Psychology is WEIRD...and that's a problem!
Psychology is WEIRD...and that's a problem!

Psychology is WEIRD…and that’s a problem. Not a diversity problem. A validity problem. 96% of the psychological research your change frameworks are built on came from populations representing 12% of the world. Most of it was built on American college students. Then generalised to your manufacturing workforce. Your regional council. Your healthcare organisation. Your university with significant first-generation student populations. And when the frameworks produce mediocre results…we blame resistance. Poor sponsorship. Inadequate resourcing. It might simply be that the framework wasn’t built for these people.

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Change, LeadershipMark WinterChange, Leadership, Frameworks, Research, Strategy
Your transformation will be remembered for two moments. Are you designing them?
Your transformation will be remembered for two moments. Are you designing them?

What two moments will your transformation be remembered for?

Not the months of stakeholder engagement. Not the training rollout. Not the governance forums. Not even that beautiful documentation you’ve laboured over.

Over the long run: The emotional peak. And how it ended.

That’s what the research says. And if you’ve led (or been lead into…) a major change, I’d wager it matches your own memory too.

This is called the Peak End rule and applying it deliberately is one of the most underused lenses in change leadership.

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Change, LeadershipMark WinterChange, Leadership, Transformation, Behavioural Science, Decision-Making
There's a risk in your change programme that rarely makes it onto the risk register.
There's a risk in your change programme that rarely makes it onto the risk register.

There's a risk in your change programme that rarely makes it onto the risk register. And if you've been watching the AI conversation lately...I can guarantee you've seen it! It's not a toxic leader, hostile stakeholder or external 'threat'.... It's someone capable and well-intentioned...but whose confidence has quietly outrun their calibration. It has a name. David Dunning and Justin Kruger documented it in 1999. Most importantly: before you look around the table and start spotting it in others, there's a quick game worth playing first.

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Change, LeadershipMark WinterChange, Leadership, Decision-Making, AI, Strategy, AI Strategy
Most change programmes are still built for an organisation that no longer exists.
Most change programmes are still built for an organisation that no longer exists.

Most change programmes are built for an organisation that no longer exists.

The 2005 playbook: appoint a sponsor, hire a change manager, “do comms”, run training, go live…play a Kayne West track and declare success.

That model assumed stable hierarchies. Predictable timelines. Clear authority.

That 2005 world is largely gone. And not just because Kanye has lost the plot.

700 change practitioners across the globe just told us what’s actually coming.

In reading about it and writing this article, I realised I’ve been living it for 20 years…

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Change, LeadershipMark WinterChange, Leadership, Distributed Change, Change Management, Transformation, Councils, Influence
Does your AI strategy have a coherence problem?
Does your AI strategy have a coherence problem?

Most leadership teams can’t answer this question…without looking at a slide. Can your leadership team name your 3-6 distinctive capabilities? Then: does your AI investment map to those - or does it map to a desire to look like you’re keeping up? The Coherence Premium isn’t just a strategy concept. It’s the difference between AI that builds momentum and AI that quietly drains it.

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Change, LeadershipMark WinterAI, Strategy, Change, Leadership
I got scared that AI would take my job. Then I read two things that changed everything.
I got scared that AI would take my job. Then I read two things that changed everything.

I got scared that AI would take my job.

Which is mildly ironic...given I've spent 20 years helping leaders navigate exactly this kind of moment.

Even more ironic? The tool that scared me, has no emotions whatsoever.
There's something worth sitting with in that juxtaposition.

Then I got sent (by actual humans) two pieces of research that completely reframed what I thought I knew about the AI transition.

The headline finding: we've swapped the motor. We have not redesigned the factory. AI is wholly dependent on organisational change.

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Transformation, Change, InnovationMark WinterAI, complexity, Change
The essential leadership concept behind why so many hyped AI projects are underperforming
The essential leadership concept behind why so many hyped AI projects are underperforming

There's an essential leadership concept behind why so many hyped AI projects are underperforming.

Your people don’t trust each other enough to share their data...or to do the work to create meaningful, high-quality data.
No trust = no data.
No data = no AI impact.

Let's get back to the bottom of the pyramid; here's Patrick Lencioni's perennial Five Dysfunctions of Team through an AI implementation lens

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Change, Leadership, Org Development, TransformationMark WinterAI, Failure, Performance
Seeing red to learn: what my terrible stock picks taught me about change, innovation and leadership
Seeing red to learn: what my terrible stock picks taught me about change, innovation and leadership

Years ago in a bout of career boredom, I played the cursed game of picking individual ASX stocks because I thought I could "see the trends coming" and "beat the market"...

