Why the root cause approach to change works when other approaches fail

The root cause approach to producing lasting change involves diagnosing a problem before trying to solve it.

  • A doctor diagnoses an illness before prescribing a treatment.
  • A mechanic finds out what's wrong with a car before fixing it.
  • A plumber discovers which pipe is blocked before unclogging it.

Yet when human beings try to free themselves from patterns of behavior that don't work, they rarely deploy this root cause approach. Instead, we often grasp at whatever solutions are at hand.

We might try setting yet another goal or writing yet another detailed action plan. We might also try finding an accountability group, meditating, or journaling. All these things are valuable, and they all have their place. There are even times when using these strategies can help a person get unstuck.

When these techniques work, they actually address the root cause of the issue

For example, if a person is not taking action because they are not clear on why that action matters to them, then journaling about their why can give them that clarity, and then they can take the needed action. If the only reason a person isn't achieving a goal is that they lack skills, then getting those skills will ensure their success.

But when we know what to do and how to do it, we struggle not because we need new knowledge, skills, or strategies but because something else is in the way. When we ask clients to look inside at what's stopping them, they first find an emotion such as fear or anger or self-judgments such as unworthiness or not being good enough.

When we look even deeper, we always find the same thing – a limiting belief

Usually, we find several such beliefs. The beliefs were the root cause preventing the client from changing.

Eliminating those beliefs is like removing a boulder from a stream so water can flow. The person makes changes that feel natural. They can access their inner resources, their natural creativity, and their natural enthusiasm. They don't have to try to be different. Their best selves just emerge naturally.

One great example of this is the results of our fear of public speaking study

Two groups of people who regularly spoke at Toastmasters were selected because they had a high level of fear when speaking in public, meaning a fear of seven or higher on a scale of 1-10. Those study participants who experienced the Lefkoe Method had their fear drop to 1.5, meaning they had almost no fear.

When the study was over, here's what one participant said:

Two years after I went through this methodology, it's fantastic. It's changed my life. I used to feel when I was in front of people a general feeling of anxiety and fear – sweaty palms, sweaty brow. My voice would quiver, my stomach would tie up in knots. The way I feel now after doing The Lefkoe Method is I don't feel the anxiety I did before, whether in a one-to-one conversation or a group. I feel much more confident. I don't feel a sense of urgency, a sense of anxiety, or a sense of fear. I just feel kind of an excitement. And it really doesn't matter as much who I'm talking to or the demeanor of who I'm talking to. If they're friendly, great. If they are not so friendly, I can read that and understand where they're coming from but it does not reduce my sense of confidence.

–Robert Gonzalez

These formerly fearful speakers didn't have to psyche themselves up to feel good about speaking in public. They didn't have to do relaxation exercises or think positively. The comfortable speaker within them could emerge naturally once their beliefs were eliminated.

You and I are no different

When we struggle to change, or if our clients struggle, it's due to beliefs. Once we eliminate them, we are free to grow in new directions; new possibilities emerge all on their own. You don't have to push yourself to feel and think differently. You change naturally. You solved the problem at its roots.

When the Lefkoe Method Training opens up again, you'll get a chance to learn exactly how we help clients remove these beliefs. Meanwhile, if you have a question, please email us at training@lefkoeinstitute.com.

We'd love to hear from you.