Leading Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

5

COMPELLING RATIONALES FOR CHANGE

It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.

—CHARLES DARWIN

TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP IS KEY to embedding DEI within an organization’s culture. Equally important is identifying a powerful reason to change. Without a compelling reason for change, any transformational initiative will struggle to be sustained. John Kotter’s seminal work on change management revealed that only 30 percent of change efforts succeed in creating and sustaining change over the long term.¹ Other studies have shown very similar results. McKinsey’s research of over 3,000 executives found that only one in three transformation attempts succeed.² So why is this?