Earlier this year I helped judge the Business Book Awards. I was flattered and excited because I love to learn, but what I didn’t appreciate was how much reading I had to do, in such little time!

The category I was judging was ‘Leading the Team’ and the winner – The Change Catalyst by Campbell Macpherson – is our Book of the Quarter because it fits so well with our focus on leadership, the CEO Mindset, and generally with our Scale Model and Philosophy because our program does lead to change however big or small.  And you need to be ready to deal with this on so many levels!

Based on various studies, Macpherson claims that 88% of change initiatives fail and so therefore the aim of his book is to make sure your next change, strategy or M&A (Merger and Acquisition) is the 1 in 8 that succeeds.

The Change Catalyst is written in a conversational style and is story-based, which I love and use myself as I personally find it more engaging than a traditional business book packed with buzzwords.

The book is divided into key sections and drills down into:

• Why change is inevitable
• Why 88% of change initiatives fail
• The necessary ingredients for successful change (change process, planning, emotional triggers etc)
• Culture change (there’s a chapter called Teaching people to walk in the rain)
• Getting down to business (this is all about values, leadership, strategy)

Leadership is all about change, which is difficult when most people fear it, and resist it (from foot-dragging and inertia right through to sabotage and rebellion).  The brain doesn’t like uncertainty because anything uncertain is potentially a threat.

Many (unconsciously) believe that when you’ve been doing something a certain way for some time, it must be the right way to do things.  And the longer you’ve been doing it that way, the better it is.

The Change Catalyst shows you how to pinpoint all the emotional triggers, take a logical approach, and get everyone on board.

A change can be anything from behaviour, process or culture, right through to an entire business so this is very relevant to our Scale program.  What really stood out for me was that in order for change to succeed, you must to appoint a Change Catalyst – a person who is responsible for ultimately delivering the change (a bit like my views on having a Customer Journey Champion on board).

Because the author has been helping business leaders clarify their strategy and instigate sustainable change for more than 30 years throughout the UK, Europe, Australia, USA, Asia and the Middle East, The Change Catalyst contains real-life practical case studies, so you can see what successful change looks like ‘on the ground’.  There’s also a Change Toolbox offering a collection of proven tools and models to help with planning and implementing.

What I think will be interesting for you is seeing change through the eyes of a business owner, a leader of people, an employee, and a human being.

Whatever you’re working on over the next 13 weeks and beyond, there will always be an element of change however big or small. Simply by expecting resistance to change and planning for it from the start will allow you to manage objections, address concerns, become more proactive and help enable your next change initiative to be among the 12% that succeeds!

The Change Catalyst by Campbell Macpherson is available on Amazon for Kindle and Hardcover format.