Change champions aren’t born, they’re nurtured. Discover how smart leaders identify and amplify voices that accelerate organisational transformation.
What’s happening: Digital transformation initiatives continue failing not because of technology limitations, but due to poor change communication. Leaders are discovering that successful transformation requires becoming a “Chief Repeat Officer” – delivering the same message 100 times in 100 different ways to ensure team adoption and engagement.
Why this matters: In the modern digital age, organizations face unprecedented challenges and possibilities while managing the intricacies of digital transformation. As technology advances rapidly, the human element becomes the determining factor between transformation success and failure, making communication skills the new leadership superpower.
Change is hard, but change is good. This fundamental truth drives every successful digital transformation, according to David Leach, CEO of JAVLN, who argues that the biggest challenge isn’t the technology itself but leading people through the journey.
“Technology is on the minds of all business leaders,” Leach explains. “Legacy systems can feel like an anchor, holding a business back, while modern systems are like a jet engine, propelling it forward.”
The reality facing organisations today reflects broader industry trends. In a world where technology is advancing at lightning speed, soft skills have become the true X-factor. Emotional intelligence, leadership, communication have emerged as critical differentiators in successful transformation efforts.
Communication repetition
Great leaders understand that communication isn’t a one-time event. They become what Leach calls “Chief Repeat Officers,” sharing and cascading messages multiple times in varied formats.
“They don’t communicate this vision once,” he notes. “One week it’s a team meeting explaining how new systems will streamline workflows. The next week it’s a story about a team member who saved three hours per day after mastering new tools. The week after that, it’s a demonstration of how automation can reduce errors and increase efficiency.”
This repetition serves as reinforcement. Consider a health insurance company rolling out new claims processing systems. Using the Chief Repeat Officer approach, the core message of ‘faster, more accurate claims’ gets reinforced through monthly newsletters highlighting speed improvements, interactive dashboards showing real-time metrics, and celebration emails when teams hit efficiency milestones.
Authentic leadership
The most effective leaders acknowledge that transition periods are challenging while explaining the reasoning behind changes. They don’t pretend learning new systems is easy or that frustrations won’t arise.
“Yes, the first few weeks with new processes will feel different from your known day-to-day routines,” Leach suggests leaders might say. “But here’s why we’re making this shift: soon you’ll spend less time chasing information in three different places, you’ll cut down the back-and-forth emails, and you’ll be able to find what you need in seconds instead of minutes.”
This authentic approach builds trust. When leaders honestly discuss the bumps ahead while connecting change to everyday wins, teams feel heard and understood, becoming more willing to embrace the journey.
Realistic optimism
Successful change leaders maintain what Leach calls “realistic optimism” about future vision. They don’t simply say “things will be better” but map out specific paths forward, breaking transformations into manageable phases and celebrating small wins.
“I’ve seen this approach work across many industries,” Leach observes. “Take something as simple as an office move. Instead of saying ‘the new office will be great,’ effective leaders outline the journey: support for packing, clear timelines, maps of the new layout, and a first day welcome tour.”
Project management tools like Asana can visually track these phases, automatically sending updates showing how completed milestones move teams closer to envisioned futures. Seeing ‘Week 3: Packing crates delivered ✓’ and ‘Week 4: Layout maps shared ✓’ on shared dashboards makes projects tangible.
Change champions
The most successful transformations identify change champions throughout organisations – naturally curious team members who embrace new technology and enjoy helping colleagues.
“These champions become informal leaders in the change process,” Leach explains. “They’re the ones answering questions on the floor, sharing tips and tricks, and demonstrating that the new tools make work easier, not harder.”
Internal platforms like Microsoft Teams or Slack amplify champions’ voices, enabling them to share quick video tutorials, celebrate wins, and build informal learning communities. When colleagues see peers easily navigating new platforms and genuinely appreciating new capabilities, adoption accelerates naturally.
The never-ending journey
Digital transformation represents a mindset rather than a destination. Change remains constant, especially in rapidly evolving industries, requiring modern leaders to develop skills for guiding teams through continuous adaptation.
“Change is hard, but change is good,” Leach concludes. “The leaders who master this contradiction don’t sugarcoat the difficulty, and they help people see the value on the other side.”
The most effective leaders combine clear future-state communication with authentic acknowledgment of challenges. They maintain realistic optimism while becoming Chief Repeat Officers who understand that saying something once means it wasn’t heard, saying it ten times means it might be remembered, and saying it 100 different ways ensures it sticks.
“When leading change, remember that stepping out of our comfort zone and into the learning zone is where transformation actually happens,” Leach advises. “It’s uncomfortable, but that’s where the growth lives.”
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