Leap in the Dark, book, cover, Toby Elwin, blog

Recently finished book — A Leap in the Dark

Toby Elwin, A Leap in the Dark: The Struggle to Create the American Republic by Jon Ferling

Any talk about change management must start with stakeholder alignment.

Quick on any change-rule-heels: risk identification.

History provides truly great examples of change challenges and few, in my mind, resonate greater change management challenges than The American Revolution.

The players: 13 colonies and their self-interests, as well as the class war within each colony; France, Spain, Great Britain; Native American Indians; commerce; and government as a few dynamics.

If you think your enterprise has politics, reflect on some of the larger historical pivot points and the politics, people politics, involved.

First rule of change: creating a compelling future-state. Well, the birth of the American Republic blows that change management keystone theory for a loop.

I find that I go back to reread chapters with a change management hat on and try to keep track of the players, both the positive as well as the negative stakeholders and the communication obstacle course of nuances that many of today’s change folks can learn from.

Constant stakeholder care and feeding is critical for change to take root and bloom.

Fascinating when a nation is at stake.

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