Explore every episode of the podcast Change Signal: Modern Change Management that Works

Here’s the revised version with an opening sentence and the three questions bulleted. This Change Signal conversation with Aidan McCullen asks three practical questions for anyone leading change in a large organization: What if change isn’t an event? Where does power really live? Who needs to win before transformation can move? Aidan McCullen, host of The Innovation Show and author of Undisruptable, joins me to talk about what it really takes to lead change when reinvention is no longer occasional but permanent. Aidan brings a useful dose of realism to change management, transformation, and innovation. He argues that the “change muscle” has atrophied, partly because many organizations still treat change like a project with a finish line rather than a capability to build. We get into the unglamorous but essential work of change leadership: mapping power, understanding resisters, creating small wins, giving other people credit, and getting enough air cover to survive the corporate maze. There’s also a memorable warning about chasing “chocolate teapots” — the easy wins that look like progress but don’t really move the dial. For senior leaders responsible for transformation, this is a conversation about stamina, politics, allies, and the quiet discipline of making change real. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. If you’re a transformational leader seeking modern change mastery, you’re in exactly the right place. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

This Change Signal conversation with Alex M H Smith asks three sharp questions:  What unique value does your change work create? Who actually cares about it? What are you brave enough to remove? Alex is the author of No Bullsh*t Strategy, and he brings a gloriously skeptical eye to the foggy world of strategy, change management, and transformation. His central challenge is simple: most strategy isn’t strategy at all — it’s goals, optimization, or a vague wish wearing a business suit. We explore why internal change teams need to understand their own “unique value” to the business, why change needs to be sold through a story people actually care about, and why exhausted organizations may need less addition and more sacrifice. There’s also a useful poke at inclusive decision-making, charisma, mischief, and the problem of trying to lead change in an era when everyone is already overwhelmed. If you’re leading transformation inside a large organization, this one may sharpen your thinking — and perhaps your courage. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. If you’re a transformational leader seeking modern change mastery, you’re in exactly the right place. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three questions from this Change Signal conversation:  What if resistance is right? Where does change spread without permission? How close is your transformation work to customers and money? In this episode, I talk with Clay Parker Jones, author of Hidden Patterns: A Playbook for More Human Workplaces, about why change management often gets stuck — and what might actually help. Clay’s work is built around the idea of patterns: small, repeatable moves that can change how people work without requiring you to blow up the org chart. We talk about why old patterns are so seductive, how new ones spread, and why the geeks, nerds, and weird ones may be your best allies. We also get into resistance — not as ignorance or stubbornness, but as useful information about what people are protecting. And Clay makes a sharp case that change leaders need to get closer to customer contact, business outcomes, and the places where the organization can feel the impact. Change Signal is where transformational change leaders seek and find modern change wisdom. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. If you’re a transformational leader seeking modern change mastery, you’re in exactly the right place. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three questions from this Change Signal conversation with Greg Satell:  What if change doesn’t move through hierarchy at all?  What if silos are not the problem, but part of the solution?  What if trying to persuade people is actually a warning sign? In this episode, I talk with Greg Satell about change management, transformation, and why large-scale change is less like a rollout and more like a cascade. Greg’s argument is wonderfully useful: change spreads through small groups, loosely connected, united by shared purpose. That means the job of a change leader is not to launch bigger, shout louder, or persuade harder — it’s to find where energy already exists, build one concrete success, and let peer networks do their work. We also dig into why shared purpose needs shared values underneath it, why resistance is often rational, and why identity is the hardest thing to ask people to change. For senior leaders navigating change fatigue, transformation overload, and the endless pressure to “go big,” this conversation offers a more practical, human, and network-smart way to begin. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. If you’re a transformational leader seeking modern change mastery, you’re in exactly the right place. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Jennifer Garvey Berger’s three key insights: connectivity matters more than individual talent in complex systems; small experiments beat both over-planning and paralysis; and stories are legitimate measures of change before numbers shift. If you've ever had a change plan that hasn't quite gone according to plan (and honestly, who hasn't?), this conversation with Jennifer Garvey Berger will shift how you think about leading transformation. She's spent three decades figuring out what actually works when everything feels unpredictable and out of control. Jennifer challenges the "all-star team" approach most of us default to. Instead, she argues for building networks of diverse perspectives because you can't predict whose viewpoint will matter most until after the fact. She also makes the case for experiments so small they feel almost trivial — like fancy lunches that generated $10 million in revenue. The key is making them smaller than you think, more fun than traditional initiatives, and designed specifically for learning rather than guaranteed success. And here's something that might surprise you: Jennifer suggests that rumours and stories are often the first real indicators of change, long before your metrics show anything. In human systems, shifting narratives actually is real change. This isn't about lighting incense and appreciating each other's light within. It's practical wisdom for navigating complexity without losing your mind. Change Signal. Where ambitious leaders find modern change mastery. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Three key insights from Anne Gotte: change management is as outdated as "personnel" organizations must diagnose their change allergies before attempting transformation; and leaders need to embrace clumsy imperfection while providing clear direction. Anne Gotte is SVP Global Talent & Organization Effectiveness at Mondelēz and she brings refreshing honesty to the messy reality of organizational transformation. She's worked at Bumble, Ecolab, and General Mills, collecting scars and wisdom along the way. This conversation challenges the traditional playbook. Anne argues that "decree change" — where executives design solutions in isolation, announce them broadly, then expect magic — as well and truly reached its expiration date. Instead, she advocates for building ongoing change capacity rather than managing episodic projects. Her approach starts with uncomfortable questions: Who are we today? What makes any change difficult for us? How do our systems contradict our change story? The discussion explores why change feels clumsy (spoiler: it's supposed to), how to honour uncertainty while providing clarity, and why slow can actually be fast. Anne's insights about getting comfortable being uncomfortable offer a different path forward for change leaders tired of pretending transformation should feel orderly and predictable. This is change leadership for grown-ups who've learned that the mess is actually the work. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change and transformation. