18 Insights from The 2019 Change and Transformation Conference
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18 Insights from The 2019 Change and Transformation Conference

July 10, 2019 | Article

“Businesses don’t change unless they are taught to do so.”

Ram Charan

Fueling the Future: Developing Agile Leaders, Digital Transformers, and Champions of Change

With the explosion in mergers and acquisitions, shorter corporate life cycles, and the quickening pace of technological advancements, change is now a constant. And yet, change is far easier said than done. According to a 2018 survey by APCO Worldwide, only 20 percent of executives strongly agree that their companies are nimble, agile, and flexible.

When 222 change leaders gathered to discuss their challenges and share tips, we took notes. Here are some highlights: 

Alignment is critical, not only with leaders but also with managers and front-line employees.

  1. Change leaders can’t lead change without getting senior leaders on board, which means the plan needs to be aligned with broader company business strategy. To get alignment with leaders, remember to “speak their language” and to frame it in terms that they care about such as returns, profit, or competitive advantage.
  2. Many organizations don’t sufficiently explain why they need to change or communicate the value of transformation. Front-line employees and managers who don’t understand the “why” will impede transformation. For change to stick, everyone from leaders and the CEO to front-line employees needs to understand the need for change.
  3. To successfully lead change in today’s environment, leaders need to be accessible, show empathy, and try to put themselves into their employees’ shoes. It also helps t
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AUTHOR

EllenSheng

Writer and Editor
The Conference Board


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