How Change Really Works

Change now, faster, smarter. The imperative to transform your business only gets more urgent. BCG leaders provide a science-based playbook for beating the odds and doing it right.

Market volatility. AI. Regulatory uncertainty. Geopolitical risk. Leaders know they must adapt faster than ever – yet most transformation programs still fail to deliver their expected outcomes, with enormous costs to companies, shareholders, and the broader economy.

But some companies succeed. In How Change Really Works, Boston Consulting Group experts Julia Dhar, Kristy Ellmer, and Philip Jameson show that these successes are not random – they are connected by a common set of principles and practices. Interweaving illuminating examples, decades of behavioural science research, and new interviews with executives and employees, as well as the authors' own experiences leading change with BCG, they offer seven principles that constitute the core of a truly human-centered approach to successful organisational change. These range from 'Get true agreement, not false alignment' to 'Give people agency, not just involvement' to 'Expect take-up to be earned, not automatic.'

The second part of the book shifts into execution mode, providing a five-phase practical manual for putting the principles to work that is filled with tips, checklists, advice, and smart hacks for helping your transformation beat the odds, succeed, and stick.

Change doesn't fail because people resist – it fails because leaders misunderstand how people really change. Whether you're launching a new initiative, stuck in a stalled transformation, or trying to rescue a failing one, How Change Really Works is your essential leader's guide.

About the Author

Julia Dhar is a global authority on behavioral science in leadership and organizational change. A Managing Director and Partner at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and founder of its Behavioral Science Lab, she advises Fortune 100 companies and governments on how to make better decisions under pressure.

Kristy R. Ellmer is a global authority on transformation. A Managing Director and Partner at BCG, she is the global lead, emeritus, for Culture and Change Management and leads the firm's North America Transformation practice and global Behavioral Science team. She guides organizations through their largest and most complex changes, delivering multibillion-dollar value.

Philip Jameson is a senior expert in organizational change at BCG, where he serves companies undertaking transformation. He is a classical musician and was Chief of Staff for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Philip draws on his passions for economics and group decision-making to help leaders navigate complexity.