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three big insights that emerge from this Change Signal conversation with Hahrie Han: Are you creating value or just convenience?; Does belonging come before belief in your organization?; and Are you building agency or just compliance? Hahrie Han, political scientist at Johns Hopkins University and author of How Organizations Develop Activists and Undivided, has spent her career studying how people build power that lasts. She brings a sharp, human perspective on what drives genuine participation and why small, intentional acts often change systems more than sweeping plans. The conversation explores why engagement depends less on ease and more on meaning, how “radical belonging” can transform even divided communities, and how leaders can use small, safe failures to build confidence and agency across teams. You’ll also hear practical tools for turning involvement into influence — designing scaffolding that helps people learn from risk and own their results. If you’re leading transformation, culture, or change projects in a big organization, this conversation offers fresh, grounded insight into how participation turns into durable power. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. This is the podcast for transformational leaders seeking modern change mastery. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three provocative questions that arise from this Change Signal conversation with Helen Bevan:  Is your belonging actually just assimilation?  Are your relationships stronger than your strategy? And what fear is your system quietly running on? Helen Bevan has spent decades leading large-scale transformation inside the NHS, and she brings that rare blend of deep experience and fresh thinking. She makes a compelling case that the real levers of change aren’t the ones we normally obsess over—plans, resources, or methodologies—but the relational fabric that holds a system together. We talk about belonging as a core condition for change, and why the best leaders know how to help people both “belong” and “unbelong” as the system shifts. Helen also shares the surprising results of a major five-year transformation experiment, where social capital — not expertise or investment — predicted which organizations moved forward and which fell behind. And we explore agency: why you can’t give it, why people have to build it themselves, and how leaders can create the routines that make that possible. If you’re navigating complexity, leading transformation, or trying to spark change in a large organization, this conversation offers practical insight into how change actually travels through a system. Change Signal. Where transformational change leaders seek and find modern change wisdom. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three questions this Change Signal conversation asks: What freedom are you not seeing yet? Where can you safely loosen control? When does agency become dangerous? In this episode, I talk with Cate Hall about agency — what it is, why it matters, and why it’s more complicated than simply telling people to “take ownership.” Cate defines agency as the ability to see and act on degrees of freedom other people overlook, which is a powerful idea for anyone leading change, transformation, or large-scale organizational work. We get into how leaders can become more agentic without becoming reckless, especially inside complex organizations where not everything can be an experiment. Cate offers the idea of “selective agency”: finding the places where iteration, risk, and movement are actually possible. And then things get especially interesting. If you want more agency from your people, you have to tolerate them doing things imperfectly. And if you want more agency in the system, you also have to ask: agency in service of what? Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. If you’re a transformational leader seeking modern change mastery, you’re in exactly the right place. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three questions from this Change Signal conversation:  Are we chasing AI, or value?  What future are we actually building?  What would have to be true to get there? In this episode, I talk with Brian Evergreen, author of Autonomous Transformation, about what change leadership looks like when AI is moving faster than most organizations can think. Brian makes a wonderfully useful distinction: your job is probably not to become an AI expert. Your job is to understand value — for your customers, your organization, and the wider system — and then partner with the right expertise to create it. We explore why “AI-first” can be as silly as saying “hammer-first,” and why autonomous transformation needs a different playbook from digital transformation. The work starts with vision, not tools. Brian also shares a practical way to map change: put the vision at the top, ask “what would have to be true?”, and make the strategy visible enough for people to move with it. For senior leaders working on change, transformation, AI strategy, or large-scale organizational change, this is a grounded, clarifying conversation about building the future without drowning in the noise. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. If you’re a transformational leader seeking modern change mastery, you’re in exactly the right place. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three questions that arise from this Change Signal conversation:  What intelligence are you wasting? Who really owns the change? What needs to go first? In this episode, I talk with Jana Werner about why so much change management still feels like something done to people, rather than with them. Jana argues that large organizations often hire smart, capable people — and then design transformation in ways that sideline their judgment, curiosity, and ownership. We explore why top-down change may feel faster at first, but often becomes slower because it doesn’t stick. We also get into one of the trickier questions in change leadership: how do you build genuine agency? Jana’s view is that ownership has to be both given and taken — and many organizations have quietly trained people out of taking it. This conversation is practical, thoughtful, and nicely skeptical of the giant transformation program. If you lead change in a large organization, Jana offers a more human and more usable alternative: clarify purpose, remove friction, start smaller, and let change become a habit woven into the work. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. If you’re a transformational leader seeking modern change mastery, you’re in exactly the right place. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three questions that arise from this Change Signal conversation: Who gave you permission to lead? What if 25 percent is enough? Where have you become the hub? In this episode, I talk with Alex Budak, UC Berkeley faculty member and author of Becoming a Changemaker, about how change leadership actually spreads through an organization. We explore why people wait too long to claim the role of changemaker, and why permission often has to be taken rather than granted. Alex makes the case that change management is not a heroic solo act — it’s a team sport, built through values, courage, early champions, and the willingness to let other people shape the work. There’s practical wisdom here for anyone leading transformation in a large organization: find the 25 percent who can shift the norm, stay clear on the why while loosening your grip on the how, and stop making yourself the hub where every decision has to land. It’s a conversation about agency, courage, control, and what it takes to help more people step into change. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. If you’re a transformational leader seeking modern change mastery, you’re in exactly the right place. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

