Big, sweeping changes can happen, but they’re rare. History shows that even the toughest problems can be solved against the odds; those few successes stand out because most attempts fall short. When they succeed, they are like a mighty tree, drawing on diverse roots to erupt into multi-colored foliage that serves diverse constituents.
Organizations and groups of people naturally resist change. Most initiatives yield only minor improvements or fade out before true transformation. The point is both hopeful and cautionary: transformative change is possible, but only with an approach very different from business as usual.
The Common Thread: Different Sectors, Same Challenge
Leaders everywhere face the same challenge: achieving change at a scale as big as the problem at hand. Whether inside your organization or out in the world, wicked problems cross boundaries and defy simple fixes. In every case, success requires aligning many players behind one bold goal, something traditional top-down tactics rarely accomplish.
What’s Usually Missing: A Strategic Social Movement
Why are significant breakthroughs so uncommon? Often, the missing ingredient is the power of a strategic social movement. Conventional change efforts focus on plans and policies but overlook the most potent force for large-scale change: people mobilized by a shared purpose. A social movement turns an initiative into a cause, rallying broad engagement across the ecosystem. Without that movement mindset, even well-funded projects fail. Systemic change demands more than mandates, missionaries, and memos. It requires momentum built by many hands working together.
How You Do It: The Levers of Change
Leaders can pull specific levers to generate system-wide momentum to reach a breakthrough. These are the levers I have come to know through my work with Grand Challenges, working in sectors as diverse as finance, Earth & space science, medical ultrasound, nursing, and mental health:
- Compelling Case for Change – Develop the challenge collaboratively. It must be both urgent and important so everyone understands why the status quo must change. A clear, inspiring vision creates shared urgency and ignites the spark for action.
- Coalition of Allies –Bring together stakeholders across your organization or for action in the world at large, across sectors, and communities into a united front. When competitors, agencies, customers, and partners rally behind the same goal, change gains unstoppable momentum.
- Continuous Engagement & Communication – Treat the effort as an ongoing movement, not a one-off project. Regular forums, milestone events, and transparent updates keep people invested and motivated. Storytelling and celebrating wins help the idea spread and sustain energy.
- Aligned Actions & Accountability – Turn the big vision into concrete steps with clear owners and measures of success. Shared metrics and visible progress keep everyone accountable, ensuring individual efforts reinforce the collective momentum.
Proof: It Works at Scale
This approach isn’t just theory; it works in the real world. One dramatic example is the global campaign to eradicate polio. It united governments, health organizations, and communities worldwide, driving cases down by over 99% and nearly wiping out a disease that once paralyzed thousands. Similar movement-style initiatives have achieved the seemingly impossible, from slashing smoking rates to transforming entire industries. Time and again, pairing a bold goal with a social movement strategy turns lofty ambitions into tangible results. And this can be done inside organizations, too. I have done it at Royal Dutch Shell, the World Bank, and in much smaller organizations like the National Apartment Association and the American Nursing Association Enterprise.
The Turn: What This Means for You
Grand-scale change isn’t just for global causes. The same principles apply to your bold goals. Instead of settling for marginal gains, galvanize a coalition around your mission and multiply your impact. It means rethinking your approach: are you managing a project or inspiring a movement? Pulling these levers sets the stage for the whole system to move with you, turning an “impossible” goal into something achievable.
The Invitation
This is your invitation to step up to your biggest challenge. Don’t wait for change to happen. Pick the issue that needs a breakthrough and lead the charge. Rally your stakeholders with a compelling vision and begin the journey toward transformative impact. It won’t be easy, but others will follow if you show the way. Are you ready to accept the invitation and make real change happen?
If you want your staff to engage, your senior team to lead with confidence, and your organization to move decisively during this turbulent time, I can help. I offer dynamic in-house presentations, deep-dive work sessions with leadership teams, and executive coaching to build the mindset and momentum needed now. Let’s talk about how I can help you step up to your biggest challenges.
