Start with Alignment, Not Urgency: Why Grounding in Your Purpose Drives Sustainable Change

Change initiatives often default to one familiar tool: urgency. Leaders push to implement new systems, behaviors, and processes at speed, hoping that momentum will carry the day. The thinking often goes, “If we don’t act now, we’ll fall (or already are) behind.” While urgency can spark movement, it’s results are often a short-term. What truly sustains change over the long haul is alignment - grounding people in the purpose behind the shift.

The Problem with Urgency

The “burning platform” approach, where the pressure to act is paramount, can backfire. While it might compel your organization to mobilize quickly, it often leads to superficial adoption. Teams may comply out of fear or expediency rather than a genuine commitment to your new direction. This is why many organizations see initial buy-in, but later, a gradual return to old habits and work-arounds.

Urgency also has an unintended consequence: by focusing on speed rather than understanding, your people may resist not because they dislike the change but because they don’t yet see how it connects to their day-to-day work or your broader organizational goals. By focusing too heavily on a sense of urgency, leaders risk alienating those who aren’t yet aligned with the change's purpose – but could be.

The Power of Alignment

Instead of beginning with urgency, a more sustainable approach starts with alignment. Grounding people in why this change matters to them, their teams, their customers, and the organization builds a deeper commitment. Purpose is the fuel for long-lasting change because it taps into intrinsic motivation, not just external pressure.

When individuals genuinely understand the “why” behind a transformation, they can see how it contributes to their own goals, values, and individual purpose. Alignment doesn’t just create initial momentum; it sustains the effort over time. Employees who feel connected to the purpose of change are more likely to embrace it, troubleshoot issues, and champion the cause even when challenges arise.

Actionable Steps for Leaders

Resist the Quick Win Mentality

Leaders are often pressured to demonstrate rapid results, but rushing can undermine the long-term success of a change initiative. Instead of pushing out a hurried message, take the time to understand the underlying resistance. There’s often a dialogue running that says, “we don’t have that time,” that’s understood, but the truth is you’re making that time commitment anyway, so – conflict, or alignment – choose one.

People resist change for a variety of reasons: fear of losing control, uncertainty about their role, or skepticism that the change will improve their situation, or that of their customers or clients. By listening to these concerns and understanding the values behind them, leaders can better frame the change as something that aligns with employees' interests. When individuals feel heard, they’re more likely to engage with the change rather than push back.

Moreover, linking the change to core values or long-term organizational strategy can help your people see the broader impact. Instead of viewing it as just another corporate directive, they’ll recognize it as something that helps them meet personal or professional goals.

Facilitate Early Conversations

Building alignment means creating space for dialogue, not just pushing out top-down messages. Leaders should actively facilitate early conversations with small groups, allowing them to explore how the transformation aligns with their personal and professional goals.

These conversations don’t have to be formal; sometimes, informal discussions can be even more effective. When individuals feel comfortable expressing doubts or concerns, leaders gain valuable insights into potential roadblocks. It also helps your people feel like they are part of the process, rather than simply being told what to do.

As alignment builds, individuals become influencers for the change, sharing their enthusiasm and sense of purpose with others. This ripple effect can help foster a culture of commitment across the organization.

Pilot Initiatives to Gain Trust

Trust is foundational to any major change initiative, but it’s often overlooked in the rush to implement. One of the most effective ways to build trust is by starting small. Leaders should pilot initiatives that offer early wins without threatening entrenched systems.

For example, implementing a low-risk project that demonstrates the value of the change can help overcome skepticism by giving the opportunity to engage people with the challenges. These pilot initiatives should be highly visible, giving the broader organization a clear view of how the change works in practice and what benefits it brings.

This approach reduces the perceived risk of change. Your people can see that the new approach is not only viable but also beneficial. This step-by-step process builds trust and confidence, making larger-scale adoption easier and more accepted.

Conclusion: Align to Sustain

In today’s fast-paced business environment, it’s tempting to drive change through urgency. However, as many failed transformations have shown, urgency without alignment rarely leads to sustainable results, and even short-term gains may well bog down. Grounding people in purpose - helping them understand the why behind the shift - creates a deeper sense of commitment on a number of levels.

By resisting the quick win mentality, facilitating early conversations, and piloting trust-building initiatives, leaders can create a culture of alignment that sustains change long after the initial push. In the end, it’s alignment, not urgency, that ensures change becomes a lasting part of the organization’s DNA.

Clive Gower-Collins is a New Zealand-based Consultant in strategic execution and value realisation. He has worked on greenfields change capability builds, strategic execution, and project and portfolio management across Australasia and the Pacific. He has a deep interest in our emergent understanding and practices in AI augmentation, and AI-driven system integrations.