We Can Change… (formerly The Lead)

Everything changes, and this newsletter is no exception.

Hey friends.

It’s been three months since The Lead went on its usual summer hiatus, but this has not been a typical summer. Extreme weather conditions from record heat to devastating flooding; the reversal of Roe v Wade and the loss of bodily autonomy for millions of people in the US; economic volatility and energy crises; persistent and emergent public health issues including omicron, monkeypox and… polio?!

It’s been a lot.

I’m willing to bet you’ve seen your share of change on a personal level. Perhaps you’ve changed jobs, or someone close to you has. You or your loved ones may have started a new year of school. You may have lost a loved one, or met someone new.

I’m curious about how you’re doing with all of it. Are you pursuing change or resisting it? Are you trying to control things, or going with the flow? Is it disorienting or exhilarating?

If the answer is “all of the above,” I can relate. Things have been changing over here as well:

1. Earlier this summer, I left my Chief Culture Officer role at BCW, a top-three global communications firm, a role I’ve held and loved for the past 3.5 years.

2. Last week, I officially launched my own business (!!!), the realization of a dream I’ve held for a decade or more. If you missed it on social media, you can check out my launch video here. (2m)

3. Today, I’m re-launching The Lead under the banner We Can Change.

This newsletter will continue to offer provocations and practices for transformational leadership. The biggest shift is that we’ll be broadening our scope to explore not just one but three dimensions of change:

• Visionary Leadership

• Team Alignment

• Culture Ecosystem

Why these three? In my experience, each are essential to the success of any transformational endeavor. When one of them is overlooked or neglected—and they often are—meaningful and sustainable change simply isn’t possible. Exhibit A: 78% of organizational transformation initiatives fail. That’s the bad news.

The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. We can change. We just have to be willing to change our approach first.

This newsletter will show you how to do just that—how to become a joyful agent of change in your team, your company and/or your community.

Every day I pinch myself, delighted that I get to work full-time on transforming leaders, teams and organizational cultures from the inside out, for strategic shifts that actually stick. I look forward to sharing case studies and stories of my work with you here. We’ll also celebrate the work of others around the world who are making a difference every day.

I hope you’ll make this leap with me, and continue to subscribe. Better yet: Share it with a friend who is navigating a turnaround, a transition or a transformation in their work or in their life.

My friends, we’ve been getting change wrong for an awfully long time.

Now more than ever, we need to get this right.

Onward, together.

Kristen