Much to the amusement of my Sydney based finance / wealth industry mates, I'm down 74% 😵

But I'm up infinitely in lessons about change, leadership and innovation 📈

Some of the best money I've ever spent!

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Performance, ChangeMark WinterChange, change leadership, Leadership
The Quiet Influencers: Recognising the Subtle Change Champions in Your Organisation
The Quiet Influencers: Recognising the Subtle Change Champions in Your Organisation

I’ll admit it: I lost a couple of good hours each day this week to distraction.

Like many, I've been caught up in the “culture of personality festival” that is the US election cycle.

And yet for someone who thinks deeply and often about change and leadership...this spectacle is the opposite of how anything actually gets done. Real change is driven by consistent, low-fuss, purpose driven effort—usually from people who aren’t looking for the limelight.

Look beyond formal titles or outgoing personalities. Instead, notice who people trust with questions, who others go to for guidance, and who brings a steadying presence to the team.

An article on how Quiet Influencers are a vital part of change strategy, which also doubles as my own sublte ode to those types I've met along the way. Thanks as always...I won't tag you here, even though you deserve it!

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Change, TransformationMark WinterChange
The Indisputable Numbers Behind the Value of “Why” in Organisational Transformation
The Indisputable Numbers Behind the Value of “Why” in Organisational Transformation

“Every organisation I work with seems to be in a constant state of flux. They can't all be at Level 1 maturity! Does anyone know what they are doing yet?!"

This tongue in cheek musing by a topflight change manager, captures a common frustration across industries. It raises a critical question: does anyone get their transformation right...?

Somewhat recent research from Harvard Business School "Top 20 Business Transformations of the Last Decade" provides some compelling answers.

Organisations don’t just thrive because they adopt new technologies or pivot strategically. Instead, they do so by anchoring their transformation efforts in a powerful “Why”—a purpose that transcends profit. The numbers tell the story: purpose-driven transformations aren’t just aspirational; they deliver tangible results.

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TransformationMark Winterdigital transformation, business transformation, change leadership
"What's the first step for me leading this complex change?"
"What's the first step for me leading this complex change?"

"What's the first thing I should do for this complex change?"

It's seductive to think there's a "perfect" starting point... but complex change isn't linear—it's a web of intertwined processes and people.

A more effective question is, "What are all the relevant aspects of the change that I should consider?" Here's some shortcuts:

🌏 Think Holistically: Address multiple elements simultaneously rather than sequentially.

📊 + ❤️ Balance Data and Stories: Metrics tell you what's happening; stories reveal why and how.

🤩 Integrate Process and People: Technical solutions need human engagement to succeed.

Complex change demands both the head and the heart. By embracing this duality, you prepare yourself to navigate challenges with agility and authenticity.

Success isn't about a single step; it's about understanding the whole journey to lead with confidence and impact.

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Change, LeadershipMark WinterChange, change management, change leadership
Children ARE change management: lessons from Fatherhood that I wasn't expecting
Children ARE change management: lessons from Fatherhood that I wasn't expecting

Certifications are great...but the best change management lessons come from life!

It strikes me that the patience that every parent requires, to continually emotionally regulate and whilst communicating simply and clearly...that's almost "unteachable" in a formal organisational change management sense. Not to mention the adept, multi-layered key messaging development that's required, ahead of 38 questions of "...why?"

Children ARE change management; every day has an element of 'newness' which comes with a from of 'demand'. It's mostly delightful, occasionally soul-destroying and pushes you to become a changed version of you.

In a truly blessed life, my two kids are the best thing that ever happened to me. In a happy coincidence for professional me, its the best lesson in change management I've ever had.

Having gratefully enjoyed a (multi-generational) Happy Father's Day yesterday, I sharpened my reflective thoughts into four personal favourites.

You don't have to be a Dad (or Mum / some form of carer) to relate to these. But if you are: keep going, you're doing great!

And if you aren't doing so great on that front...listen, watch and learn from your kids. They are living proof that change is innate to all of us, so you can improve too.

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Change, Personal GrowthMark WinterChange, Personal Development
How To Know When Your Change Is DOOMED To Fail...
How To Know When Your Change Is DOOMED To Fail...

A change effort is doomed to fail when the key leaders of the change are arguing from a fixed position of what the 'future state' will look like.



