Innovative Change Management (ICM)

4Leading by Example

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP

My grandmother taught me that if you want to bring about change in an organization, do it like sweeping the stairs. She said, “Always start at the top and sweep down.”

H. J. Harrington

I call it a “waterfall effect.” You cannot start at the bottom of the cliff and think that the water will flow up to the top. The water (change initiative) starts at the top of the cliff and naturally flows down to the pool, often bouncing off of many rocks and cliffs (management) along the way. Can it be done? Yes, if you have a big pump and lots of power, you can reverse the flow, but that can be very costly and serves as only a temporary condition. Unfortunately, when you try to climb the falls against the flow of ...