Why do leaders minimize or pretend things are not going to “really” change, when they know deep down things are going to change? It is probably more common than not for leaders to behave in that way.

• Is it because they want transformational change to be easier than it is? If they downplay the impact of the change on employees, it becomes easier in their minds?
• Is it because the leader themselves fears a loss of power, control or status?
• Perhaps the leader may not understand the new technology and fears losing the ability to explain the change to employees?
• Could it be that leaders have seen change initiatives fail in the past, and they too are skeptical and resistant to new efforts?

There are three building blocks to consider in any change program: (1) resistance is natural; (2) we adopt change at different paces; and (3) you need to understand the core considerations of a change program.

Simply put, I think it all comes back to the “resistance is natural” building block, and the way it could manifest itself in leaders at the front end of change. Leaders must first do their homework and understand the core considerations of the change program, like what is the baseline imperative for the change and what exactly will the future look like. Taking the time to articulate the vision in a way that addresses the 5 sources of why: what’s in for society, the company, the customer, the team and for me. That will engage everyone in the change as it appeals to a variety of sources of meaning for people. Get very clear about where you are going – your vision, strategy, targets and have a compelling story that ties it all together. We have all heard the statistics that 70% of change initiatives fail (Hammer and Champy, 1993); so 30% succeed. If you are not clear on targets your chance of success falls to 12%.

The good news, with upfront consideration, and a solid change strategy, you can tackle any organizational change with confidence.