Why do so many organizational change efforts fall short, even when leaders know change is necessary?
In this episode, Kevin talks with Kristy Ellmer about how change actually works and why successful transformation requires more than a plan, a process, or a compelling business case. Kristy explains that leaders often confuse alignment with true agreement, and that real progress begins when teams are willing to slow down, surface disagreement, and clarify how the change will happen. She also shares that involvement alone is not enough; people need agency and ownership to commit to building something new. Kevin and Kristy discuss the role of rituals, stories, and symbols in reducing cognitive load and helping people connect emotionally with the change, as well as why leaders must "earn the take-up" rather than assume people will adopt new behaviors simply because the change makes sense.
About Kristy Ellmer
Kristy Ellmer is the co-author of How Change Really Works: Seven Science-Based Principles for Transforming Your Organization. She is a Managing Director and Senior Partner at BCG and a former Chief Transformation Officer, with decades of experience leading multiyear transformations inside global organizations. She leads BCG's Transformation practice and co-founded BCG's Behavioral Science Lab and specializes in translating academic research on human behavior into practical change and transformation programs that deliver sustained results. She has led over 30 transformations in 27 countries in 14 sectors from mining to retail and previously was a manager at Delta Airlines during one of the most exemplary transformations in business history. Kristy's completion of the 29029 Everesting Challenge—climbing the vertical height of Mount Everest 19 times in under 36 hours after months of disciplined training—embodies the same change principles she applies professionally: sustained commitment, deliberate design, support systems, and faith in process over motivation. Her TED Talk on navigating change with confidence has been seen by over half a million people. She has an MBA from Mercer University and a B.A. from Roanoke College. She's based in Boston.
Connect with Kristy
Website: https://howchangereallyworks.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristy-r-ellmer-b25b7a23/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristy_ellmer/
RESOURCES MENTIONED
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Why Most Organizational Change Efforts Fail
02:49 Why Kristy Ellmer Wrote "How Change Really Works"
05:29 Why Organizations Aren't Getting Better at Change
06:17 Understanding "Change Distance"
07:15 The Most Common Change Leadership Mistake
08:58 Why Leaders Should Encourage Disagreement
12:28 Moving from Employee Involvement to Ownership
15:52 How Rituals Reduce Cognitive Load During Change
18:48 Using Stories and Symbols to Reinforce Change
21:47 Why Leaders Must Earn Employee Adoption
24:24 How to Stay Persistent Through Transformation
27:41 Successful Change Starts with the Leader
28:53 What Kristy Is Reading
29:16 Where to Learn More
29:48 The Most Important Question: Now What?
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