound truth underscores a key principle in effective leadership: real change requires action, not just intention.

Think about this: if you’re leading a team struggling with communication, outlining a plan to "communicate better" won’t do much unless someone (often YOU) begins modeling the type of communication that’s needed. This isn’t limited to communication. Whether it’s fostering accountability, increasing transparency, or encouraging innovation, change begins with a shift in behavior.

Why Behavior Change is the Catalyst

Why is it that one behavior change can trigger a ripple effect? Because our actions create patterns that others observe, adopt, and amplify. When leaders demonstrate the behaviors, they hope to see in others, they build a model that offers clarity and encourages others to follow suit. By initiating change in themselves first, leaders create a kind of permission structure: a space where others feel empowered to adopt new behaviors as well.

In Upstream, Heath dives into stories that show how shifts in behavior—whether in healthcare, education, or community projects—often kickstart larger transformations. Leaders in these cases didn’t just talk about solutions; they embodied the change, sending a powerful message about priorities and possibilities.

Steps for Leading Change Through Behavior

1. Identify the Smallest Step: Change doesn’t always need to be grandiose. In fact, Heath’s work emphasizes the power of starting with one small shift. Ask yourself, what’s one tangible action that could encourage others to follow suit?
2. Model Consistency: Consistency builds trust. As a leader, it’s not just about taking one bold action, but rather showing up regularly in a way that reflects your commitment to the new direction.
3. Acknowledge and Celebrate Follow-Through: When others start adopting the change, recognize it openly. Reinforcing new behaviors as a team strengthens the shift, making it a norm rather than an exception.
4. Remain Adaptable: Not every shift will yield the desired results immediately. Adapt and refine your approach as needed, remaining responsive to the feedback you observe in your team.

The Upstream Impact of Behavior Change

By shifting our actions in the "upstream" moment—before the effects compound—we can often prevent bigger problems down the line. Leaders who adopt this mindset, as Heath describes, are proactive rather than reactive, investing in behaviors today that can yield a sustainable culture of growth and resilience.

So, if you're waiting for change to happen in your organization, take a step back. Ask yourself: what small shift could I make in my behavior today to move things in a better direction? Because for anything to truly change, someone has to start behaving differently. And that someone could very well be YOU.