I got an email this morning from an learning and development professional at a large healthcare system
She runs leadership programs for newly promoted and newly hired leaders.
Her challenge?
Some leaders walk in thinking, “I’ve already done this. I already know how to lead. This is a waste of my time.”
And here’s the thing, she said many of them DO end up enjoying it. Many DO learn something new. But that wall of resistance at the start? It’s very real. And it’s exhausting to push against.
She asked me: “How do I get buy-in from people who think they’re wasting their time?”
Here’s what I’ve learned:
You don’t.
You stop trying to get buy-in and start designing for contribution.
The moment someone walks into a room believing they have nothing to learn, traditional “teaching” is dead on arrival. But if you shift the frame, if you invite that experienced leader to contribute what they know, everything changes.
They go from resistant participant to valued contributor.
That seasoned leader who’s “been there, done that”? They actually have the MOST to offer the room. The problem was never their attitude. The problem was a design that positioned them as a student when they could have been the teacher.
The contribution method doesn’t require buy-in. It requires an invitation.
And it puts the quote below into practice.
Want me to teach you to master this personally?
Join me live this year for The Contribution Method Masterclass.
I’m Chad, have an awesome day.