This Change Signal conversation with Peter Schein asks three questions: • What doesn’t your change plan know? • Where is context quietly defeating content? • Are we building systems so perfect that people no longer need to be good? Peter, co-author with Ed Schein of Humble Inquiry, Humble Consulting, and Humble Leadership, brings a wonderfully useful challenge to change management and transformation work. He says humble leadership isn’t about being modest; it’s about being vulnerable to what you don’t know, and curious enough to discover what the room already knows. We talk about why change leaders get seduced by content — the strategy, the model, the deck, the eight steps — while missing the context that determines whether any of it will actually land. We also explore relationship mapping, “soak time” in meetings, and why trust is not some nice-to-have garnish sprinkled on top of organizational change. For senior leaders leading change in large, complex organizations, this is about clarity over certainty, context over content, and the practical, human work of being good to each other. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. If you’re a transformational leader seeking modern change mastery, you’re in exactly the right place. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Three questions sit at the heart of this conversation: • Are you starting with the technology, or the purpose?• What harm are you creating by moving too fast — or too slowly?• Have you designed the change people actually experience? Kate O’Neill is a tech humanist, strategist, and author of What Matters Next. In this Change Signal episode, we talk about AI, digital transformation, and the choices change leaders face when the world keeps speeding up. Kate challenges one of the loudest instincts in organizations right now: “We need an AI strategy.” Maybe. But not first. First comes purpose: what the business is here to do, how it creates value, what kind of experience it wants to design, and what data helps leaders make better decisions. We also explore Kate’s useful distinction between the harms of action and the harms of inaction — the trouble we create by moving too fast, and the debt we create by waiting too long. If you lead change or transformation in a large organization, this is a practical conversation about pace, purpose, and making change more human. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Three questions sit at the heart of this conversation:  Are you asking people to make real choices, or just comply? What past are you accidentally disrespecting? Is your change work actually part of the work? Roger Martin is one of the clearest thinkers I know on strategy, leadership, and transformation. In this Change Signal episode, we get into why so many change efforts stall, not because people are lazy or resistant, but because they’ve been given a vague or demeaning job: “go execute this.” Roger offers a better way: choice chartering. Give people the shape of the answer you need, not the answer itself. Help them understand the strategic choice, then ask them to make the next set of choices for their part of the organization. We also explore agency, psychological safety, vision, and why respecting the old system may be the key to changing it. If you lead change in a large organization, this is a practical, thoughtful conversation about how transformation really happens. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. If you’re a transformational leader seeking modern change mastery, you’re in exactly the right place. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

This Change Signal conversation with BJ Fogg raises three interesting questions: Are you designing change, or just hoping for it?  Where’s the overlap that actually works?  What is your environment quietly shaping? Behaviour ch Change sits at the heart of every transformation effort, yet most leaders still rely on willpower, communication, and good intentions. BJ Fogg offers a more practical approach — one grounded in designing for behaviour rather than trying to persuade it. We explore his core model: behaviour happens when motivation, ability, and prompts come together. Miss one, and change struggles. Get the combination right, and change becomes far more predictable. BJ also reframes scale through a simple but demanding lens — finding the overlap between what the organization needs and what people are willing and able to do. Much of what looks like resistance is actually misalignment. And then there’s the environment. Not as context, but as a primary lever. Change what surrounds people — the cues, the ease, the friction — and behaviour often follows. Change Signal. Where transformational change leaders seek and find modern change wisdom. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three questions that arise from this Change Signal conversation with Tiziana Casciaro:  Where does power really sit in your system? Why don’t people use your “open door”?  When is resistance a skill gap — and when is it a coalition fight? Most change efforts in big organizations fail for a quiet reason: we pretend change is a plan, when it’s actually a power-and-relationships story. Tiziana helps make “power” discussable again — less as a dirty word, more as the energy that moves decisions, resources, and attention. We talk about power mapping as a practical discipline: noticing who’s influential, what the organization values, and how the informal network really works (because the org chart is only part of the truth). And we dig into the relational labour of leading change — how much listening, curiosity, and conversation it actually takes to create momentum. Finally, we get honest about resistance. Sometimes people need resources and a path to success; sometimes you have to build a coalition to move a transformation forward. Change Signal. Where transformational change leaders seek and find modern change wisdom. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three tensions that emerge from this Change Signal conversation with Daniel Stillman:  Who actually owns the change?  What conversations are you avoiding?  Are you inviting people — or forcing them? If you lead change in a large organization, you already know this: great strategy and clear comms aren’t enough. Daniel Stillman — author of Good Talk — makes the case that conversations are the real engine of change, and most of us are underpowered. We explore why one-to-many communication rarely shifts behavior, and why many-to-many conversations — messy, slower, harder — are where ownership and momentum actually build. Daniel brings a designer’s mindset to leadership, showing how conversations can be shaped with intention, not left to chance. We also get practical. How do you test new ways of working without waiting for permission? What does “minimum viable change” look like inside a constrained system? And how do you build trust when people have seen these efforts fail before? This is a conversation about change leadership that is grounded, slightly subversive, and immediately useful — especially if you’re trying to move something real, with people who don’t have to agree with you. Change Signal. Where transformational change leaders seek and find modern change wisdom. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three provocative questions at the centre of this Change Signal conversation with Siobhán McHale: Are you trying to change a machine, a network, or an ecosystem? What patterns are quietly running your culture? How do you intervene without getting “organ rejected”? Siobhán has spent two decades as an “insider,” rolling up her sleeves inside organizations to make change actually happen. In this episode, she shares why most change leadership still leans too heavily on IQ and EQ — and why the next capability is what she calls group intelligence: the ability to see the system, not just the people in it. We talk about mapping the ecosystem through interviews and observation, so you can spot the hidden roles and agreements that drive behavior (and results). Siobhán explains how these patterns can be simple once you see them — and why the real work is helping the system reveal itself, without triggering the immune response of politics and defensiveness. If you lead transformation in a large organization, this is a practical, systemic conversation about change management that goes beyond slogans and into what works. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. If you’re a transformational leader seeking modern change mastery, you’re in exactly the right place. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three questions that arise from this Change Signal conversation with Ron Carucci: Are we still managing change as if it’s predictable? What unseen stories are really shaping how our organizations behave? And where might leaders themselves be quietly getting in the way? Change management, as most of us were taught it, assumes a linear path: a clear “from,” a clear “to,” and a plan to get there. In this conversation, Ron Carucci makes the case that those days are over. For leaders running complex change in large organizations, the real work now is less about managing transitions and more about building readiness for constant uncertainty. Ron and I explore why so many well-designed transformations stall — not because the strategy was wrong, but because the leader’s inner patterns were never examined. He introduces the idea of “origin stories”: early narratives that shape how leaders set standards, respond to resistance, and tolerate risk, often without realizing it. We also unpack Ron’s three-domain model of transformation: work within the leader, between people and teams, and among the systems of culture, strategy, and governance. Miss one, and change quietly unravels. This is a practical, humane, and slightly uncomfortable conversation for experienced change leaders who want results that actually stick. