Five Steps to Turn Insight into Lasting Change
As an executive coach, I use data to help clients elevate their leadership by focusing on strengths they want to keep or amplify while also targeting the top one to three areas to develop further. The data comes from leading tools, such as discovery interviews, personality assessments, stakeholder interviews, or 360’s. The information derived becomes clear. But how do you move from insight to positive lasting change?
Behavioral scientists and executive coaches agree – lasting change doesn’t happen by accident. It requires intention, structure, and support. If you’re ready to turn feedback into forward momentum, here are five proven steps to help you evolve with purpose.
1. Identify Key Themes and Patterns
Start by distilling the feedback. What are the recurring themes? Which behaviors are consistently flagged across various sources?
- Look for overlap between personality assessments, stakeholder feedback, or 360 reviews. Also consider what you’ve heard in past performance discussions and reviews.
- Focus on patterns, not isolated comments.
- Ask: “What behaviors are limiting my impact, and what strengths can I amplify?”
This step is about clarity and increasing self-awareness. Without clarity, you risk reacting to noise instead of addressing meaningful signals. Increased self-awareness will enhance your emotional intelligence as this allows you to see yourself as others do.
2. Set Specific, Measurable Goals
Vague intentions like “be more approachable” rarely lead to change. Instead, translate feedback into SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
- For example – replace “be more approachable” with “initiate weekly one-on-one check-ins with direct reports.”
- Use behavioral language. Focus on what you’ll do differently.
- Tie goals to outcomes that matter to your team and organization.
Behavioral science shows that clarity and specificity increase follow-through and make progress easier to track.
3. Prioritize Development Areas
You can’t change everything at once. Choose to change one to three behaviors that will create the biggest impact.
- Ask: “Which change would most improve my relationships and results?”
- Consider your role, team dynamics, and organizational priorities.
- Leverage your strengths to support your growth. For example, if you’re a strategic thinker, use that skill to plan better team alignment.
Focus on high-leverage behaviors—those that unlock broader growth when addressed.
4. Engage Stakeholders as a Support System
Change is a team sport. Your stakeholders – peers, direct and indirect reports, and managers—are not just sources of feedback, they’re your allies in transformation.
- Thank your stakeholders for participating in your development.
- Share your goals with stakeholders and invite their support.
- Ask for ongoing feedback. Create a feedback loop that reinforces progress.
Many executive coaching frameworks emphasize the power of involving stakeholders in the change process. When others are invested in your growth, you’re more likely to stay accountable and make meaningful progress.
5. Track Progress and Celebrate Wins
Transformation is a journey. Create a system to monitor your progress and celebrate milestones.
- Use a journal, app, or dashboard to track behaviors and outcomes.
- Reflect weekly: What worked? What didn’t? What will I adjust?
- Celebrate small wins. Progress fuels motivation.
- Use follow-up surveys with stakeholders to measure behavioral shifts over time.
Follow-up surveys can be a powerful tool. They provide objective data on how others perceive your growth and help validate your efforts. Seeing measurable improvement builds confidence and reinforces the value of change.
Final Thoughts: Change Is a Choice
Feedback can be uncomfortable. It challenges our self-image and nudges us out of autopilot. But it’s also a gift – one that reflects not just who we are, but who we could become.
If you’ve recently received feedback or completed a personality assessment, don’t let those insights fade. Use them as a launchpad. Follow these five steps and you’ll not only change behaviors, but you’ll also change outcomes, relationships, and your leadership legacy.
Remember: Change isn’t about perfection; it’s about progress – one intentional step at a time.
If you want an experienced executive coach to partner with in elevating your leadership, contact me. I’ve helped guide and coach many leaders in the process of obtaining their professional and personal goals. It starts with your data – which allows you to understand what’s working for you and what areas can be improved so you can operate more effectively and achieve your goals.
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Lance Hazzard, PCC, CPCC, is a Master Certified Executive Coach and Executive Team Coach helping people and organizations achieve success. Lance and Eric T. Hicks, Ph.D., co-authored Accelerating Leadership, published in June 2019. Lance is Executive Coach and President at Oppnå® Executive & Achievement Coaching. More information on the book, Lance and Oppnå® Coaching can be found at the links below: