Transformation is not a project. It's a power shift

Bangkok Post

4 days ago

In boardrooms across Asia, 'transformation' is the buzzword of the decade. Every company is launching a new initiative. Digital. Cultural. AI-powered. But here's the uncomfortable truth:
Most transformations fail not because of bad strategy, but because people never truly changed.
They introduced new technology. Hired consultants. Rewrote organisational charts. But they never rewired how people think, decide or lead.
So what actually works in 2025?
Let me share two stories. Both are real. Both are recent.
The first is a well-known Thai conglomerate with more than 30 business units and decades of success. The board had a bold vision. They wanted more speed, synergy and innovation across companies. But when we spoke to division heads, we heard the same thing: 'We protect our turf because no one else plays fair.'
The culture was high-control and high-performance, but low-trust. Senior leaders did not challenge one another. Decisions were delayed. Even great ideas died quietly in layers of approval.
Now contrast this with a fast-growing wellness company in Vietnam, founded by a Thai and German entrepreneur. The business started small with one boutique health café, then grew into a multi-brand lifestyle group in three countries.
They did not have complex systems or layers of hierarchy. What they had was psychological safety. People spoke up. They experimented. Their leadership team held weekly failure forums, where they openly shared what did not work. In 18 months, they pivoted their product line three times and tripled their revenue.
What made the difference?
Not size. Not resources. Not even strategy. It was Mindset.
The Three Real Levers of Transformation
1. From Control to Courage: Too many senior leaders, especially those over 60, still lead with authority rather than vulnerability. But transformation requires admitting, 'I don't know,' and co-creating answers. Courage today is not about being right. It is about letting go of being the only one who is right.
Try this: In your next team meeting, ask, 'What's one thing we need to stop pretending is working?' Then listen without defending. Let truth breathe.
2. From Process to Purpose: One regional bank launched an AI-led transformation to cut costs. It worked at first. But soon, mid-level staff disengaged. Morale dropped. Why? Because no one connected the change to something meaningful. In 2025, people — especially Gen Z — want more than efficiency. They want purpose.
Try this: Ask your transformation team, 'Who will this change benefit most, and why should they care?' Make purpose visible, not just profit.
3. From Silos to Synergy: Middle managers are the squeezed generation. They absorb pressure from the top and frustration from the bottom. But they are also the most powerful agents of cultural change — if you unlock them.
Try this: One logistics firm in Thailand created 90-day cross-silo labs. They paired operations, sales and technology teams to solve one real customer pain point. No titles. No blame. Just focus. One lab saved the company 18 million baht in a single quarter and sparked collaboration habits that continued to grow.
The bottom line is this: Transformation is not a campaign. It is a power shift. From ego to empathy. From knowing to learning. From hierarchy to co-creation.
The most future-ready leaders are not the loudest or longest-serving. They are the ones willing to evolve.
So the real question is not, 'Are you transforming?'
It is this: 'Are you letting yourself be transformed?'
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