This is part of the series “Lessons from Change Management Strategies and Long Distance Running.”

Around mile 10 my legs felt numb. The urge to stop was extreme, the mental challenge almost unbearable (one of the reasons focus is very important). To add to that, I felt extremely tired and if I hadn’t been sipping gatorade, I probably would have dehydrated myself to the point of exhaustion. So, how does one keep going? The key is energy, simply defined as the capacity to do work (Oxford Dictionaries).

You can store up energy before the race but as soon as you start burning carbs, you also need to have a way to replenish energy. Runners maximize energy through diet (lots of carbs), hydration (to replenish fluids and electrolytes), building the right kind of muscle, pace, and energy supplements (such as GU Gel).

Organizational change is work that requires energy. In his landmark book EPIC Change: How to Lead Change in the Global Economy, Dr. Timothy R. Clark defines energy as “the capacity to perform work and absorb stress through sources of motivation that influence discretionary effort.” Dr. Clark outlines the following seven sources of energy that leaders can tap into at different times during a change transition. I’ve added my interpretation and commentary on each as related to organizational change.

1. Agility: keeping the organization flexible and nimble to respond quickly to change. This can be accomplished through good talent management practices that stretch people, keeping leaders nimble and out of the comfort zone. In running, this is analogous to flexibility (the second post in this series)
2. Urgency: a threat or opportunity that requires immediate action or attention. For urgency to be powerful, it has to be felt. For more on this subject I recommend The Heart of Change by Kotter and Cohen.
3. Credibility: the extent to which people are willing to risk going along with the change. This is mostly a function of how well leaders are able to create confidence. Clark covers the topic well. I also recommend The Speed of Trust by Stephen M. R. Covey for more detail and practical tips on building credibility.
4. Coalition: a group of credible leaders that collectively can exert enough influence to make the change successful. Traditional stakeholder analysis though not enough, can be a good start to identify those who can be part of the coalition. A coalition also demonstrates commitment to the change, which will enhance credibility.
5. Vision: not to be confused with an official statement (e.g. plaque, presentation, or memo), a vision is a collective view of the end state. It’s been said that work without vision is drudgery and vision without work is wishful thinking. It requires both; but usually it is a clear, relevant, compelling, and exciting vision that is lacking in organizations. We help create this type of vision through a interactive facilitated approach that taps the imagination and the input of the people involved.
6. Early results: because the earlier forms of energy only take you so long (e.g. credibility and vision have shelf lives), early results can infuse more energy for the change to continue. This is why milestones are important (see earlier post on milestones). They provide the evidence that the change is working and replenish expended energy the way energy drinks and gels re-energize a runner.
7. Sustained results: success breeds success; but in the end, it’s the ability of the organization to institutionalize the results that creates the impetus to achieve long lasting change. This is where most change initiatives fall short as they fail to change mindsets, behavior, or culture. Interestingly, though Clark lists this as the last source of energy, the work required to tap into this energy source should begin early during a change initiative. This will be the subject of the next post.

Energy is critical to successful organizational change. Leaders can do much to tap into each of these energy sources. Consultants can help, HR departments can help. But in the end it’s the leader’s responsibility to ensure there is plenty of organizational energy to finish the course.