Organizational Change Leadership

I watched an HR director tell a CEO he was wrong. In front of the entire leadership team. It was the best thing that happened to that company all year. Six months ago a CEO wanted to cut the sales team's base salary by 20%. "More commission, more hunger," he said. "Let's make them earn it." The Head of HR didn't nod and take notes like everyone else. She pulled out her laptop. "Here's what happened when our three biggest competitors tried that exact strategy." She showed him the data. Turnover rates. Revenue drops. Customer complaints. "Every single one had to reverse the decision within four months." The room went silent. The CEO stared at the screen for thirty seconds. Then he said, "What would you recommend instead?" Sarah had already done the homework. She'd analyzed the top performers' compensation structure. Mapped out retention patterns by pay level. Benchmarked against companies that were actually winning talent wars. Her recommendation? Increase base by 10% Restructure commission tiers Reward long-term customer value, not just initial sales The CEO implemented the strategy. Six months later: - Sales team turnover dropped from 34% to 12% - Average deal size increased 28% - Customer satisfaction scores hit all-time highs But here's the real win: The CEO now brings Sarah into major decisions before announcing anything. Not to execute ideas but to challenge them. Because he learned: The best HR leaders aren't order-takers. They're the people who save you from your worst instincts. Sarah didn't build this relationship by agreeing with everything. She built it by being right when it mattered.

Most change initiatives don't fail because of the change that's happening, they fail because of how the change is communicated. I've watched brilliant restructurings collapse and transformative acquisitions unravel… Not because the plan was flawed, but because leaders were more focused on explaining the "what" and "why" than on how they were addressing the fears and concerns of the people on their team. People don't resist change because they don't understand it. They resist because they haven't been given a compelling story about their role in it. This is where the Venture Scape framework becomes invaluable. The framework maps your team's journey through five distinct stages of change: The Dream - When you envision something better and need to spark belief The Leap - When you commit to action and need to build confidence The Fight - When you face resistance and need to inspire bravery The Climb - When progress feels slow and you need to fuel endurance The Arrival - When you achieve success and need to honor the journey The key is knowing exactly where your team is in this journey and tailoring your communication accordingly. If you're announcing a merger during the Leap stage, don't deliver a message about endurance. Your team needs a moment of commitment–stories and symbols that anchor them in the decision and clarify the values that remain unchanged. You can’t know where your team is on this spectrum without talking to them. Don’t just guess. Have real conversations. Listen to their specific concerns. Then craft messages that speak directly to those fears while calling on their courage. Your job isn't just to announce change, but to walk beside your team and help your team understand what role they play in the story at each stage. #LeadershipCommunication #Illuminate

Over the years, I have realised that the single biggest gap in leadership development isn’t knowledge. Its application. Leaders don’t struggle with what to do; they struggle with how to translate that knowledge into behaviour, into systems, into results. Leadership, at its core, is a mindset and an understanding of systems. And that’s where the shift must happen from content delivery to deep transformation. Here’s what that looks like in practice: 1. Mindset Transformation: Encouraging leaders to look inward, reflect, and unlearn habits that no longer serve them. Mindset shapes perspective, and perspective shapes reality. 2. Systems Thinking: Understanding how culture, incentives, and processes interact because leadership is never about one person; it’s about influencing the whole system. 3. Embedding Change: Moving beyond classroom learning to real, adaptive environments where new thinking is tested and refined. Leadership development cannot remain an individual curriculum. It must become an organisational journey, one that’s supported by diagnostic tools, personalised coaching, and visible reinforcement from the top. True resilience is built not through direction but through empowerment, helping people achieve what once seemed impossible. #LeadershipTransformation #MindsetShift #SystemsThinking #EmpoweredOrganizations

