BUT...BUT...WHY????

Not because I said so

Over the years, I’ve seen countless change initiatives stumble, often for reasons that feel maddeningly predictable. Reading a recent HBR article on this topic, I couldn’t help but think about how these issues align with the principles I’ve outlined in The CEO Tightrope and The Chief Executive Operating System. At their core, failed initiatives usually come down to a breakdown in vision, communication, or execution—all areas where leadership plays an outsized role.

First off, change efforts often fail because there isn’t a clear, compelling “why” behind them. I’ve always been a big fan of “why.” Early in my career, when I became an officer in the US Navy, I was proudly bestowed a plaque from my peers with the one phrase they would remember me by: “BUT…. BUT… WHYYYYYYY?”

The CEO’s job is to own the vision, and that responsibility is amplified during times of transformation. If employees don’t understand what the change is driving toward—or worse, if they don’t believe it’s necessary—you’…