Every mid-sized or large company eventually launches a transformation program. Or hires someone to “drive change.” We all know that as the world around us shifts, staying the same is not an option. But at the same time, there’s this sweet taste of inertia. That quiet echo of “those were the days,” “this is how we’ve always done it,” or “the younger generation doesn’t get how we do business here.”
Paraphrasing a well-known Hollywood director, an organization is like a shark. It has to keep moving or it dies. I’ve always believed that. No pause, no comfort zone, no time for stillness. And yet, while swimming full speed, our business sometimes needs to evolve. No quiet space. No shelter. Change on the go.
The idea of comparing companies to living organisms is not new. Andy Grove once said: “A corporation is a living organism; it has to continue to shed its skin. Methods have to change. Focus has to change. Values have to change. The sum total of those changes is transformation.”
Before jumping into transformation, we have to remember: we’re creatures of habit. Routines calm our minds. They help us think less and recover more. And even though a company isn’t just a sum of its individuals, many of our personal behaviors spill into the work environment. With so much shifting around us (hello AI – I’m looking at you), it’s human to want something stable.
Unfortunately, business is no longer the place to look for that stability.
Why companies need to change:
Because markets evolve faster than business cycles
Because customers have more power, choices, and expectations
Because legacy systems, teams, and models quietly stop serving the strategy
Because competitors aren’t waiting for your transformation plan
Because change is now a permanent condition, not a one-time event
And here’s the hard part. We usually face two situations:
We still have time. We’ve noticed signals early enough. We can lead change proactively.
We’re already drowning. We’ve ignored or misread the signs, and now we’re playing catch-up under pressure.
Your strategy should reflect which of these situations you’re in, not what you wish were true.
How to know the difference
Symptoms you still have time:
You see pressure building, but performance hasn’t dropped (yet)
You still have team bandwidth and budget for structured change
Your customers are restless, not gone
People are speaking up, not burning out
Symptoms you’re already in crisis:
Key people are leaving or disengaged
You’re fighting fires every day with no time to think long-term
Customers are actively churning or questioning your relevance
Leadership is split, morale is shaky, and nobody owns the future
- Cash is getting tight — and it’s starting to dictate your decisions
From here, the path depends on your starting point, but a few things are always true:
Clarity first. Don’t jump to a new plan without understanding what’s broken.
Prioritise ruthlessly. You can’t fix everything at once.
Balance today and tomorrow. Protect what works. Reinvent what doesn’t.
Communicate honestly. People can handle the truth better than mixed signals.
Don’t do it alone. Whether it’s advisors, peers, or operators, surround yourself with people who’ve done it before.
Everything looks easier on paper. But here’s the reality:
Only 30% of organizational transformations succeed.
Even the “successful” ones deliver just 67% of their projected value.
And 38% of leaders in large companies say they’d rather quit than lead another change program.
Why? Because it’s damn hard.
So talk to others who’ve been through it. Bring in support where you need it. Take care of your team and yourself. Celebrate the wins, even the small ones. If you’re lucky, you might even enjoy the process a little. After all, you’re not just fixing a business you’re building something new, side by side with the people you work with.
