The Playbook for Leading Change: Proven Strategies for Success

Leaders continually receive multiple messages on how to lead successful organizational change. “Create buy-in. Model the way. Connect strategies to the organization’s vision. Garner input. Engage others in decisions. Co-design strategies.” The confusion created by these multiple messages has contributed to a high failure rate in change initiatives, as organizations struggle with watered-down approaches that offer generic solutions instead of tailored, practical guidance. This book is a compendium of simple, easy-to-implement change strategies that work - all in one source.

When working with organizations such as American Express, Mayo Clinic, Eaton, Honeywell, Target, AT&T, US Bancorp, Kraft Foods, 3M, Johnson & Johnson, Nabisco, PepsiCo, and The New York Times, the authors have witnessed firsthand how leaders struggled with conflicting messages from various “flavor-of-the-month” models. The complexity of today’s organizational environments -- especially post-pandemic -- has only magnified this challenge. Leaders seek clarity amid the noise and need strategies that are adaptable to their unique environments. The Playbook for Leading Change provides simple, concrete strategies that, with a little help from AI, can be customized for immediate action―so leaders can breathe a sigh of relief with more confidence. When these strategies are implemented in manageable “baby steps” using five core change principles, the probability of success improves significantly.

This book presents hard evidence in a nonacademic fashion by showing why these strategies work and how to engage them most effectively. It helps leaders move beyond “gut instinct,” which sometimes works but often fails, and instead adopt evidence-based approaches that can be applied with confidence. With organizational environments becoming increasingly complex, the need for clear, reliable, and practical solutions to change challenges is more compelling than ever.

Essentially, the authors provide a precise and quick read that will lead to tactical strategies for leading organizational change. They have taken the best-of-the-best practices from their three contexts (as leaders, consultants, and professors) and merged them into a single, straightforward book -- it offers one-stop shopping for those who need practical guidance on navigating change. The Playbook for Leading Change demystifies the process, equipping leaders with tools and insights that cut through the confusion and enable them to lead change initiatives with greater success.

Mike Valentine has an extensive career as a management consultant, executive coach, Human Resource thought leader, and educator with over 30 years of experience in a wide range of sectors. Dr. Valentine has held positions at The New York Times as Vice President of Human Resources and leadership positions at Publishers Circulation Fulfillment, as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Eaton - Cutler-Hammer International, Allied Signal (Honeywell), RJR Nabisco, Pepsi Co, and Johnson & Johnson. He is the founder of Valentine Coaching and a Clinical Associate Professor and Academic Director of Human Capital Programs at New York University’s School of Professional Studies.

Dr. Valentine is an active advisor to organizations and students using Action Research. His work in this area includes relationships with for-profit and not-for-profit organizations and NGOs working in developing countries to address complex global issues and plan and implement change initiatives. Dr. Valentine has an extensive coaching practice with expertise in team coaching, coaching diverse talent, and leadership programming. Dr. Valentine has active research in the areas of:

• Dignity in the workplace
• Using participatory practice as a way to solve complex problems
• Effective practices coaching executives leading change

Mitchell Kusy has had 25 years of experience in leadership and organization development. A Registered Organization Development Consultant, he is a full professor in the Graduate School of Leadership & Change at Antioch University, with a worldwide audience of students who are key leaders in their respective organizations. He is a distinguished visiting professor at the University of Auckland (New Zealand). In 2005, Dr. Kusy received the international honor of being selected as a Fulbright Scholar in Ukraine for international organization development. In 1998, he received the prestigious award as Minnesota Organization Development Practitioner of the Year.

Before entering academia, Dr. Kusy worked in industry and directed the leadership development area at American Express Financial Advisors; previously, he managed organization development for Health Partners. He consults internationally in leadership development, strategic planning, team development, 360-degree feedback, executive coaching, and organization development.

Gilles Benoit is a senior scientist at 3M and a leading innovator with over 70 patents. His breakthroughs span from developing optical fibers for life-saving medical procedures to designing cutting-edge display technologies used by Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft. Holding a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from MIT, he bridges science, leadership, and artificial intelligence to solve complex global challenges. A pioneer in Deep Causal Learning (DCL), Dr. Benoit helps organizations turn AI from hype into measurable impact. In The Playbook for Leading Change, he shares practical insights to help leaders build smarter, future-ready cultures that can adapt and thrive through transformation.