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. If you’re a transformational leader seeking modern change mastery, you’re in exactly the right place. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three questions that sit at the heart of this Change Signal conversation with Bryan Walker:  What are you changing too early?  Where are you too far away?  And what real issue are you avoiding? Bryan Walker, longtime IDEO partner, joins me to explore a different way of thinking about change and transformation in large organizations. We talk about why so many change efforts stall—not because of bad strategy, but because they’re designed too linearly, too distantly, and too separate from the work itself. Bryan challenges the instinct to start with structure and big plans. Instead, he makes the case for starting small, learning through action, and letting the work itself reveal what needs to shift. It’s a move from abstract programs to practical experimentation—and it changes how leaders show up. We also explore what it takes to make change actually land. Not just belief in the idea, but confidence in the doing, and ultimately a shift in identity: this is who we are now. If you lead change in a complex organization, this is a grounded, human, and quietly challenging conversation about what it really takes to make transformation stick. Change Signal. Where transformational change leaders seek and find modern change wisdom. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Three questions this Change Signal conversation with Caroline Kealey invites you to sit with:  What old model are you still relying on?  What are you actually moving toward?  Are you creating clarity or just more noise? I came across Caroline’s work through a sharp claim: change management is dead. And as we dig into it, you’ll see why that might be less dramatic than it sounds — and more useful than it first appears. Caroline Kealey is an executive facilitator working at the intersection of change, leadership, and communication. What she names clearly is this: the nature of change has shifted. It’s less planned and linear, more emergent, ambiguous, and unfolding in real time. That makes most traditional models feel tidy, reassuring — and increasingly unhelpful. Instead of following a roadmap, leaders are asked to act as a compass, setting direction without pretending to have certainty. We also explore what actually enables change now. Not better plans, but better conditions: agency, belonging, and what Caroline calls “certainty anchors” — things people can hold onto when everything else feels fluid. And we get practical about communication. In a world of overload, more information isn’t the answer. Helping people make sense of what’s going on might just be the key. Change Signal. Where transformational change leaders seek and find modern change wisdom. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three questions that sit underneath this Change Signal conversation with Jeremy Bentham:  What future are you not exploring?  Where is your strategy getting lazy?  Are you helping people learn — or making them resist? If you lead change in a large organization, you already know the future refuses to behave. Jeremy Bentham —who led Shell’s scenario planning team for sixteen years and helped shape how one of the world’s most sophisticated organizations thinks about uncertainty — joins me to explore how to work with that reality rather than fight it. His core idea is simple but demanding: the future is shaped by competing forces, and multiple outcomes are always plausible. If you’re only planning for one version, you’re not being strategic — you’re being optimistic. We talk about how scenario thinking isn’t about producing reports, but about building a mindset that helps you make better decisions under uncertainty. Jeremy walks through how to identify what’s steady, what’s uncertain, and what actually matters — so your strategy can hold up across different possible futures. And then we get into influence. Because even the smartest thinking fails if it doesn’t land. Jeremy shares why senior leaders resist being taught — and how change really happens when people discover insights for themselves. Change Signal. Where transformational change leaders seek and find modern change wisdom. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three questions sparked by this Change Signal conversation with Jacqueline Kappers:  What loss are you ignoring in your latest transformation?  Where might you be grief-shaming your people?  What would change look like if you treated it as individual, not linear? If you lead change projects inside a large organization, you already know that most transformation efforts struggle not because the strategy is wrong, but because the human response is misunderstood. In this episode, Jacqueline Kappers challenges the reflex use of the Kübler-Ross grief curve in change management. It was never designed for organizational transformation, and when we force people through tidy stages, we risk doing change to them rather than with them. Her central idea is simple and uncomfortable: every change begins with loss. Promotion, restructuring, system rollout — it doesn’t matter — something ends before something new begins. She also introduces the idea of a “grief fingerprint” and a “change fingerprint.” People don’t move through change in neat phases; they oscillate between past and future, certainty and ambiguity. For senior leaders in change leadership, transformation, and organizational development, this conversation offers a more human, practical way to build change capacity and unlock performance — without pretending that loss isn’t part of the deal. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. If you’re a transformational leader seeking modern change mastery, you’re in exactly the right place. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

As I reflect on this conversation with Andrew Kilshaw, three questions stand out: Who are you really trying to move?  What recipe are you missing? Is AI saving you — or just augmenting you? Andrew Kilshaw has led transformation inside organizations like Nike, Sanofi, BlackRock, and Shell, and now works at the intersection of change and AI. He brings both experience and perspective —  someone who’s seen what actually works when theory meets reality. If you lead change in a large organization, you already know this: not everyone is coming with you. Andrew Kilshaw offers a practical way to work with that reality, breaking the organization into thirds and making the case that your job isn’t to win everyone over, but to build a coalition that creates momentum. We also push on a deeper assumption about transformation. Most organizations don’t lack capability — they lack coherence. The ingredients are already there: leadership, data, people, and intent. The challenge is connecting them into something that actually works. And then there’s AI. Not as a silver bullet, but as a layer that amplifies what’s already happening — better decisions, better insight, better coordination. Used well, it creates capacity and clarity. Used poorly, it just adds more noise. This is a conversation about focus, judgment, and where to put your energy when everything is already in motion. Change Signal. Where transformational change leaders seek and find modern change wisdom. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three provocative questions that arise from this Change Signal conversation with Jessica Neal:  Are you modeling the change you’re asking for?  What nostalgia is quietly slowing your organization down?  