They’ve already decided what the organisation "will be", and now the "change management" is simply getting everyone else on board. In essence, they are trying to win an argument.



And when leaders are focused on winning arguments, they’re not focused on solving the real problems that change management is meant to address.



Great leaders don't take charge and argue...they co-create care and accountability. The fundamentals of how to do that, are in this article.

#changeleadership

#changemanagement

#leadershipdevelopment

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Change, LeadershipMark Winterchange management, LeadershipComment
Getting out of change overwhelm
Getting out of change overwhelm

"The Executives I speak to these days...are just maxed out with the amount of change they need to lead and the breadth of topics they need to be across"

That was the message from two very well connected 'Board level' colleagues over coffees in the last fortnight.

Change overwhelm: most of us are feeling it. Budget and Board reporting season doesn't help. But what to do about it?

#changeleadership #changemanagement #leadershipdevelopment

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ChangeMark WinterChange, Leadership
Hearts and Minds: Measuring Change Progress Through Numbers and Stories
Hearts and Minds: Measuring Change Progress Through Numbers and Stories

The comprehensive change leader is one who can engage both "hearts and minds".

Which one do you need to refine? Which one do you need to lift?

Done well, it surpasses mere progress reporting or 'sense making'; it's about profound understanding of the Change and how we need to lead it. Our Seventh Principle is "Measure progress with both numbers and stories" By intertwining data with personal journeys, we attain a panoramic perspective on change, laying the groundwork for more insightful, empathetic, and adept leadership.

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Change, LeadershipMark WinterChange, LeadershipComment
Illuminate the Change: Making decisions visibly as a leader
Illuminate the Change: Making decisions visibly as a leader

"Seeing is believing". And within the organisations we work with, people want to believe; believe in the purpose, believe in their leaders, believe in their own personal convictions about this place that they've decided to commit the majority of their waking hours towards.

When we illuminate our decision-making process, we make our leadership of change believable. That's because we're not just shedding light on the outcomes; we're spotlighting the rationale, the inclusivity, the rigour, and the alignment with organisational values that underpin those outcomes. We’re demonstrating how decisions align with the change objectives and how they contribute to the broader vision of the organisation.

More importantly and on the flipside...in the absence of being told the story, people will make up their own!

Our Sixth Principle of Change is "Make decisions visibly", so this article spotlights some of our favourite decision-making tools and pragmatic tips on how to give a sense of visibility for even the most sensitive of changes.

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Change, Leadership, Org DevelopmentMark WinterChange, Agile, LeadershipComment
A leadership fear: Changing the change
A leadership fear: Changing the change

"Seeing is believing". And within the organisations we work with, people want to believe. Believe in the purpose, believe in their leaders, believe in their own personal convictions about this place that they've decided to commit the majority of their waking hours towards.

When we illuminate our decision-making process, we make our leadership of change believable. That's because we're not just shedding light on the outcomes; we're spotlighting the rationale, the inclusivity, the rigour, and the alignment with organisational values that underpin those outcomes. We’re demonstrating how decisions align with the change objectives and how they contribute to the broader vision of the organisation.

More importantly and on the flipside...in the absence of being told the story, people will make up their own!

Our Sixth Principle of Change is "Make decisions visibly", so this article spotlights some of our favourite decision making tools and gives pragmatic tips on how to give visibility, for even the most sensitive of changes.

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Change, LeadershipMark WinterChange, Failure, StrategyComment
"That doesn't work here": just how creative should you be when experimenting with Change?
"That doesn't work here": just how creative should you be when experimenting with Change?

"Nice idea...but that doesn't work here"

Fair enough, it's your organisation and your culture...so I'll believe you. But I also take guidance from a Thomas Edison quote: "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." Neither of us has time or budget for 10,000 failed ways, so let's run some well thought out change experiments and get successful change happening sooner and smoother! In this article I introduce our Fourth Principle of Change, which is underpinned by creativity: "Learn Together through Experimentation." I lay out my top five Change experiments (aka: spoiler alerts for working with me...) and give ways to get started in even the most conservative environment.

If you've got a poor change culture or the 'bad vibes' are still lingering in the hallways from the last organisational change, then I'd argue you can't afford to ignore creative approaches to change; reasons stands that if you do the same things, you'll get the same results. #changeleadership #leanchange #leadership

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Change, LeadershipMark WinterCreativity, Change, Agile, Lean Change