Change Starts with the Heart: The Emotional Impact of Lewin s Change Model

Change initiatives fail more often than succeed and poor planning or even poor visions are often blamed for the breakdown. However, what dooms most change initiatives is a lack of follower involvement throughout the process. Leaders must include followers in every step of the plan so they can see themselves in it. The change message must capture the followers’ hearts and show how the new future is better than status quo and how it will personally improve their lives as well as the state of the organization. If the heart of the follower is not captured the result will be another failed initiative. This article weaves Lewin’s three-step change model into a discussion of the emotional impact of change on followers, and proposes that successful change efforts must acknowledge and account for heart issues in both leaders and followers.