And are you chasing consensus when you should be making decisions? If you lead change in a large organization, you already know the challenge isn’t just strategy. It’s people, pace, and the gravitational pull of the status quo. In this conversation, Jessica Neal — former Chief Talent Officer at Netflix — shares what it actually takes to shift culture and move transformation forward inside a scaling company. One of her core insights is simple and uncomfortable: if leaders aren’t visibly living the change, it won’t happen. We also explore why experimentation beats grand transformation plans. At Netflix, change often looked less like a rollout and more like a tiny experiment: try something, see what happens, learn, adjust. And then there’s the tension between speed and process. As organizations grow, well-meaning leaders add rules to control risk, but those rules often slow the very people capable of making good decisions. If you’re responsible for transformation, culture, or change leadership, this conversation offers a practical lens on how organizations actually evolve — and why the hardest work often starts with leaders themselves. Change Signal. Where transformational change leaders seek and find modern change wisdom. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three questions to sharpen your thinking from this Change Signal conversation with Donald Miller:  What story are your people living inside?  Are you the hero of the change — or the guide?  Can your strategy fit on a napkin? If you lead transformation inside a large organization, you already know this: change management fails less because of bad strategy and more because of bad framing. Donald argues that every human being sees themselves as the hero in a story — and if you want to shift behavior, energy, and buy-in, you must change the plot points of that story. We explore why leaders must resist the urge to play the hero and instead become the empathetic guide — the one who names the “hole,” listens deeply, and throws the rope. It’s a practical conversation about empathy, involvement, and why treating adults like children creates resistance that’s hard to undo. And then we get concrete. Donald shares his PEACE framework — Problem, Empathy, Answer, Change, End result — and makes the case that memorable soundbites, repeated relentlessly, often beat beautifully crafted strategy documents. If you care about change leadership, transformation, and making your message stick, this one’s for you. Change Signal. Where transformational change leaders seek and find modern change wisdom. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three questions to sharpen your thinking from this Change Signal conversation with Dr. Leyla Acaroglu  What are you editing out of your understanding of the problem? Where are you treating a living system like a tidy plan?  And what intervention would actually shift the dynamics? Dr. Leyla Acaroglu is a sustainability strategist, systems thinker, and founder of Disrupt Design. Her work sits at the intersection of design, behaviour, and complex systems, helping leaders move beyond surface-level fixes to understand how change actually happens in messy, real-world environments. If you lead change in a large organization, you already know the official story: change is messy, political, and rarely linear. What Leyla brings is a practical way to work with that reality, instead of fighting it. We talk about why most change approaches fail when they treat complexity like a puzzle to solve rather than an ecosystem to understand. Leyla shares how systems mapping helps you see what’s really going on beneath the surface — values, power, worldview, and the invisible connections shaping behaviour. She walks through a simple “capture the chaos” method (pen, paper, no self-censorship) that surfaces leverage points for intervention. And we explore what it means to lead change as a dynamic response: iterating, adjusting, and staying in the flow as the system shifts. If you’re searching for smarter approaches to change management, transformation, and change leadership, this is a grounded, useful conversation. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. If you’re a transformational leader seeking modern change mastery, you’re in exactly the right place. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three provocative questions that arise from this Change Signal conversation with Michael Bungay Stanier:  What if your success has nothing to do with the outcome?  What if you’ve already won before the project is finished?  And what if caring less is what makes you more effective? If you lead change inside a large organization, you already know this tension: you’re accountable for results, but you don’t control everything that shapes them. In this solo episode, Michael Bungay Stanier explores the paradox at the heart of change leadership — how to care deeply about the work while loosening your grip on the outcome. He introduces a practical spectrum for how leaders relate to outcomes, from disengaged to overly attached, and points to a more useful stance: being fully committed to how you show up, while accepting that results are shaped by forces beyond you. It’s not detachment; it’s discipline. Michael also offers three drivers for navigating this tension: staying ambitious for meaningful work, embracing your “cosmic irrelevance,” and returning, again and again, to the everyday practice of doing the work. If you’re leading transformation, this is about building the internal capacity to stay steady, focused, and human when the stakes are high. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. If you’re a transformational leader seeking modern change mastery, you’re in exactly the right place. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three big questions that David Lancefield asks in the quest for modern change mastery: Where are you stuck in one system? What linkage are you overlooking between systems? And what’s your next wise move? David Lancefield, strategist and leadership advisor, argues that all leaders are systems leaders — whether they admit it or not. Real change doesn’t live in a plan or a single silo; it emerges in the messy spaces where systems overlap. He explores five interconnected systems — inner, relational, organizational, technological, and societal — and shows how to navigate them without freezing, overreaching, or waiting for perfect clarity. You’ll learn how to see the patterns that hold your organization in place, and how small, intelligent actions can ripple outward. David also reframes what it means to act with agency: listening for what’s missing, seeing where you’re complicit through silence, and stepping forward even when control is impossible. If you lead transformation in complex environments, this episode offers a grounded, systemic way to see more, link more, and move smarter. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. If you’re a transformational leader seeking modern change mastery, you’re in exactly the right place. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three questions that arise from this Change Signal conversation with Rita McGrath:  Are you still treating change as an interruption? Do you know whether you’re facing disruption or just noise? And are you leading with certainty when curiosity is what’s required? In this episode, I talk with Rita McGrath about what senior leaders are getting wrong about change — and what actually helps organizations adapt when the ground won’t stop shifting. Drawing on her work at the intersection of strategy, innovation, and leadership, Rita makes the case that change is no longer episodic. It’s the operating environment, and leaders who keep reaching for old playbooks are quietly increasing risk. We unpack a precise and useful definition of disruption — not “big change,” but the moment something once complex becomes easy, and something once expensive becomes affordable. That’s the kind of shift that rewires value chains and demands a different response from change leaders. Rita also explores what she calls discovery-driven leadership: staying deeply engaged without micromanaging, listening for weak signals at the edges, and treating so-called failures as hypotheses that didn’t pan out. If you lead transformation in a large organization, this conversation offers a sharper lens on modern change mastery — practical, grounded, and refreshingly honest. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. If you’re a transformational leader seeking modern change mastery, you’re in exactly the right place. