A Fresh Take on Courage for Change: Dave Ulrich

Change Signal

Here are three provocative questions that emerge from this Change Signal conversation with Dave Ulrich:

• Why do so many leaders know what to do in change but fail to actually do it?

• If change is always messy and iterative, how can leaders set expectations without killing momentum?

• What does it really take to lead through paradox instead of choosing sides?

Most change leaders treat transformation like a neat plan: set the strategy, communicate the vision, and drive execution. Dave Ulrich, one of the most influential HR and leadership thinkers of the past 30 years, argues that this mindset misses the real challenge.

In this conversation, he explains why the knowing–doing gap is the biggest barrier to transformation, how to embrace experimentation and failure as part of the process, and why courage in leadership often means knowing when not to act.

The most provocative idea? Great leaders don’t eliminate tension — they learn to navigate the paradoxes between instinct and data, boldness and patience, top-down direction and bottom-up energy.

If you’re leading change management or organizational transformation, this conversation offers a practical, human, and honest look at what leadership really requires.

Change Signal. Cut through the blather, the BS, and the noise to find the good stuff that works in change. If you’re a transformational leader seeking modern change mastery, you’re in the right place.

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