September 16, 2025
“Transformation” must be one the most overused words in business. Almost every boardroom has it on the agenda and most leadership teams have it on their strategy slides.
Yet, most transformations fail. Not because the strategy is wrong. Strategies usually look good on paper. They fail because of execution, culture and leadership focus.
From my experience leading turnarounds and large-scale change, some lessons stand out:
Strategy without culture is a wish
You can have the best roadmap, but if the culture doesn’t shift, the organisation won’t follow. Transformation isn’t just new products or processes. It’s how people behave when unsupervised and make their own on-the-job decisions, day-in, day-out.
It’s people that deliver strategy, not slide-decks
Brilliant ideas often hit a brick wall because execution is left to overstretched teams over and above their daily load, while leadership and external advisors move on to the next initiative. The most successful turnarounds I’ve seen are when leaders stay close to delivery and provide visible support.
Plans Must Adapt to Reality
Things rarely go exactly as planned. Adapting along the way doesn’t mean the plan failed. It means leaders are learning, listening, and adjusting to reality. Without measurement and proximity to delivery, you might not even realise adaptation is needed.
What gets measured, gets done (and believed)
Most dashboards track financials and delivery milestones. But if you don’t measure cultural alignment, adoption, and customer outcomes, you won’t see the cracks until it’s too late. Progress in transformation has to be measured beyond the balance sheet.
The difference between a failed transformation and a successful one is rarely the slide deck. It’s whether boards and CEOs treat transformation as a living process. One that demands cultural alignment, leadership attention, and relentless execution.
In your experience, what makes the difference between a transformation that sticks and one that fails? Would be great to hear your views in the comments below.