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three questions worth exploring from this Change Signal episode:  Are you leading change from technique or from who you are? Where are you avoiding the tension that real leadership requires? Can you care deeply about outcomes while letting go of control? If you lead change or transformation inside a large organization, you already know that tools and frameworks only take you so far. In this solo episode, I explore what sits below the waterline of effective change leadership. It’s not just about better questions, smarter plans, or tighter process design. It’s about the “being” of leadership — how you show up, how you relate, how you hold the process, and how you sit with outcomes. I introduce four paradoxes that sit at the heart of modern change leadership: humble confidence, fierce love, light and grounded process, and the tension of caring and not caring. These are not problems to solve but tensions to hold. For senior leaders responsible for organizational change, culture shifts, and transformation initiatives, this episode offers a practical and human lens on change management. It’s about mastering presence, embracing paradox, and leading change in a way that builds agency rather than compliance. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. If you’re a transformational leader seeking modern change mastery, you’re in exactly the right place. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three provocative questions that arise from this Change Signal conversation with Kristen Berman: What if your environment matters more than your intentions? How specific are your behaviours — really?  And what structures in your system quietly cancel the autonomy you think you’re giving people? Kristen Berman brings a behavioural scientist’s lens to change, and she makes a simple but unsettling point: most organizations try to shift beliefs when they should be redesigning environments. We dig into how tiny details — distance, defaults, visibility, timing — shape decisions far more reliably than persuasion or mindset work. Kristen also explains why so many change efforts stall at the first step. Leaders define ambitions like “increase engagement” or “coach more” without getting uncomfortably specific about the exact behaviours they want people to do, when, and how often. The magic, she argues, is in that specificity. We explore agency, too, and why you can’t create it with encouragement or slogans. People feel agency only when structures change — meeting norms, workflows, approvals, and habits that shape day-to-day experience. If you’re leading transformation or behaviour change in a large organization, this episode offers practical tools and a sharper way of seeing how change actually happens. Change Signal. Where transformational change leaders seek and find modern change wisdom. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three provocative questions that arise from this Change Signal conversation with Helen Bevan:  Is your belonging actually just assimilation?  Are your relationships stronger than your strategy? And what fear is your system quietly running on? Helen Bevan has spent decades leading large-scale transformation inside the NHS, and she brings that rare blend of deep experience and fresh thinking. She makes a compelling case that the real levers of change aren’t the ones we normally obsess over—plans, resources, or methodologies—but the relational fabric that holds a system together. We talk about belonging as a core condition for change, and why the best leaders know how to help people both “belong” and “unbelong” as the system shifts. Helen also shares the surprising results of a major five-year transformation experiment, where social capital — not expertise or investment — predicted which organizations moved forward and which fell behind. And we explore agency: why you can’t give it, why people have to build it themselves, and how leaders can create the routines that make that possible. If you’re navigating complexity, leading transformation, or trying to spark change in a large organization, this conversation offers practical insight into how change actually travels through a system. Change Signal. Where transformational change leaders seek and find modern change wisdom. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three questions that shaped this special Change Signal episode: Where are you pushing on walls instead of leverage points? What is resistance trying to teach you about the system you’re changing? And how small could your next experiment actually be? In this episode, I join Dave Stachowiak and the Coaching for Leaders community for an open Q&A on the messy, human reality of leading change inside complex organizations. I respond to questions from leadership practitioners who know the theory of change but wrestle with what it looks like in practice — especially when systems push back. We explore why most change efforts stall, not because people don’t care, but because leaders misunderstand the systems they’re trying to shift. I talk about resistance as a signal rather than an obstacle, the importance of finding real leverage points, and why small, fast, low-stakes experiments often teach us more than carefully engineered pilots. We also dig into what it takes to lead change without formal authority, where relationships matter more than titles, and how influence actually works inside organizations. If you’re leading change, transformation, or complex initiatives — especially without a big title or a big budget — this conversation offers a clearer, more grounded way to think about how change actually moves. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. If you’re a transformational leader seeking modern change mastery, you’re in exactly the right place. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three questions that arise from this Change Signal conversation with Neil Hoyne:  How is data really used in your organization? How much uncertainty can your culture comfortably handle?  And what ideas are your people quietly shelving because they don’t think anyone will listen? If you lead change in a large organization, you already know the promise of being “data-driven” often runs into the reality of politics, incentives, and human behaviour. Neil Hoyne — author, analyst, and Google’s Chief Strategist — joins me to explore how data can help transformation, and also how it can unintentionally slow it down. We dig into the difference between using data to learn and using it to justify decisions already made. Neil explains why intuition isn’t the opposite of data, but a compressed form of expertise that deserves to be surfaced and tested. We also talk about what really shapes a data-driven culture: the decision standards leaders set, the level of uncertainty they’re willing to tolerate, and who takes responsibility when experiments fail. If you’re navigating change management, digital transformation, or complex initiatives where data plays a starring role, this conversation offers a practical, human way to think about decisions, experiments, culture, and influence — so your organization can move faster and learn smarter. Change Signal. Where transformational change leaders seek and find modern change wisdom. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three provocative questions that arise from this Change Signal conversation with Emily Moore: Who’s missing from your system map? What are you rushing to solve?  And what is resistance actually trying to protect? If you lead change in a big organization, you already know the neat diagrams rarely survive contact with reality. Emily Moore — engineer, educator, and longtime industry leader — joins me to explore how systems thinking becomes far more useful when we stop pretending the world is tidy. We dig into the surprising truth that most “systems maps” forget the most important element: the people who hold influence, create friction, or quietly keep things running. Emily shows why the real work of change begins when you sit with ambiguity a little longer than feels comfortable, resist the urge to leap to solutions, and allow humility to do some heavy lifting. We also talk about resistance — why it’s not just inevitable but essential. Emily argues that vocal laggards often reveal leverage points the formal org chart hides. If you’re navigating complex transformations, leading change management initiatives, or trying to make progress inside tangled systems, this conversation will help you see your organization — and your role in it — with fresh eyes. Change Signal. Where transformational change leaders seek and find modern change wisdom. