Create ownership, not just buy-in: Large change programs require a distributed leadership that has broad influence over decisions both visible and invisible to the senior team. Change leaders must over-perform during the transformation and be the zealots that create critical mass for change in the workforce. This requires more than mere buy-in or passive agreement that the direction of change is acceptable. It demands ownership by leaders willing to accept responsibility for making change happen in all of the areas they influence or control.

Ownership is often best created by involving people in identifying issues and crafting solutions. It is reinforced by a combination of tangible (financial compensation) and psychological (camaraderie, sense of shared destiny) incentives and rewards. Many organisations create “design and build” teams led by key change agents to develop the core strategies they will need to implement. Middle and line managers are likewise engaged in a later phase of the change program to flesh out the detailed implementation plans that they will follow.