You know more about change leadership than you might think. Although the stories of other people and organizations in later chapters may be useful to you, one of the most important lessons of this book is that your stories of successful change are the most compelling. In Becoming a Resonant Leader, McKee, Boyatzis, and Johnston (2008) challenge readers to become active participants in learning rather than passive readers of the text. "The act of writing is a very important step in this process," they contend. "Writing causes us to think harder and more deeply, which will provide you with profound insights that will serve you well" (p. 3). Their conclusions build on a wealth of research on adult learning, the consistent conclusion of which is that effective learning requires engagement and personal application. The selfassessment in this chapter opens these essential doors.

Consider three personal changes that you have made in the past five years. These changes could represent a strategic or behavioral change at work, or a change in your personal life, such as an improvement in your diet, exercise routine, or personal relationships. You will be asked to evaluate each change on various criteria, using a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 representing no evidence of the characteristics described, and 10 representing an exceptional reflection of those characteristics. For example, if the personal change you were considering was a program of professional reading, then a score of 10 for "Planning" might be associated with the fact that you created an extensive list of books, articles, Web sites, and other sources and then carefully prioritized and planned your professional reading program. A score of 10 for "Sense of Urgency" might be associated with the fact that, had you failed to complete the professional reading program, you might lose your job, but if you successfully completed it, you would complete an advanced degree, earn greater professional recognition and financial rewards, and satisfy your psychological craving for new knowledge. With regard to "Personal Support," a score of 10 could be related to the fact that your family and friends knew that for 45 minutes every morning and evening, you would be allowed to work without interruption. They knew that this time was important to you and to them, and that once your 90-minute daily discipline of professional learning was completed, you would be able to devote yourself completely to the interests of your family and friends. When you score a 10 on "Personal Focus," you are able to state with complete integrity that almost without fail, you achieved your professional reading objectives and that even other professional and personal priorities did not prevent the accomplishment of this goal. Finally, when you score a 10 in the "Effect on Results" column, you are able to say that you are a more effective professional and that the achievement of this goal had a clear, measurable, and direct effect on your professional and personal goals.

These descriptions could, of course, make a 10 seem out of reach, but that is precisely the point. Honest 10s are rare, and therefore you should be equally fair in awarding low scores. The very fact that you are reading this book suggests a solid commitment to, and interest in, change; that does not mean that every change effort you have engaged in is successful. Chances are that some have been more successful than others, and that is precisely what this opportunity for personal reflection is all about.

Please take a few minutes to complete the following paragraphs. I know how tempting it is to skip over interactive exercises in books; so trust me, this one is important. This is not only important for you but also important for the school or system you wish to lead. Your personal stories of change will give you credibility and will also help you reflect on how to best lead others.

1. Think of several changes you've made—behavioral, personal, relational, physical, or other changes—in the past five years. Please list them briefly here.
   Change #1: ________
   Change #2: ________
   Change #3: ________
   Change #4: ________
   Change #5: ________
2. Think of the change for which you exercised the greatest degree of planning. This means that you identified the steps that you would take and you knew clearly how to make the change. Identify just one change and list some of the most important steps in the planning process.
   Change: ________
   Step #1: ________
   Step #2: ________
   Step #3: ________
   Step #4: ________
   Step #5: ________
3. Think of the change for which you had the greatest sense of urgency. Describe why the price of failure was high—much higher than the price of change.
   If I failed to make this change, then …
   If I succeeded in making this change, then …
4. Think of the change for which you had the greatest personal support. Your friends and family knew that you were making a change, and they supported you completely.
   How my family supported me: ________
   How my friends supported me: ________
5. Think of the change for which you had the greatest personal focus. Describe how you devoted time to initiating and maintaining the change despite your busy schedule.
   ______________________
6. Think of the change that had the greatest effect on results for you or for your organization. Describe these specific and measurable results in as much detail as you can remember.
   As a result of the change I successfully completed, I achieved the following results:
   ______________________

Based on these reflections, complete Figure 2.1, listing the three most important changes in the left-hand column and entering a score of 1 to 10 in the remaining columns. If you have time and are willing to engage in deep introspection, consider each change on every dimension. An easy-to-use computerized reflection journal is available as a free download at www.ChangeLeaders.info.

Figure 2.1 Personal Change Readiness Assessment

Directions: For each change, enter a score of 1 to 10 in each column, with 1 representing no evidence of the characteristic described, and 10 representing an exceptional reflection of that characteristic.
Personal Change	Planning   I planned in advance the steps I would take and knew clearly how to make the change.	Sense of Urgency  I knew that the price of failing to change was much greater than the price of changing.	Personal Support  My family and friends knew I was making a change and supported me.	Personal Focus  I devoted time to initiating and maintaining the change despite my busy schedule.	Effect on Results  I can measure the results of the change, and they are clear and signifi cant.
1.
2.
3.

Finally, complete your Organizational Change Score:

• Total for Change #1 _____
• Total for Change #2 _____
• Total for Change #3 _____
• Total for the two highest changes _____