Any change in life, even when it leads to improvement, comes with a certain degree of discomfort. In business, this happens even more often. Who hasn’t felt frustrated after learning that a process they had used for years was about to change, even though they were among the first to recognize that it needed to be handled differently?
I say this because I have experienced it firsthand more than once. One of the most important lessons I learned is that growth and the ability to respond to market demands require an honest assessment of how work is done, along with the willingness to challenge existing practices. I also learned that when new tools or new people enter the picture, long-standing habits are inevitably replaced, even when that creates resistance. The good news? After a while, people often start wondering why they didn’t make the change sooner.
The reality is that between the decision to change and the positive outcomes lies a phase that few people talk about. At first, everything seems straightforward. A new process gets approved or a new tool is selected, and the plan looks clear. Then reality sets in. Teams raise concerns, daily activities slow down, people continue working the way they always have, and operational issues emerge that nobody anticipated. That is where change is truly built and where leadership needs to be present.
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And this is not just my personal opinion. According to Prosci, which has conducted the world’s largest body of research on change management for more than 25 years, projects with active and visible leadership achieve a 73% success rate. Without that support, success rates drop to 29%.
The plan itself may remain unchanged. What makes the difference is the presence of those leading the journey. In practice, this means having clear governance around decision-making, shared ownership so that each department feels responsible for implementation, and short feedback cycles that help teams adjust course before an operational issue grows into a cultural one.
Experience has taught me that change should be measured with the same discipline used to evaluate product performance. Don’t treat it as something that will happen automatically, and don’t underestimate what comes after the initial decision. Surround yourself with the right people and choose tools that can support every stage of the journey. Results follow when the direction is clear, allowing employees to feel involved in the process rather than simply witnessing a decision made by others. When that happens, the change becomes theirs as well.
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