Coming soon · Book Profile
Leading in a Culture of Change
In complex, turbulent times, leaders succeed not through charisma or speed but by cultivating cultures of change built on moral purpose, understanding change, relationships, deep knowledge building, and coherence making.
A profile of this book is on the way.
What it’s about
Leading in a Culture of Change (Second Edition) argues that the relentless, nonlinear complexity of modern life demands a fundamentally different kind of leadership—one that is less about heroic individuals and more about building organizational cultures capable of continuous, purposeful adaptation. Michael Fullan distills decades of work with leading practitioners in both business and education into five synergistic leadership capacities: pursuing moral purpose, understanding the dynamics of change (nuance), building focused collaborative relationships, fostering deep learning and knowledge creation, and making coherence. Enriched by the 'energy-courage-relentlessness' constellation and grounded in vivid cases—from Benjamin Adlard Primary School to Southwest Airlines to Toyota—the book shows how effective leaders 'go slow to go fast,' listen and learn in context, and develop other leaders to the point of becoming dispensable. It offers a practical, evidence-informed framework for transforming institutions in a troubled world where the stakes now include human and planetary flourishing.
The through-line
- Who it’s for
- A leader in education or business who wants to make a positive difference and successfully lead change in an increasingly complex, turbulent world.
- The problem
- Most change efforts fail; organizations are cluttered with initiatives, employees are disengaged, and rapid nonlinear change threatens obsolescence. The leader feels overwhelmed by the too-fast/too-slow dilemma, anxious about learning something new, and uncertain whether their competence matches the expectations placed on them.
- The plan
- Pursue moral purpose and make it prominent and dynamic.
- Understand the change process using the nine change-savvy insights (be right at the end of the meeting, relationships first, acknowledge the implementation dip, etc.).
- Build focused, precise collaborative relationships where 'learning is the work.'
- Foster deep learning and knowledge creation, accessing tacit knowledge through interaction.
- Make coherence through purposeful daily interaction and leadership from the middle.
- The payoff
- More good things happen: enhanced performance, engaged and proud people, thriving cultures, and lower turnover. · The leader develops greater courage, insight, and intuition through experience. · Sustainable leadership cultures emerge that produce future leaders and outlast the individual.
See our guide
Additional reading
- Leadership on the Line · R. Heifetz & M. Linsky
The book heavily draws on Heifetz's distinction between 'technical' problems (with known solutions) and 'adaptive' challenges (requiring new learning), which defines the core work of leading in a culture of change.
- Organizational Culture and Leadership · E. Schein
Schein's formal definition of culture as a group's learned response to problems is used as the foundational concept, framing the book's central argument that changing this embedded culture is the leader's primary task.
- Turning the Flywheel: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great · J. Collins
The 'flywheel' concept is a key metaphor used to explain how the book's five leadership components work together to create compounding, accelerating momentum for change.
- Six Simple Rules: How to Manage Complexity Without Getting Complicated · Y. Morieux & P. Tollman
Their research on the 'Complexity Index' is cited to diagnose the problem of organizational 'complicatedness,' which the book's principle of 'coherence making' is designed to solve.
- Where Teachers Thrive: Organizing Schools for Success · S. M. Johnson
Johnson's deep research on successful school cultures provides specific, empirical evidence for the book's claims about the power of collaborative professionalism and hiring for cultural fit.
- How to get your school moving and improving · S. Dinham (2008)
Provides practical guidance for school leaders on implementing school-wide improvement, which aligns with the book's call for collective responsibility.
- Leaders of learning: How district, school, and classroom leaders improve student achievement · R. DuFour & R.J. Marzano (2011)
Focuses on the role of leadership in creating a culture of learning and using evidence to improve student outcomes, a key theme of the book.
- Evidence based teaching: A practical approach · G. Petty (2009a)
Offers another perspective on using research evidence to inform practical classroom teaching, complementing Hattie's meta-analysis approach.
- Student-centred leadership · V.M.J. Robinson (2011)
Explores the specific leadership practices that have the highest impact on student outcomes, reinforcing the book's emphasis on instructional/learning leadership.
- The inspired teacher: How to know one, grow one, or be one · C.F. Steele (2009)
Expands on the book's themes of passion and inspiration in teaching, providing a model for teacher development.