We created the Art of Change because we felt the phrase itself captured the heart of our firm. Change done well is an art. And we began a voyage through stories and videos and illustrations to capture that art, asking, “What does it look like?” and, “What kind of stories could we create to try to capture that lightning in a bottle?”

One of the things I’m most delighted about in the series is how many leaders we’ve been able to talk to around the country who have demonstrated their great skill at the art of change. And they all do it differently. They all bring unique experiences and unique culture and understanding of their people and their environment to make the art of change happen in a way that works for them. So, one of my favorite learnings out of this series is that there is an art to change – there are some fundamental principles that make it successful. But in execution it can be as different as an oil painting is to a statue.

There are parts of the Art of Change that could have been written a hundred years ago because people are people, and change is change and people are going to be resistant to it. The fundamental principles are the same. But what we’ve developed over the last year is catching the art in the moment. It’s like a piece of amber: This is the art today. If we wrote it five years ago, the principles would be the same but the environment different, and the nuances would change.

So, for a leader today, it’s less about understanding exactly what ROI or business considerations changed or what structure was followed then versus now. Instead, it’s an appreciation of the principles and how they apply to who the leader is. Not just for the year that they are about to embark upon but for today: “If there are 10 rules to the art of change, what are the three that apply as I walk the halls this afternoon?”

That’s a great touchstone for anybody and how we hope you will use these principles.

Read all of Vol. I: Welcome, here.