2. Machiavelli and Change Theory
He who believes that new benefits will cause great personages to forget old injuries is deceived.
"If Moses, Cyrus, Theseus, and Romulus had been unarmed they could not have enforced their constitutions for long—as happened in our time to
Fra Girolamo Savonarola, who was ruined with his new order of things immediately the multitude believed in him no longer, and he had no means of
keeping steadfast those who believed or of making the unbelievers to believe."
And let it be noted that there is no more delicate matter to take in hand, nor more dangerous to conduct, nor more doubtful in its success, than to set
up as a leader in the introduction of changes. For he who innovates will have for his enemies all those who are well off under the existing order of
things, and only lukewarm supporters in those who might be better off under the new.
-Machiavelli, Niccolo (Chapter 6, p. 14).
3. Black and Gregersen
Brain Barriers - new mental maps
Gregersen - Questions are the Answer
Black - You’ve got to change individuals to lead change in organizations
● Helping people see (barriers)
● Fail to move
● Fail to finish
4. Machiavelli and Black and Gregersen
“A man who is used to acting in one way never changes; he must come to ruin when the times, in changing, no longer are in harmony
with his ways.”
6. Michael Fullan
Moral Purpose is the goal of making a
positive difference for all of the members
of the school community and the entire
educational system.
Machiavelli
A prince should not act on moral
principles but on behalf of the interests
of the state.
7. Michael Fullan
● It’s not just one’s ideas there needs
to be collaboration of ideas
● Appreciate the implementation dip
● Understand the resistance
Machiavelli
It must be considered that there is
nothing more difficult to carry out, nor
more doubtful of success, nor more
dangerous to handle, than to initiate a
new order of things
8. Michael Fullan
Build Relationships with people who
think differently
Emotional Intelligence is key
Machiavelli
Since love and fear can hardly exist
together, if we must choose between
them, it is far safer to be feared than
loved...love is preserved by the link of
obligation which, owing to the baseness
of men, is broken at every opportunity
for their advantage; but fear preserves
you by a dread of punishment which
never fails
9. Machiavelli and Michael Fullan
Machiavelli had it right five hundred years ago. When people contemplate new
ideas, he observed, they are “generally incredulous, never really trusting new
things unless they have tested them by experience” (1515, 1961). The key word
here is experience. Grasping change involves giving people new experiences that
they end up finding intrinsically fulfilling. Once again we are back to practice rather
than theory as the driver. (Motivate the Masses- Fullan)
11. Kotter and Cohen
● Go slow to go fast.
● Change is time‐consuming.
● Skipping steps in the process creates the illusion of speed but never
satisfactory or sustained results.
12. Kotter and Cohen
8. Make it stick
“Where the willingness is great,
the difficulties cannot be great.”
“It must be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor
more dangerous to manage than a new system.”
2. Form a powerful coalition
“The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at
the men he has around him.”
5. Empower Action
“A man who is used to acting in one way never
changes; he must come to ruin when the
times, in changing, no longer are in harmony
with his ways.”
Machiavelli
*“It must be remembered that there is nothing more difficult to plan, more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to manage than a new system. For the initiator has the enmity of all who would profit by the preservation of the old institution and merely lukewarm defenders in those who gain by the new ones. ”
