The business landscape demands constant organizational change. Major shifts such as mergers, restructuring, digital transformation and leadership transitions have transformed from rare events into standard occurrences. Research from McKinsey reveals that 70% of organizational change efforts fail to reach their objectives because employees resist changes while management remains unsupportive.

Throughout the last twenty years I have worked with hundreds of leaders who navigated their organizations through major transformations. Each organizational change situation retains its uniqueness but specific patterns which defy traditional change management beliefs are starting to appear. Through my direct experience with organizational change I have uncovered five unexpected insights.

1. The “Confident Leader” Myth Can Be Dangerous 

Traditional beliefs hold that leaders should always appear completely confident when managing organizational changes. The concept “Never let them see you sweat” remains a guiding principle that many executives consider essential to follow.

What I’ve observed, however, is quite different. Leaders who openly share their uncertainties and show proper vulnerability tend to build more trust than those who give a false impression of certainty.

I worked with a C-suite executive during a major healthcare merger whose initial approach was to provide complete answers to her team members. Upon discovering through feedback that this approach heightened anxiety we revised our strategies. She started to recognize her areas of uncertainty while offering clear communication about established knowledge and decision-making principles.

The result? Team trust scores increased by 34% within two months. As one team member put it, “When she admits she doesn’t have all the answers but is committed to finding them, I believe her more when she does make definitive statements.” 

Key Takeaway: In times of change, authentic leadership trumps performative confidence. People can detect insincerity, and false certainty damages credibility. Instead, create psychological safety by distinguishing between what is known, what is unknown, and how decisions will be made moving forward. 

2.   The Middle Manager’s Role Is More Critical Than Executive Actions

Most change initiatives focus intensely on executive leadership and frontline implementation. Middle managers are often treated as mere messengers expected to cascade information downward. 

This is a serious strategic error. My coaching work has revealed that middle managers are the critical lynchpin in successful change—yet they receive the least support. During a global technology company’s restructuring, we measured change readiness at all levels. While executives scored 82% prepared and frontline teams scored 71%, middle managers scored just 43%. These same managers were expected to answer their teams’ questions and maintain productivity while often lacking clarity themselves. 

We developed a “Middle Manager Change Enablement” program that provided specialized coaching, peer support forums, and direct access to senior leadership. The results were dramatic—implementation targets were met three months ahead of schedule in divisions using this approach.  

Key Takeaway: Invest disproportionately in supporting middle managers during change. They experience unique pressures as both recipients and drivers of change while often feeling caught in the middle. Equipping them with coaching skills to support their teams multiplies your change management effectiveness.

3.   Focusing on “Why” Can Sometimes Backfire 

Most change management books stress the importance of beginning with “why” so people can understand the change purpose. While this principle is generally sound, I’ve discovered a fascinating nuance: An excessive push on understanding “why” causes resistance among some personality types and specific situations.

I observed this pattern while coaching leaders through a financial services firm’s digital transformation. Some employees (particularly those with analytical thinking styles) became trapped in an analysis loop—endlessly debating the rationale behind the change rather than adapting to it. 

For these individuals, a more effective approach was to focus on concrete actions and early wins. Once they experienced small successes in the new environment, their intellectual buy-in naturally followed. As one manager described it: “I stopped trying to convince them with logic and started engaging them in small experiments. The results spoke for themselves.” 

Key Takeaway: While purpose matters, recognize when to shift from “why” to “how” and “what.” For some, intellectual understanding precedes action; for others, successful action builds intellectual acceptance. Effective change coaching requires recognizing these different learning styles and adapting accordingly. 

4.   Resistance Is Valuable Intelligence, Not an Obstacle

Most change initiatives treat resistance as something to be overcome—an obstacle in the path to success. My coaching experience has shown a completely different reality: resistance contains critical intelligence that can improve your change approach.

During the customer experience redesign of a retail organization leadership grew frustrated with store managers who challenged the new procedures. Instead of attempting to defeat their objections we organized forums to delve into their concerns. 

This revealed legitimate operational challenges that corporate teams had missed. By integrating this feedback, the company improved their implementation plan and avoided potentially costly mistakes. The “resistant” managers became the most committed advocates for the revised approach. 

Key Takeaway: Treat resistance as valuable data rather than opposition. When you encounter pushback, get curious instead of defensive. The insights from those closest to the work can refine your approach and increase your chances of success.

5.   The highest return on investment during change initiatives comes from individual coaching sessions.

Organizations allocate substantial resources toward communication about change management as well as training programs and team workshops. Individual coaching for key influencers has shown to produce the highest return on investment in my experience.

Our study of a manufacturing company’s lean transformation compared sites implementing standard change management protocols with those that provided additional individual coaching for their managers. The difference was striking:  

·      54% of sites employing standard change management processes reached their implementation goals.

·      89% of sites reached implementation targets when they included individual coaching.

Six months post-implementation revealed that sustainability metrics exhibited the most substantial differences among the tested sites. Sites that provided individual coaching preserved 93% of their enhancements whereas sites without this support experienced major regression with only 67% of their initial gains sustained.

Key Takeaway: Targeted coaching for influential individuals delivers unmatched leverage even though coaching demands substantial resources. Personalized guidance assists leaders to deal with personal issues while enhancing their ability to support their teams.

The Human Element Remains Paramount 

Based on my observations during increasingly complex organizational changes the main failures are seldom technological or procedural elements. Success or failure during change depends on how people experience and process change through the human element.

Effective leaders grasp that managing change revolves around guiding people as they face uncertain situations. They acknowledge emotions have more influence over behavior than logic does while recognizing that personal connections create necessary safety for adaptation and tailored approaches generate superior outcomes compared to generic communication plans.

Your chances of achieving success in organizational transformation will improve when you apply these insights to your change leadership strategy.