In their recent book Switch, Chip and Dan Heath explored the reasons for why behavior change can be so difficult. One of their hypotheses was that behavior change requires self-control and that self-control is itself, an exhaustible resource.

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For leaders, the critical point to absorb is that piling on too many changes at once can backfire. As the Heath’s say, “Change wears people out—even well-intentioned people will simply run out of fuel.” To lead change successfully, we need to pay attention to how many changes we are asking people to make simultaneously and be on the lookout for burnout and overload. Help your people focus on what is most important now. Once one behavior becomes ingrained and automatic, you can move on to the next.