Lack of Urgency: A trap for leaders of change
One of the biggest reasons leaders driving change achieve limited success is a lack of urgency. Without an immediate and compelling need to act, momentum is difficult to build, and resistance often dominates. Urgency can stem from many factors—an existential threat to the business, a competitive gap, or a missed opportunity—but without it, change becomes an uphill battle.
"Change happens when the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of change." – Tony Robbins
I learned this first-hand while working with a large utility. Over time, competitors had begun to chip away at its market share, and leadership acknowledged the need to transform. Ambitious programs were launched to address customer service, marketing, and operational efficiency. However, despite good intentions, the initiatives consistently underdelivered and gained a reputation for ineffectiveness.
Then came the tipping point: a regulatory announcement that capped the prices utilities could charge customers. This fundamentally altered the profit model, creating a very real threat to solvency. Suddenly, transformation wasn’t a luxury—it was critical to survival.
Actions started to reflect stated objectives, with resources and expertise assigned to drive change. Initiatives that had languished for years suddenly gained traction, and real progress began to take shape. For me, this reinforced a critical truth: transformation succeeds only when the urgency to act outweighs the comfort of the status quo.
Why Urgency Matters
Complacency is the Enemy of Change
If people believe the current way of doing things is “good enough,” change efforts will never gain traction. It’s easy to delay action when there’s no clear sense of necessity.
Urgency Focuses Attention
When the need for change is real and pressing, it eliminates distractions. People stop questioning whether transformation is necessary and start working toward solutions.
Urgency Can Stem from Threats or Missed Opportunities
While urgency often arises from existential threats, it can also come from realizing the gap between current performance and a missed opportunity. Whether it’s a competitive advantage, an untapped market, or evolving customer expectations, perceived opportunity can be just as motivating as avoiding risk.
How effective leaders build and sustain urgency
Here are practical steps I’ve seen work to create and sustain the urgency needed for real transformation:
1. Show why change is needed today
For urgency to take root, people must understand that the status quo is unsustainable. Leaders often soften their message to avoid discomfort, but this can dilute the case for change. Instead, you must highlight the gap between today’s reality and the future vision.
One organization I worked with had a goal of becoming a leader in digital services. While the vision was compelling, leadership initially failed to emphasize the inadequacies of their current systems. Employees didn’t see the transformation as critical. Only when data showing declining market share and customer satisfaction was shared did the urgency hit home, and momentum finally began to build.
By clearly presenting evidence—market trends, competitive gaps, and performance data—you create a compelling, fact-based case for change. This ensures urgency is seen as necessary and grounded, rather than an opinion.
2. Anchor on a Big Idea to sustain interest over the long term
Transformation needs a unifying theme—what Jim Collins, in his book Built to Last, called a “Big Hairy Audacious Goal” (BHAG). A BHAG is an ambitious, clear, and inspiring objective that aligns the organization and drives focus.
Think of NASA’s mission to put a man on the moon. It wasn’t just a technical goal; it symbolized national determination and inspired teams to push beyond perceived limits.
A compelling BHAG:
Simplifies complexity into a single, engaging narrative.
Inspires confidence by aligning with a larger purpose.
Creates excitement and curiosity that draw people toward the goal.
Endures over the long-term and creates a platform to support ongoing action.
For transformation, a well-crafted BHAG can highlight the gap between current capabilities and the desired future state, making the need for change unavoidable and energizing.
3. Acknowledge conflicting priorities
Change can create tension between maintaining today’s business and building tomorrow. Employees often feel torn between current responsibilities and the demands of new initiatives. Acknowledge this tension upfront and offer a clear framework to manage it.
Successful transformations explicitly balance these priorities. They allocate roles thoughtfully—some people innovate while others sustain existing operations. This dual focus reduces friction and ensures both current performance and future growth are addressed.
When I worked with a global retailer in the early days of online, they struggled with how to maintain high standards in brick-and-mortar operations as well as pursue their digital agenda. It wasn’t until they separated their online business that they got the necessary focus. Common sense in hindsight, but brave action at the time to move good people away from the business that had led to their current success. The most important outcome was that it signalled to people the priority and urgency of the initiative.
4. Lay Out the Stepping Stones
Urgency doesn’t mean rushing blindly. It’s about creating a clear path forward with achievable interim goals that lead to the ultimate vision.
Think of these goals as stepping stones across a stream. People need to see the destination and believe there’s a realistic way to get there even if the specific path is unclear. And without visible short-term wins, enthusiasm wanes, and momentum fades.
For example, during a transformation at a telecommunications firm, we had a bold vision but set interim milestones for reducing customer churn, streamlining service processes, and launching a self-service platform. These wins reinforced confidence and sustained urgency, keeping the broader initiative on track.
By clearly defining achievable milestones, you demonstrate progress and maintain focus on the next step.
5. Keep it real
Urgency shouldn’t be manufactured. We’ve all heard stories of new CEOs “taking a bath” in their first year of earnings to create a platform for change and a departure point from previous management. This perhaps underscores the impact of urgency but ultimately “manufactured urgency” will fail. Not only does the leader lose credibility and influence when the facts emerge - and they always do – but any resulting effort is likely to be in the wrong direction, wasting resources and hardening the audience even further to future change.
About Failure Fridays Failure Fridays is a weekly series exploring common transformation mistakes and the lessons they offer. Each edition aims to spark reflection and help leaders take actionable insights into the week ahead.
