HBR Guide to Leading Through Change

APPENDIX

Leading Change: Why Transformation Efforts Fail

by John P. Kotter

Editor’s note: John P. Kotter is renowned for his work on leading organizational change. This article was originally published in the March–April 1995 issue of HBR and has been one of the publication’s bestselling reprints. Though the types and pace of change have varied and accelerated over time, the eight largest errors that doom transformational change remain challenges for today’s leaders. As you’re moving forward with change, keep these time-tested tenets in mind.

Over the past decade, I have watched more than 100 companies try to remake themselves into significantly better competitors. They have included large organizations (Ford) and small ones (Landmark Communications), ...