Real Leaders Don’t Manage Change. They Drive It. If You’re Not Leading Change, You’re Not Leading.

Guest Contributor: Sheneen Jit -  Enterprise Delivery & Change Execution Partner

Rethinking Readiness: How Relational Change Leadership Accelerates Adoption and Resilience 

Change management is no longer just a support function—it’s the strategic heart of successful transformation. In today’s world, where disruption is constant and attention is fragmented, effective change isn’t about plans and processes—it’s about people. 

Change management isn’t a side function.  It is THE leadership function. 

I’ve been part of, or have led, more than 30 successful banking system implementations throughout my career. These transformations are the equivalent of a heart transplant for a financial institution. They touch every part of the business: customers/members, staff and operations, as well as integrations to things like online banking, cheque clearing and electronic payment gateways. 

Yet according to McKinsey & Company, 70% of large-scale transformation programs fail to meet their objectives, with a key factor being lack of employee engagement and adoption.

Failure Rates and User Adoption 

Prosci, a leader in change management research and benchmarking, identifies the top reasons for failure as lack of sponsorship and resistance to change, and both are closely tied to user adoption. 

Further, Harvard Business Review points to lack of buy-in and change fatigue as core reasons transformation efforts stall.points to lack of buy-in and change fatigue as core reasons transformation efforts stall. 

Looking at these statistics, it’s clear that user adoption challenges account for an estimated 40% to 60% of transformation failures. 

This includes: 

• Lack of understanding of the “why” 

• Low emotional readiness 

• Poor training or communication 

• Change saturation and fatigue 

• Inconsistent leader role modeling 

No matter how solid the strategy, if people don’t adopt the change, the transformation doesn’t stick. 

To deliver successful transformations, you need more than a plan. You need meaningful, sustained engagement across the organization. Trust is the lever. And that kind of trust doesn’t come from a checklist—it comes from showing up. 

Projects with excellent change management are 7x more likely to meet their objectives, according to Prosci. But I believe organizations can do even better than that if they evolve how they lead change. 

Transformation Is Emotional Work 

We often talk about strategy, alignment and execution. But emotion is the hidden variable in every change effort. Burnout, fear, confusion and disengagement are the real risks that derail even the best-laid plans. 

Modern change professionals know that leading transformation means guiding people through uncertainty, resistance and overload. According to Pivotal Growth’s research, the most effective change leaders: 

• Connect emotionally and authentically 

• Role-model agility and emotional stability 

• Prioritize team wellness and engagement 

• Read people and situations with accuracy 

These aren’t soft skills—they’re transformative capabilities. 

Your Role in the Storming and Norming of Transformation 

Every large-scale change goes through turbulence. For multi-generational teams, that turbulence can either create disconnection, or forge cohesion. The difference lies in how we lead. 

As change leaders, we must: 

• Normalize emotional complexity 

• Create space for reflection and dialogue 

• Build micro-moments of trust and ownership 

This is where Pivotal Growth introduces the 2% Flex Effect.  It’s connected to Flex Capacity and comes in: small, intentional leader behaviours, like asking how someone is really doing or pausing to reinforce the “why”, create compounding improvements in engagement, connection and clarity. 

What Should Organizations Do Next? 

To lead change well today, your organization must: 

• Integrate change leadership at the start of every transformation 

• Redefine “readiness” to include emotional, relational and generational dimensions 

• Equip leaders with the tools to engage, flex, decide, and execute 

• Move from compliance-based sponsorship to visible, relational leadership 

• Treat trust, wellness and communication as strategic enablers 

Change readiness checklists may help you launch a change initiative, but relationships are what sustain it. 

When we think about transformation success, it’s tempting to focus on execution, including timelines, budgets task lists. But in today’s environment, that’s no longer enough. Change leadership is an inside job before it’s a team initiative.  Stay tuned for a follow up blog that will provide more information on how to incorporate into execution. 

Great transformations happen when customers or members don’t even notice the change because the people behind the scenes were fully aligned. 

If you’re ready to reframe your change capability and elevate your outcomes, let’s start with the people who power the change. 

Reach out to explore our Pathway to Transformation change diagnostics, leadership workshops, or team coaching experiences.   

Sheneen Jit Enterprise Delivery & Change Execution Partner

Sheneen Jit has led more than 30 successful core banking system implementations, a level of transformation success that is uncommon in an industry where most large programs miss their targets.  She combines disciplined execution with a relational leadership style that strengthens adoption, reduces resistance, and stabilizes teams through complex change.

Her approach creates the conditions for leaders and project teams to stay aligned, engaged, and accountable from early readiness through post-implementation. She proves that large-scale transformation succeeds when operational rigor and human dynamics are treated as equal drivers of outcome. Sheneen holds a Bachelor of Technology in Technology Management, has a Certificate in Change Management, and is Lean Greenbelt certified.