In this wide-ranging conversation, Michael and Mickey Desai dig into the five most common — and costly — mistakes that leaders make when trying to navigate organisational change. From underestimating resistance to skipping the stakeholder engagement phase, these are the patterns Michael has observed across 250+ client engagements over 25 years. If you lead a […]
Five Critical Mistakes with Michael Randel Read More »
Resistance is not the enemy of change — it is information. In this lively conversation with Cecilia Sepp, Michael reframes pushback as one of the most valuable signals a leader can receive during a change initiative. He shares why leaders who dismiss or suppress resistance consistently fail, and what it looks like to engage resisters
The Power of Pushback Read More »
What happens when a leader invests in coaching — not for their team, but for themselves? Michael joins Sarah Olivieri to explore the underappreciated value of executive coaching for nonprofit leaders, including how coaching accelerates leadership development, reduces decision fatigue, and creates the reflective capacity that drives sustainable high performance. Michael draws on his work
The Benefits of Coaching for Leaders Read More »
Culture change is one of the hardest things a nonprofit can attempt — and one of the most expensive to get wrong. Michael speaks with Haley Cooper about what culture change actually involves (beyond the posters and values statements), the real costs of staff turnover during change transitions, and how leaders can hold teams together
Navigating Culture Change Read More »
Associations face a unique set of change challenges — balancing member expectations with the need to evolve, often with volunteer boards and distributed governance structures. Michael joins Elisa Pratt and Andrew Chamberlain on the Association Transformation podcast to explore how association leaders can stop fighting resistance and start listening to it. A must-listen for association
Embracing the Gift of Resistance Read More »
In a world where company growth and success should fuel employee satisfaction, 67% of staff are not positively engaged. Here’s why, and what you can do about it. The Engagement Paradox I recently heard from an executive-level leader at a growing company. This company was good at what it did, it had a sterling reputation,
I’d never witnessed this before. A national election was threatening to tear a country apart. A high risk of violence by supporters of the losing party. Uncertainty about how the work of our organization would be impacted by the new government. I was unsure who I could trust in the workplace to speak about my
When was the last time you critically examined your organization’s Purpose and Identity? If it’s been a while, you might be missing out on crucial opportunities for growth and adaptation. Don’t make the mistake of viewing your company’s Purpose and Identity as fixed and unchangeable… Let me tell you a story about a little paper
Lead with Confidence: Mastering Purpose and Identity for Organizational Readiness Read More »
Did you ever take a long summer road trip as a kid? Didn’t those journeys feel like they would take forever? I remember some of the trips I took with my family when I was growing up. Three teenagers in the back seat. No air conditioning. Only one radio/tape deck for the car, with my
The Change Leader’s Pit Stop: Refuel, Realign, Resume with Confidence! Read More »
The last few years have seen a transformation for organizations worldwide – the explosion of remote and hybrid work. Looking into 2024, it’s clear that hybrid work has become the default mode of engagement for many companies. While some have embraced fully remote work, others have settled into a mix of in-office and remote days.
The Levers for Sustaining Change: Hybrid Mastery Read More »
How do you create and sustain change? What enables all the constituent elements of change to stay connected with one another, interacting in ways that maintain and sustain forward momentum? In our previous newsletter, we introduced the RCA Levers for Sustaining Change as a way of looking at five interlocking elements that will keep you
The Levers for Sustaining Change: Capable People Read More »
It’s summertime as I write, a time when things slow down from the usual pace we experience for the rest of the year. So I’m enjoying taking time to read some new books and revisit old favorites. I think you will enjoy them too! Karolin Helbig and Minette Norman (2023) – “The Psychological Safety
Reading For A Change Read More »