Why do change initiatives fail more often than not? Yesterday, I spent the day in conversation with brilliant leaders, teaching three cases on driving change. As we unpacked what works — and what breaks — I was reminded of something I've seen too often in the last two decades advising executives and their organizations on their transformation efforts: Change does not fall apart because people aren’t smart or motivated. It falls apart when we forget the psychology underneath. Here are a few of the insights that came up in our rich discussion: (1) You can’t go all-in with half-in conviction. If belief isn’t deep — and shared — the wheels will wobble before they turn. (2) Appetite does not mean readiness. Excitement and capability are two very different things. Leaders and their teams may want change, but do not have the systems, resources, or clarity to step into it. (3) Pilots start the movement — but belief scales it. Experiments open the door, but strong conviction carries the work forward. Change initiatives look more like marathons than sprints, and conviction keeps us motivated as we run over bumps. (4) Change models must adapt to mental models. People don’t resist change — they resist being changed in ways that don’t make sense to them or that they don’t understand. (5) A beautiful idea on paper will break without the systems, habits, and coordination underneath. A solid strategy is important, but to carry the weight of change a solid execution is also needed. Execution is where strategy lives or dies. As we reflected on these insights, one of the leaders asked a thought-provoking question: “These ideas are logical. So why aren’t they used more often?” My answer: While simple, they’re not easy. And the difficulty is that humans are involved. Leading change is as much about understanding the psychology that drives behavior as it is about business acumen. What have you found helps change actually stick? #changeleadership #organizationalbehavior #transformation #execution #growthmindset #strategy #learning #growth

Leadership Is a Conversation, Not a Throne If it’s lonely at the top, it’s because you’ve built walls instead of bridges. Leadership today is no longer about sitting on a throne of decisions. It is about creating a table where conversations happen, especially the difficult ones. The best leaders I’ve worked with don’t isolate themselves. They invite others in. They listen, even when it’s uncomfortable. Especially when it’s uncomfortable. Some still argue, “Leadership isn’t a popularity contest.” True. But it is a trust-building exercise. And trust is built through engagement, not intimidation. Fear may get short-term compliance, but it kills long-term performance. It silences voices, stifles creativity, and leaves the leader with nothing but their own echo. I’ve learned that even your harshest critics can be your greatest teachers if you let them. When decisions are made through dialogue, not decree, the burden is shared. The team understands the why, not just the what. And when they understand, they commit. Yes, the final accountability still rests with the leader. But it is easier to carry when you know your team is not just behind you, but beside you. Leadership is not about being alone. It is about being in conversation, with your team, your values, and the future you are trying to build together.

PageGroup Perspectives: The Future of Executive Leadership   In this instalment of PageGroup Perspectives, I’m exploring a critical question for today’s businesses: How do we future-proof leadership in an era of constant change?   As markets become more complex and global trends evolve, it’s clear that leadership itself is transforming, and with it, the challenges organisations are facing.   It’s no longer enough for executives to bring traditional leadership skills to the table. Today’s leaders must be agile, innovative, and prepared to handle disruption, all while fostering cultures that attract and retain talent.   Here are 5 attributes our Page Executive team is seeing as game-changers for future-ready leaders – and how businesses can embrace these qualities to secure and empower tomorrow’s executives.   1. Adaptability Leaders who are comfortable with change and see disruption as an opportunity rather than a threat, will be the ones who drive sustainable success. Cultivating adaptability within your leadership pipeline through cross-functional experience, innovation-focused projects, and interim leadership roles can prepare your team to navigate change head-on.   2. Culture-Driven Leadership While leadership skills are critical, culture is the engine that propels organisations forward. Leaders who actively shape and uphold a positive, inclusive culture inspire loyalty, engagement, and high performance across their teams. Research from Page Executive found that 40% of leaders globally identified company culture as a top consideration when evaluating new roles, highlighting the value of a strong culture in attracting and retaining talent.   3. Digital and Data Fluency Leaders with a strong understanding of digital and data strategies are better equipped to guide their organisations through digital transformation. With 75% of senior leaders expecting AI to drive significant change in the next three years, investing in leaders who leverage data and technology for informed decision-making will be critical in the years ahead.   4. Visionary Thinking with Real-World Insights We are seeing a growing demand for executives who can blend big-picture thinking with real-world insights. Leaders who can set a compelling vision for the future and then operationalise that vision will be those who inspire confidence and drive results.   5. Lifelong Learning In a fast-evolving landscape, leaders who embrace continuous learning will have a competitive edge. Whether it’s through formal training or peer networking, executives who commit to lifelong learning are better positioned to anticipate industry shifts and lead with insight.   Strengthening future leadership teams is crucial to navigating complexity and achieving resilience. Feel free to share your thoughts on which qualities you believe will be most important for leaders over the coming years.   To learn more about Page Executive, visit https://lnkd.in/ehezr9Rp

