Renowned business leadership coach says it’s about following through and checking in to make sure change happens.

A few years ago, I was in a doctor’s office dealing with back problems, no doubt aggravated by my constant air travel. After running a few tests, the doctor sat me down and rattled off ten different exercises I was supposed to do regularly. He spoke quickly, running through each one without ensuring I absorbed them. Knowing what I know about communication, I realized there was no way I was going to remember everything, much less apply it. But in his mind, he had done his job. The task was complete, and he moved on.

This kind of thinking isn’t just a problem in medicine — it’s a widespread issue in leadership. Too many leaders believe that once they’ve articulated a vision, distributed a memo or held a team meeting, their work is done. They assume that once they’ve said something, employees hear it, understand it, believe it and — most importantly — act on it.

But leadership doesn’t work that way. Authenticity in leadership isn’t about making statements — it’s about ensuring those statements translate into real actions and lasting change.

The Pitfalls of ‘Checking the Box’ Leadership

I worked with a CEO of a major high-tech firm who struggled with this very issue. Surveys revealed that employees felt disconnected from the company’s mission and overall direction. His reaction? Frustration.

“I don’t get it,” he said. “I clearly articulated the mission in our team meeting. I summarized it in a memo, which was immediately distributed. See, here’s the memo! What more do they want?”

He genuinely thought he had done his job. But when I started asking questions — How many people actually read the email? Of those who read it, how many understood it? Of those who understood it, how many believed it was serious? And how many actually changed their behavior because of it? — his face fell. He didn’t have an answer.

The issue wasn’t the mission. It wasn’t the memo. The issue was the assumption that communication equals action — that saying something automatically leads to execution. He moved on to the next task without ensuring that his message had the intended impact.

Why Authenticity Matters More Than Ever

In today’s workplace, employees don’t just want to hear about company values — they want to see them in action. They are quick to spot the gap between what leaders say and what they do. If that gap is too wide, trust erodes, engagement declines and performance suffers.

Authentic leadership isn’t about broadcasting values — it’s about reinforcing them, living them and making them real for your team every day.

When leaders follow up on their communication, they demonstrate that they’re not just making empty statements — they actually care. When they seek input and take action, they show that employees’ voices matter. And when they consistently reinforce the mission, they ensure it’s more than just a tagline — it becomes a guiding principle.

Moving Beyond the Memo: How to Lead with Authenticity

So, how do leaders avoid “checking the box” and, instead, foster a culture of genuine engagement? Here are three key steps:

1. Follow Up; Don’t Just Sign Off

One of the biggest mistakes leaders make is assuming that once they’ve communicated something — whether it’s a mission statement, a new initiative or a cultural shift — their job is done. But leadership is not a one-time event; it’s an ongoing process. True leadership isn’t about making pronouncements — it’s about ensuring that real change happens.

Research has consistently shown that leaders who follow up on their commitments are seen as significantly more effective than those who don’t. Regular interaction and ongoing dialogue with employees create accountability, engagement and sustained improvement. In a study I conducted with 86,000 survey responses across 11,480 managers, companies that measured leadership effectiveness found a direct correlation between follow-up and perceived improvement; leaders who engaged in regular check-ins were far more successful in creating change than those who made one-time statements and moved on.

Just as athletes don’t improve with a single workout, leadership development requires repeated reinforcement — not just a speech or an email. When leaders consistently follow up, they show their teams that change isn’t a passing initiative — it’s a priority. This builds credibility, trust and long-term leadership effectiveness. If you want your message to land, don’t just deliver it. Reinforce it, revisit it and, most importantly, demonstrate it through your own actions.

2. Ask for FeedForward – Involve Your Team in the Future

Traditional feedback often focuses on what went wrong. It can feel critical, discouraging and unproductive. I use a method with my clients called “FeedForward” that shifts the conversation toward the future: what can be improved, what actions can be taken and how the team can contribute to making it happen. Instead of rehashing failures, leaders can ask their teams for ideas on how to improve, how to build on strengths and how to create meaningful change.

The process is simple but powerful. A leader identifies something they want to improve — perhaps communication, transparency or team alignment. Rather than asking employees what’s been lacking in the past, they ask: What ideas do you have to make this better moving forward? Team members give quick, constructive suggestions. The leader’s only response? “Thank you.” No debating, no critiquing, no defensiveness — just gratitude. Then, the leader takes what they can realistically implement and keeps the process going.

 Why does this work? Because when people feel involved in shaping change, they become invested in it. They don’t just hear about leadership values — they participate in making those values real. This builds trust, engagement and a sense of ownership. It also makes follow-up a natural part of leadership, rather than a one-and-done conversation. Leaders who practice FeedForward aren’t just checking a box on communication — they’re fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

3. Make Your Values Visible Every Day

The true test of authenticity isn’t in what a company says — it’s in what leaders reinforce through their daily actions. If you say your organization values transparency, are you leading with openness? If you claim to prioritize employee well-being, do your policies and actions reflect that? Employees look past words and observe what leadership actually does.

Authentic leadership is about consistency. A leader who preaches collaboration, but disregards team input, loses credibility. A company that claims to support innovation, but punishes risk-taking, stifles progress. If values aren’t demonstrated in everyday decisions, they don’t exist in any meaningful way.

The Cure for Checking the Box

At the end of my conversation with the high-tech CEO, I told him, “The problem wasn’t your memo — it was the assumption that the job was done after sending it.”

Like most busy leaders, he wanted to believe that a single announcement was enough; that communication automatically led to action. But leadership doesn’t work that way. Authenticity is built through follow-up, reinforcement and engagement. It’s not just about saying the right things — it’s about making sure those things actually happen.

So, the next time you think you’ve completed a leadership task, stop and ask yourself:

• Have I followed up?
• Have I reinforced this message in meaningful ways?
• Have I made it real for my team?

If not, there’s still work to be done.

Because real leadership isn’t about checking tasks off a list. It’s about creating lasting impact. And that’s something no memo or checklist can accomplish on its own.

Dr. Marshall Goldsmith is the Thinkers50 #1 Executive Coach and New York Times bestselling author of The Earned Life, Triggers and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There.