Seven Valuable Leadership Lessons from Reality Television Programs (Part 1 of 7: Change)

In this blog series, we'll explore 7 valuable leadership lessons gleaned from reality TV about change, conflict, coordination, compartmentalization, competence, communication, and consistency.

Each blog post is arranged into five sections: (1) a truth about reality television programs; (2) illustrative examples from popular past or current reality shows; (3) the leadership lesson learned from the truth; (4) a real world example of an individual, company, or institution that illustrates the lesson; and (3) three practical takeaways for you as a leader.

In this post, we focus on

Reality Television Truth

After production wraps, most contestants find it extremely difficult to keep the literal and figurative weight they shed off permanently.

Examples from Reality Television Programs

On the Biggest Loser, contestants who are trying to lose weight are placed in teams and assigned a trainer. They have weekly weigh-ins, and compete for a cash prize based upon the highest percentage of body weight lost. Eric Chopin, winner of Season 3, shed 214 pounds. After the show was over, however, he began to gain the weight back, coming within 30 pounds of his pre-show weight. Listen to a little bit of his story.

Erich Chopin Discusses His Weight Gain After Biggest Loser

Extreme Makeover gives deserving families an opportunity to have their homes renovated. Typically, the families are facing some kind of medical or financial hardship such as a serious illness or recovering from a natural disaster. The materials and labor to renovate the family's home are donated. Skilled and unskilled volunteers assist lead carpenter Ty Pennington and members of his crew in restoring the family’s hope. Unfortunately, at least five of the families helped by the show were unable to afford the upkeep on their more expensive homes or meet the higher mortgage obligations. Their homes ultimately went into foreclosure or were placed for sale. Why? Because they simply could not afford to live in their new homes.

On Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, Dr. Drew Pinsky and his staff at the Pasadena Recovery Center in California attempted to help celebrities who were battling drug and alcohol addiction. The show, which ended after 6 seasons, faced a great deal of criticism. A total of five “cast members” died within a two-year period of appearing on the show, their deaths attributable to their various addictions.

The Leadership Lesson

Implementing lasting, meaningful change is a gradual undertaking, not an overnight transformation.

Real World Example

JCPenney is an excellent example of what can go wrong when change is not implemented correctly. The 111-year-old retailer was in dire straits when ex-Apple retail chief Ron Johnson assumed the helm of leadership as CEO in November 2011. What did he do? He assumed what had worked at Apple would automatically work at JCPenney. He ushered in a series of changes to the brand and shopping experience that customers neither asked for nor appreciated. Apparently, Mr. Johnson also neglected to get the employees on board with his radical ideas.

Gone were the sale and clearance promotions in favor of a new everyday low pricing “fair and square” approach. Johnson also discontinued the use of coupons. To say that the strategy was unsuccessful would be an understatement. Many observers remarked Johnson alienated the customer base by focusing on more young and “hip” product offerings. Loyal customers left in droves, and took their dollars to competitors like Kohl’s, Target, and Macy’s. Sales plummeted 25%, Johnson was shown the door on April 8, 2013, and JCPenney engaged in a remarkable mea culpa campaign to win back those customers it had lost.

Three Takeaways for You as a Leader

• First, most people hate change and, if pressed, would admit to actually fearing it. As humans we are creatures of habit. We don’t like disruptions in our routines, particularly if those disruptions cause us to stretch outside of our comfort zones.

  
  

• Second, notwithstanding the above point, most people can be incredibly adaptive to and less apprehensive about change if they are given all of the facts, including the ugly ones. There is nothing quite so reassuring as to erase uncertainty.

  
  

• Third, it is important to regularly reinforce with those who are being impacted the “why” behind the change. People can understand change at a fundamental level, but they need to know the “whys” and the “hows” behind it.

Bonus: Prosci's ADKAR Model is popular among change management practitioners due to its structured, sequential approach to individual change. Developed by Prosci founder Jeff Hiatt, the first step is to create awareness of the need for the change, communicate why it is happening, and explain its significance. Step two is foster a desire to support and participate in the change. Step three is to provide individuals with the information and training necessary to implement the change effectively. Step four is to ensure individuals have the required skills, tools, and behaviors (ability) to put their new knowledge into practice. Step five is to reinforce and sustain the change by monitoring adoption, addressing regression, and implementing measures like positive feedback and recognition.

Stay tuned for next week's post, where we'll focus on the leadership lesson that can be learned from reality television programs about conflict.

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