Name: Pragmatic Change
Author: Mark Winter

It's tough at the top of a 115 year old machine; mostly because no one will tell you it's tough

It's tough at the top of a 115 year old machine; mostly because no one will tell you it's tough.

You are the best-briefed person in the building and the worst-informed person on your own change.

You can feel the sanitisation even when you can't see it. And the standard response is to blame culture, the consultants (it's fine, we're used to it...) or a lack of courage — why won't people just tell me the truth?

Most leaders fail to see that the machine is working exactly as designed; it's just that it was designed in 1911.

So in an era of folding iPhones, what are the mechanisms for getting your best and brightest to speak up?

Change, LeadershipMark Winter15 September 2026Change, Leadership, Psychology, Culture, Decision-Making, Transformation

I turned down a high profile role because of "vibes" in the foyer; the research backs me up

We all know what I mean when I say 'the vibe was off'. But is this a genuine consideration in leading complex change?

Last year I won a 'once in a lifetime' transformation role at a major South Australian institution.

I turned it down — for a couple of defensible reasons, and one new scenario for my career....

Sitting in the foyer before the interview, I watched a meeting end.
Disgruntled body language. Bemused glances. Passive-aggressive shrugs on the way out the door.

Felt like danger and I could sense the upcoming slog, even if the role was 'high profile'. The vibes were off...and I was out.

Paranoia? An Adelaide neuroscientist convinced me otherwise: your read of a room is your nervous system reporting data it genuinely collected.

Gut feel is the real deal, if you understand the science.

(And The Universe delivered a confirming sample that same evening...in the most unexpected place...)

Change, LeadershipMark Winter26 August 2026Change, Leadership, Culture, Psychology

What pays? Behaviours or Culture?

Your engagement survey says the culture is strong.

The corridor behaviour says something else entirely...

Which one IS the culture? If I'm leading change...what do I pay attention to?

Both. Here is a pragmatic definition for each, that leaders can actually use.

Change, LeadershipMark Winter18 August 2026Change, Leadership, Culture, Psychology, Transformation

The Duality of change — and why it holds organisational transformations together.

You wouldn't engage me if you didn't have a financial strategy…so why should I take you seriously if you didn't have a cultural strategy?

A transformation without a functional budget (that's regularly contextualised) is going to fail. Every senior leader knows the financial version of this.

So what is the cultural or behavioural equivalent in your program?

And why do I even have to ask that?!

My answer has a name — and a tool your leadership team can run this week.

Change, LeadershipMark Winter5 August 2026Change, Leadership, Psychology, Transformation

You are far better at change than you think

2003. First passport photo, frosted tips and all. I'm posting it as evidence of our ability to learn and evolve.

Between 2016 and 2022, employee support for workplace change collapsed from 74% to 43%. A knee-jerk and misguided conclusion: people have lost the ability to adapt.

Human nature doesn't move 31 points in six years. We are built to adapt — it's arguably our defining trait as a species. What broke was the dated playbook, and the collective trust in leaders who stick to it.

The neuroscience remains consistent; we physically change our brains in the right conditions. And not just the part responsible for haircuts...

Please understand: you are better at change than you realise. So is everyone in your organisation.

So what do leaders do about this? My thoughts on Pragmatic Change below 👇🏾

Change, LeadershipMark Winter14 July 2026Change, Leadership, Psychology