There's a widening gulf between the workplaces that continue to be safe, respectful, inclusive, and fair, and those that descend into toxicity, exploitation, chaos, and mistreatment. The hard pill to swallow is that this difference has nothing to do with the strength of leaders' commitment to diversity, equity, or inclusion. It's decided almost entirely by whether leaders see people as assets or expenses. I've worked for many companies that have stated their commitment to DEI. They've put it on their websites. They've named it in their shareholder reports. They've trained their leaders on how to talk about it. They've sponsored many events. Now, some of those outputs are changing as leaders take their commitment underground, the language evolves, and programs shift, often to heavy criticism. Yet, from my experience over the past year, some of the organizations "retreating" on formal DEI continue to have extraordinarily healthy workplaces. Some of the organizations "doubling down" on DEI are simultaneously backsliding into toxicity. Why? Because REAL progress toward diversity, equity, and inclusion has little to do with a company's stated commitment, and everything to do with how the leaders of that company treat their people. In workplaces that treat people as expenses, leaders see people as disposable. They treat their customers poorly because they see an abundance of replacements. They exploit their workers because they know that there are ten desperate candidates on the market ready to replace any overworked employee prepared to quit. Peoples' low engagement, turnover, and competition are simply the costs of doing business. In these workplaces, DEI support is cynical. It exists to give the illusion of progress and false hope, while keeping the toxic status quo of exploitation fixed in place. Shareholders can vote 99-1 to keep DEI — but retaining a superficial program is not the same as creating progress. In workplaces that treat people like assets, leaders see people as the foundation of the organization. They treat their customers, workers, managers, and vendors well, because they value not only purchases made or work product delivered, but the harder-to-measure trust, relationships, loyalty, and institutional knowledge that people possess. And by doing so, they have the highest likelihood of achieving diversity, equity, and inclusion, even if they don't say "DEI." This is what we have to stay laser-focused on in these times. Pushing leaders to value not "saying the right words," but seeing the value of people. Building workplace cultures of high trust and collaboration. Elevating everyone's needs as equally important. Having the courage and tools to solve problems as they arise. Creating well-understood processes and procedures to safeguard a #FAIR workplace. Making sure EVERYONE WINS. The work is greater than the words. And make no mistake: the work continues on.

In my recent conversations with executives and consultants, a common challenge keeps surfacing: how to sustain reinvention in our rapidly changing business world. Whether it's due to strategic shifts, technological disruptions, or market pressures, organizations are grappling with making reinvention stick. This week, I'm sharing insights on a three-stage model for sustained reinvention: Turnaround, Transformation, and Assimilation. While many organizations excel at the first two stages, it's the third - Assimilation - that often proves elusive yet crucial for long-term success. I outline nine leadership actions to improve assimilation, from exploring options with stakeholders to being a role model for change. These practical steps can help embed new initiatives into your organization's culture and daily employee actions. How is your organization handling reinvention? Which stage presents the biggest challenge for you? I'd love to hear your experiences and insights. Let's start a conversation about making change stick in our ever-evolving business landscape.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had several conversations with talent and learning leaders to better understand their priorities and perspective on the future. A recurring theme has been the work of those leading enterprise-wide transformation. These aren’t small, isolated projects, but bold efforts to fundamentally reshape how their organizations operate. Whether it’s rethinking company culture, driving skills-based initiatives, expanding career mobility, adopting AI, managing large-scale transformation, or implementing new leadership frameworks. These leaders are operating at the intersection of business strategy, people development, and organizational change. A question I often hear is: “What separates the most successful efforts from the rest?” After these conversations and dozens of guests on The Edge of Work, a few powerful patterns have emerged. Here are four that consistently show up: 🔶 Systems Thinking: They don’t approach these initiatives as standalone projects. Instead, they embed them into the full talent system, connecting culture, skills, mobility, leadership, and strategy into one cohesive ecosystem. Silos are broken. Work aligns to enterprise goals. 🔶 Coalition Building: While they’re accountable for outcomes, they don’t go it alone. These leaders act less like the “sage on the stage” and more like the “guide on the side,” bringing others along, building ownership across functions, and fostering collective success. 🔶 Change as a Practice: Change isn’t a task list; it’s a muscle. These leaders treat change management as an ongoing practice, embedding it into daily work, meeting people where they are (not just what the spreadsheet says) and continually reinforcing new behaviors to sustain momentum. 🔶 Business First Orientation: They lead as business strategists first. While deeply skilled in talent, they speak first in the native language of their business stakeholders, (then their own) connect initiatives to enterprise outcomes, and position people strategies as drivers of organizational performance. These are just a few of the themes I’ve observed. If you're leading enterprise-wide talent, skills, career, or AI initiatives, what resonates? What would you add? I’d love to hear your perspective. #talent #futureofwork #leadership