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three provocative questions that arise from this Change Signal conversation with John Anthony:  Are you engaging people before you try to influence them? What resistance are you avoiding that you should be exploring? And how do you know whether you’re dancing with someone… or wrestling? John Anthony joins me to unpack why so many change conversations in large organizations stall, even with experienced leaders at the helm. He draws from motivational interviewing to show how change works best when it’s done with people, not to them. We talk about why your first job is positioning yourself as a supporting partner, not a persuader. JA explains the power of OARS — open-ended questions, affirmations, reflective listening, and summaries — as a simple way to diagnose whether you’ve actually engaged someone before asking them to move. We also explore resistance as a source of insight rather than something to avoid. JA makes a compelling case that paying attention to the discord is what shifts people from outright cynicism into genuine consideration. If you lead transformation, change management, or complex initiatives, this conversation with John Anthony offers practical tools and a more human way to navigate the messy middle of change. Change Signal. Where transformational change leaders seek and find modern change wisdom. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Three questions sit at the heart of this Change Signal episode: How much responsibility for change is owned throughout your organization? How much room is there for more change? How good are your mechanics at change? In this solo anniversary episode of Change Signal, I reflect on a year of conversations, experiments, and learning — and make the case that change management is a tired label for the realities leaders now face. I introduce three core drivers of modern change mastery: claimed agency, real capacity, and technical excellence. I explore why so many transformation efforts stall even when the plans look immaculate, and why ownership, space, and craft matter more than control. Along the way, I reframe the experience of change itself — from kitchen fires and fast-food efficiency to more nourishing, adaptive systems that can flourish under pressure. If you’re leading change in complex environments and wondering why the old playbooks keep falling short, this episode offers a clearer orientation for the work ahead. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. If you’re a transformational leader seeking modern change mastery, you’re in exactly the right place. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three provocative questions that arise from this Change Signal conversation with Simone Ahuja:  Are you solving the real problem or just the first one? What constraint might actually spark creativity? And who’s missing from the table when you design change? In this episode, Simone Ahuja — innovation strategist, intrapreneurship champion, and longtime student of jugaad — joins me to explore how change really happens inside large, complex organizations. She shows why the most valuable innovations don’t come from big budgets or big teams, but from leaders who know how to work with constraints, stay fluid in their approach, and widen the circle of who gets to shape the solution. We talk about why so many change projects stall before they even begin, often because teams are solving the wrong challenge or operating inside systems that resist anything unfamiliar. Simone offers a practical, grounded way forward: think smaller, go earlier, and design experiments that create momentum instead of overwhelm. If you lead transformation, change management, or innovation work — and want tools that work in real organizational life — this conversation with Simone is going to be useful, surprising, and energizing. Change Signal. Where transformational change leaders seek and find modern change wisdom. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three provocative questions that arise from this Change Signal conversation with Charlie Gilkey:  What if success scares you more than failure? Where is your “head trash” quietly derailing your best ideas? And who belongs in your corner so your ambitious projects don’t stall? In this episode, I’m joined by Charlie Gilkey — author, coach, and champion of helping people finish what matters. If you’ve ever found yourself stuck between a big vision and the messy reality of actually delivering change, this conversation will feel very familiar. Charlie gently exposes the inner frictions that stop meaningful change from taking hold, especially for experienced leaders. We talk about the fears we don’t admit, the competing priorities we don’t notice, and why the lone-hero model quietly limits our impact. You’ll hear practical tools too, including Charlie’s 5-10-15 rule to help you make progress on what matters, rather than just staying busy. It’s a simple way to reclaim time, focus, and momentum without adding pressure to your already full plate. If you lead transformation, change initiatives, or complex projects, this episode offers a mix of insight, self-reflection, and concrete practices to help you not just begin, but truly finish. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. If you’re a transformational leader seeking modern change mastery, you’re in exactly the right place. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three big ideas that stand out in Bob Sutton’s conversation:  leadership is about being a trustee of people’s time  friction isn’t the enemy—it’s the signal   and power makes you blind to the mess you’ve created. Bob—Stanford professor, author, and organizational psychologist—joins me to explore why good intentions in big organizations often create bureaucratic nightmares. We talk about what happens when leaders chase “efficiency” but forget empathy, and why treating time as a shared, limited resource can transform how teams work together. He reminds us that not all friction is bad: the best leaders know which processes to streamline and which to slow down so people have time to think, connect, and create quality work. And he unpacks a truth that’s both humbling and practical—power shields you from everyday inconvenience. The forms you don’t fill out, the meetings you skip, the hoops others jump through: they’re invisible to you unless you go looking. If you’re leading change in a large organization, this one’s about designing systems that respect time, energy, and reality. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change, transformation, and growth. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three provocative questions that arise from this Change Signal conversation with Charles Conn:  What’s the smallest experiment you can start today?  Where can you loosen control without losing direction?  And could your team learn faster if you planned less? Charles Conn — investor, conservationist, and author of The Imperfect Leader — joins me to talk about how great change leaders stop waiting for perfect clarity and start moving through curiosity. He argues that big “master plans” have had their day. Progress now comes from small, reversible bets, the kind you can learn from quickly and cheaply. We explore why senior leaders should push more decisions to the edges, how to create trust inside small, cross-functional pods, and why imperfectionism is the essential mindset for real transformation. If you’re steering large change projects or guiding cultural shifts, this episode is a practical invitation to trade certainty for learning — and to rediscover the messy, energizing craft of strategy that actually works in complex systems. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. If you’re a transformational leader seeking modern change mastery, you’re in exactly the right place. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three provocative questions that arise from this Change Signal conversation with Rachel Botsman:  What kind of trust are you actually building?  How much uncertainty can you hold before you grab for control?  And when was the last time you slowed down enough to build real trust instead of just speed? Rachel Botsman—Oxford University lecturer, author of How to Trust and Be Trusted, and one of the world’s foremost thinkers on trust—joins me to explore the fragile, fascinating relationship between trust and change. She makes a compelling case that trust isn’t about control or certainty; it’s a confident relationship with the unknown. We dig into why every change is a “trust leap,” why leaders need to spot their people’s different trust states, and why “move fast and break things” might be the worst mantra for transformation. If you’re leading a big change or cultural shift, this episode offers a fresh, human take on what actually helps people cross the sea of uncertainty with you. