Surfing in the dark

I was invited recently to speak with global leaders from one of the world's most iconic pharmaceutical companies. The topic? The skill that seems to matter more than any other right now: Navigating change.   This isn’t about change as a buzzword. It’s not change as a corporate initiative with a cool campaign name and launch event. This is about change as a capability, one that must be built, practiced and lived every day.  

Why is navigating change the key? Because the world will never be as slow as it is today.   We can all feel it. The rate of change is only accelerating, which means leaders and organizations that are still treating change like a one-time event to be "completed" are already behind.   What separates the ones who thrive?

They've made peace with surfing in the dark.  

You can't always see the next wave. You don't know exactly what's in the water. And yes, sea sickness is real when you're on turbulent waters for a long stretch. (I get very seasick, as my friends know, so this metaphor speaks to me.) But learning to find beauty in the waves, the stars and the sun that eventually rises? That will give you an edge every time.  

When it comes to mobilizing teams through change, a few themes ring true for me: 

🔹 Leading change starts with you. Where are you on the change curve … honestly? If you've already fully embraced a big shift while your team is still at a 2 out of 10, you're running too far ahead. Meet people where they are.

🔹 Let change give you energy, not zap it. If you can genuinely reframe change as opportunity instead of a threat, the sky is the limit for what you can unleash in yourself and your team.

🔹 Co-creation is your secret weapon. When people put their fingerprints on the plan, buy-in isn't something you have to fight for; it emerges naturally.

🔹 Repetition creates clarity. It will feel like you're saying the same thing over and over. If so, you’re on the right track! Say it again. Clarity at scale requires consistency.

🔹 Have the real conversation. In a "culture of nice," the most dangerous thing is the thing nobody's saying out loud. Ask your team to tell you something you don't want to hear.  

Studies on movements show you only need 20% of your people to genuinely buy in to send an entire organization over the tipping point of adoption. Twenty percent. Change leadership isn't magic. It's a skill and like any skill, it gets better with practice, intention and a lot of deep listening.