Commandments for Leading Change: 4, 5, 6

4. No change will ever happen until there is first a deep dissatisfaction with the status quo. That is why it is so important to create a sense of urgency.

While creating a sense of urgency and dissatisfaction with the status quo is important to get the change process started, it is also important throughout the change process. Before we get to the promised land, people often get disillusioned and want to go back to where we came from.

Therefore, it is important for leaders to frequently remind people of why we started this journey in the first place: we had deep dissatisfaction with where we were.



5. Leaders take people from here- the status quo - to there- the compelling vision of the desired future state.

We must engage people's heads and hearts in the transformation process. We must paint a desirable, compelling picture of where we are headed.


6. Sometimes leaders see the need for change before the people do. Therefore, sometimes we have to let the issue ripen.

Of course, sometimes we also help ripen the issue by allowing current systems to fail or issues to explode so that people will finally realize we cannot go on like this.