It seems like everybody says they want buy-in. It's what leaders tell me they wish they had.
To which I'd say: be careful what you wish for.
Why? Because buy-in isn't the holy grail.
Why Buy-In Isn't the Ultimate Goal
I've talked before about how resistance isn't as bad as you might think. And maybe you'd say, "I'd rather have buy-in than compliance." Fair enough. But buy-in still isn't the ultimate goal.
Commitment is.
Yes, that's a higher bar. But it's the bar you actually want.
Buy-In vs. Commitment: Which One Actually Drives You?
Here's why: which is the stronger feeling for you — buy-in or commitment? Which one drives you the most? Fuels you the most? Makes you the most excited?
If you really want your team to succeed, you want them committed, not just bought in.
The Strongest Tool for Leading Hard Change
So here's my advice: go for super strength. When change is hard, you want the strongest tool available. And the strongest tool is commitment.
The more commitment you build with your team, the better chance you all have of working through any change effort — because resilience and grit come from commitment much more than they come from buy-in.
Why Organizations Should Stop Settling for Buy-In
Now let me shift from the individual to the organizational level, because this applies there too.
Stop teaching and settling for buy-in. Super tough change requires the super strength of commitment.
0 comments