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Corporate transformation efforts often fail not because of flawed strategy, but because leaders lack the interpersonal skills needed to navigate change, Harvard Business Review writes.
Research shows roughly 70% of transformations fall short, largely due to leaders misreading employee sentiment, mistaking silence for alignment or overlooking resistance entirely.
The problem is widespread: Many executives are promoted for technical expertise, not their ability to understand and respond to people. This creates a “perception gap,” where leadership believes initiatives are on track while employees disengage beneath the surface.
Experts say companies must actively diagnose this disconnect through data and feedback, then build leaders’ people-reading skills through repeated real-world interactions rather than one-time training. Structural fixes—such as incorporating informal influencers or creating alternative feedback channels—can also help surface hidden resistance.
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