What Makes Companies Successful in Their Change Efforts?

Let’s face it, change is tough. If you’ve been through a major transformation – whether it’s a shift in strategy, process, or technology – you know that resistance is part of the deal. Although it’s hard, over the years I’ve noticed a little something that improves your chance of success: the companies that succeed don’t just have the right strategy. They create the right conditions to generate lasting change.

It’s all well and good to talk about the “right conditions,” but what does that even mean? Let’s break down a few core attributes that tend to bear fruit on successful transformation initiatives.

1. Supportive Leadership That Empowers Teams

If your leadership team isn’t fully behind change, its chance of success is greatly limited. (Although it can be done, considering what we call Agile today started as a grassroots movement within large organizations like Chrysler).

Leaders don’t just need to support transformation – they need to step back and let teams own it. When executives send a clear message that change matters and then give their people room to run, incredible things happen. I do think it’s important to note that the amount of support and involvement will vary based on the size of the transformation, with large transformations needing more top-down support than smaller efforts.

Of course, there will always be skeptics. Some employees will roll their eyes and call it the “flavor of the month.” Ultimately, however, when leadership stays consistent, those folks eventually have two choices. We like to say, “You can choose to change your organization or you can ‘change your organization’.” I’ll let you read into what that means. 🙂 .

2. Strong Communication and a Clear Vision

You can’t just tell people change is coming. You have to paint a picture of where you’re going and why it matters. I once worked with a client who was planning a massive division-wide transformation. I’ll be honest, I thought they were nuts. I had never seen a change of that scale actually work.

But they pulled it off. How? They made sure their vision was crystal clear, and took every opportunity to reinforce it through their communication strategy. They embedded change into everything from leadership messaging to HR policies. Transformation wasn’t just a slide deck. It was in the DNA of how they operated. That kind of alignment keeps your teams rowing in the same direction rather than floating according to the currents.

3. Start with the Early Adopters

If you want change to stick, find the people who are already energized and let them lead the way. Engaged employees are natural problem-solvers. They look for ways to make things better, and they bring others along for the ride.

Not everyone will be on board from day one, and that’s okay. But, if you have a critical mass of engaged team members driving the change, their energy becomes contagious. Over time, even the skeptics start to take notice. That’s how you build momentum.

4. Humility and a Relentless Drive for Improvement

The best organizations never assume they have it all figured out. They stay humble, curious, and open to better ways of working. Complacency is the enemy of progress.

I’ve seen companies get too comfortable, thinking they’re ahead of the curve, only to get blindsided by disruption. The ones that thrive are always pushing, always learning, and never satisfied with “good enough.”

5. Take an Evolutionary Approach to Transformation

Big, sweeping changes sound great in theory and can work (remember the company that proved me wrong in #2 above). But in my experience, it is much harder to pull off. The companies that create incremental change have a much higher success rate. Start small, get feedback, make adjustments, and scale from there. Pilot teams and your early adopters can set the example for your team and provide a lighthouse of sorts that make it easier for others to follow and avoid hitting the rocks.

What to Keep In Mind

Change isn’t about flipping a switch. It’s about creating the right conditions for transformation to take hold and, ultimately, for people to embrace a new way of working. When organizations focus on leadership, communication, engagement, continuous improvement, and incremental progress, they set themselves up for success.