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. If you’re a transformational leader seeking modern change mastery, you’re in exactly the right place. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three provocative questions that arise from this Change Signal conversation with Dr. Ryan Brown: What are you measuring that doesn’t matter?  Where might your data be lying to you?  And what if the “immeasurable” parts of change are exactly what count? Ryan’s a behavioral scientist who studies how organizations measure what actually works—especially in complex, human systems of change. We talk about why measurement needs to start with humility—the courage to admit you might not know what’s really creating impact—and how clarity about your true objectives changes everything. He shares his simple but powerful framework: measure across three domains—feelings, thoughts, and behaviors—so you capture both what people do and what they believe. And we dig into the hidden traps of data itself: how metrics get gamed, why context shapes truth, and why “data never speak for themselves.” If you lead large-scale transformation, this episode helps you move beyond dashboards and surveys to something more essential—learning what’s real, what matters, and what’s worth measuring at all. Change Signal. Where transformational change leaders seek and find modern change wisdom. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three big questions that Misha Glouberman asks in the quest for better change gatherings: What if the way you’re structuring your events is stopping the very change you want to create? How might things shift if you assumed everyone involved was a competent adult? And are your “best practices” actually working against your goals? Misha Glouberman is a master of human dynamics and group design — a facilitator who’s spent decades helping people run better meetings, conferences, and community events. In this short, lively conversation, he shares four simple rules for creating gatherings that actually work — and how those same rules apply to change projects of every kind. You’ll hear why most organizations forget to ask the most basic question (“What’s this for?”), how to design experiences that align with your real goals, and why giving people more control creates more engagement, not chaos. If your change initiatives involve bringing people together — in rooms, on screens, or across departments — this episode will make you rethink how you host, design, and lead. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. If you’re a transformational leader seeking modern change mastery, you’re in exactly the right place. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three big questions that arise from this Change Signal conversation with Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez: Are your projects actually shaping your future? Is your team a true team — or just a group of people in meetings? And what if success isn’t about deadlines at all? Antonio Nieto-Rodriguez, author of Powered by Projects and one of the world’s leading voices in project management, argues that most organizations are running too many projects — and mistaking motion for progress. Every project you approve is a bet on your organization’s future. Fewer, simpler, more purposeful projects deliver more meaningful change. He challenges how we measure success, suggesting that being “on time and on budget” means very little if no one benefits from the outcome. Real success lies in delivering tangible value to stakeholders — even if that takes longer than planned. And he’s refreshingly blunt about accountability: if your project doesn’t have a visible sponsor, stop it immediately. Because groups don’t deliver projects — teams do. If you’re leading transformation or portfolio change, this conversation reframes project management from bureaucracy to boldness — and shows you how to make every project count. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. If you’re a transformational leader seeking modern change mastery, you’re in exactly the right place. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three big questions that arise from this Change Signal conversation with Vanessa Bohns: Are you overlooking the influence you already have? What if social proof beats every logical argument? Could your smallest comments be shaping culture the most? Vanessa Bohns, professor of organizational behavior at Cornell and author of You Have More Influence Than You Think, has spent two decades studying how influence actually works — not in theory, but in the everyday reality of teams, leaders, and organizations. We talk about why influence isn’t instant or obvious — it’s delayed, cumulative, and often invisible — and why showing people what their peers are doing changes behaviour faster than any motivational speech. She also reveals how the tiniest inconsistencies, like a side comment or an eye roll, can quietly undo even the most polished change message. And the practical takeaway? Be present, ask directly (and in person), and make it easy for people to say no, so their yes really means yes. If you’re leading transformation or culture change, this conversation will help you see your influence — and your everyday leadership moments — in a whole new way. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. If you’re a transformational leader seeking modern change mastery, you’re in exactly the right place. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three big insights that emerge from this Change Signal conversation with Hahrie Han: Are you creating value or just convenience?; Does belonging come before belief in your organization?; and Are you building agency or just compliance? Hahrie Han, political scientist at Johns Hopkins University and author of How Organizations Develop Activists and Undivided, has spent her career studying how people build power that lasts. She brings a sharp, human perspective on what drives genuine participation and why small, intentional acts often change systems more than sweeping plans. The conversation explores why engagement depends less on ease and more on meaning, how “radical belonging” can transform even divided communities, and how leaders can use small, safe failures to build confidence and agency across teams. You’ll also hear practical tools for turning involvement into influence — designing scaffolding that helps people learn from risk and own their results. If you’re leading transformation, culture, or change projects in a big organization, this conversation offers fresh, grounded insight into how participation turns into durable power. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. This is the podcast for transformational leaders seeking modern change mastery. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify

Here are three big insights that emerge from this Change Signal conversation with Charles Vogl:  Leadership maturity means rejecting the “Superman” myth of doing it all alone; Real change requires creating spaces where the rules are rewritten; and Belonging — and transformation — scale through small, steady “campfire” gatherings, not grand events. Charles Vogl, author of The Art of Community, has spent his career helping leaders move from heroic independence to interdependent impact. Drawing from his work with the Peace Corps, the military, and mission-driven organizations, Charles shows how leaders can build communities that hold trust, courage, and connection — without losing focus on performance. The conversation explores how to create “sacred spaces” where vulnerability is safe, why deep community often looks boring on the surface, and how scaling change means working in small units with intention. If you’re leading transformation, culture, or organizational change, this episode offers grounded, practical insight into how belonging becomes your most powerful change strategy — and why it’s time to put the Superman cape away. Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. This is the podcast for transformational leaders seeking modern change mastery. *** WHEN YOU’RE READY 🎧 A new episode every week (and sometimes two!) The Change Signal newsletter. Short, practical, weekly *** CONNECT 💼Connect on LinkedIn *** SAY THANKS 💜Leave a review on Apple Podcasts 💚Leave a review on Spotify