than ourselves, because we can easily convince ourselves that we are allowed to be the “exception” for our own personal benefit. As a leader, you must be the model example of how others should act; this will create long termbuy-in and your teamwill respect you for holding yourself to the same standard as you hold them. Especially in the case of implementing change or potentially unpopular decisions,
leaders should highly reconsider and update the “talk; it is okay if what was previously established in an organization no longer serves the organization in current times. It is okay if policies, missions, values, or culture need to be modified or done away with altogether. Changing the “talk” shouldn’t be taboo, because it is natural for organizations to evolve as leaders, members, environments, and goals change.
you may not win people over with your words at first, but you can win them over with your actions in the long run. Not everyone will be on-board with certain aspects of
I challenge you to ask yourself, am I walking the talk? If not, can I? If I can’t, why? Can I change the talk not only for me but for
https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=QdCx8C9byA8
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an organization, but if they can see their leader acting accordingly, along with the benefit of doing so, then they will be more open-minded to jump on board. What happens when people see their leader not walking the talk? They become resentful, combative, and will most likely reach a boiling point that forces them to leave the organization. What todo if leaders inanorganization struggle to walk to talk? Those
the rest of my team? Do I just benefit from changing the talk or would the organization as a whole benefit? You may not have all the answers to these questions, so always include others on your team in the conversation; ask for their opinions, suggestions, and concerns to get a true sense of what “talk” makes the most sense for everyone in the organization to commit “walking” to!
IVATI, Founder; Assistant Director of Food & Nutrition Services (IL) Stefanie Giannini, MA, SNS
As leaders, our influence goes far beyond written and verbal statements regarding organizational culture, values, mission, goals, and procedures. If our words are a single microphone used to communicate to our team, then our actions are that same microphone hooked up to multiple speakers; which of the two do you think your team will hear louder? Without a doubt, our actions speak louder than words, and if you really want to avoid frustrating those around you, then you must make sure your words and actions align.
In leadership, the phrase “walk the talk” refers to living out the words,values, and actions you expect of those around you. Simple enough, right? Unfortunately, as imperfect as we are, it is easy to not walk the talk. When we say something enough times, such as our organizational goals and missions, the words start to lose their meaning; therefore, we stop being intentional about our actions and no longer live up to our words. In reality, it is much easier to uphold others to a certain standard rather
Stefanie Giannini, MA, SNS IVATI, Founder; Director of Food & Nutrition Services
Stefanie Giannini, founder of IVATI, is a speaker, educator, and content creator on a mission to inspire and cultivate every individual’s identity and development as a leader; she holds a fierce passion for personal and professional growth, critical reflection, and building quality relationships. Stefanie holds a Bachelor’s in Food & Nutrition Management from Arizona State University and a Master’s in Organizational Leadership and Learning from George Washington University. In addition to her work with IVATI, she works in the school nutrition industry as the Director of Food & Nutrition Services for a K-8 school district in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago.
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