One of the harder lessons in leadership:
You cannot make someone change.
Sometimes people spend months raising concerns about things that affect the team.
They give feedback.
They offer suggestions.
They explain the impact on performance and morale.
And still… nothing changes.
Not because the message wasn’t clear.
But because awareness wasn’t there.
Listening requires the ability to see your own behaviour in the system.
And when a leader cannot see the problem,
they also see no reason to change it.
People can raise concerns.
They can be honest.
They can describe what is happening on the ground.
But improvement only begins when a leader is willing to:
• listen
• reflect
• take responsibility
You cannot force someone to hear what they are not ready to hear.
At some point, the real question becomes:
Does the system allow leaders to become aware of their impact —
or does it protect them from it?
Originally published 19 March 2026 on LinkedIn. Follow Eric Stijnman on LinkedIn for more sales coaching and leadership insights