Change management is far too passive a term for what businesses and organizations need in today’s challenging business landscape.  Businesses and organizations need Progress Leadership. The world’s most successful businesses and organizations are planning and leading progress not just making adjustments relating to the changes happening around them.  Making changes isn’t enough anymore; we need Progress Leadership in order to be successful in this unique and ever changing 21st century marketplace.  

Dean Lindsay, Award winning business author and In Person & Virtual Leadership Keynote Speaker, on PROGRESS Leadership ® and building Progress Leadership focused Work Cultures…Progress Leadership Speaker, Dean Lindsay, Author, Keynote Speaker, 6 Ps of Progress, Progress Agent, 2021, 2022, Work Culture, Business

How to Lead Progress in a World of Change… In these uncharted times, it is VITAL that we Create Work Cultures Focused on ‘Progress Leadership ®’ and not Change Management.  It takes more than the title of supervisor, manager, or “change agent” to lead people in the direction of progress.  We all want to partner with organizations that bring progress to our lives.   

Dean’s Progress Leadership Program titles include:

• SUCCESS: A Work in Progress 
• The Future is Progress Leadership : Change Management is Dead
• Progress Leadership Breakthrough
• Leading Progress in Performance & Possibilities
• Meeting the Progress Challenge: Working and Winning in a World of Change
• Harnessing the Power of a Progress Leadership Vision

“Dean Lindsay’s ‘Progress Leadership’ program is extremely insightful and thought provoking, truly a must see!  I would encourage all committed leaders – what Dean calls Progress Agents – to adopt the concepts he shares in this refreshingly helpful and wildly entertaining presentation. PS… can’t wait to read the book!” – LeAnn Jeter, PHR, SHRM-CP, Co-Founder of The Strategic HR Forum

Watch Dean Lindsay’s Progress Leadership Speaker Video Demo Reel …

Progress Leadership Speaker, Dean Lindsay, Author, Keynote Speaker, 6 Ps of Progress, Progress Agent, 2021, 2022, Work Culture, Business

Dean’s newest book is PROGRESS LEADERSHIP: Say NO to Change Management

WINNER of the Business Class News Editors’ Choice Award for BOOK OF THE YEAR

• “Important and timely book” – Forbes
• “I recommend this book to HR professionals, business leaders, sales leaders, and anyone who is trying to not only navigate the business world today, but also succeed in it.”  – Julie Weber, Vice President & Chief People Officer, Southwest Airlines
• “Leaders can’t keep change from happening. The only thing we can do is transform how we think about it—and help our teams do the same. Progress Leadership from ‘America’s Progress Agent’ Dean Lindsay is a much needed kick in the pants for every leader. If you would rather be leading progress instead of managing change, read this book!” – Ken Blanchard, coauthor of The One Minute Manager® and Servant Leadership in Action

Click to Download Dean’s ‘LEADERS Must Be Open to Progress’ article from HR .com’s LEADERSHIP EXCELLENCE magazine 

“Dean was a great fit for our global team meeting because his message about Progress Leadership was perfect for our company at this time. We are in the process of merging two companies together and we needed inspiration and attitude to make the needed progress quickly. Dean message was timely, energizing and funny but most importantly right on point.” – Doug Oathout, SVP. Marketing & Strategy Global Solutions Integrator, Black Box Corporation

Progress Leadership Speaker, Dean Lindsay, Author, Keynote Speaker, 6 Ps of Progress, Progress Agent, 2021, 2022, Work Culture, Business

“Dean’s message couldn’t have come at a better time. As we begin the difficult work of integrating three newly merged companies, it’s critical for us to understand the difference between progress and change. At this critical juncture, we can’t afford to make change for change’s sake.  Dean brought a unique blend of insight with humor and plain-spoken delivery that really made his message stick.” – Stephen Ayoub, President and Chief Revenue Officer, Data Blue

“We had Dean speak at our international Business Partner Conference in Stockholm, Sweden. Dean delivered a very energetic, dynamic and humorous motivational speech for our international Group of reselling partners, focusing on change and progress. I can highly recommend him.” – Sofia Löfblad, Marketing Director at Handheld GroupAB

Contact Dean Lindsay to discuss your PROGRESS Leadership ® Needs.

Call him at +1 (214) 457-5656 or Click Here to Fill out Our Contact Form.

Dean Lindsay on PROGRESS Leadership ® …

The business term “change management” has been around for a good long while.  The term relates to “initiating significant change” within an organization’s processes.  This change can include anything from altering work culture to embracing diversity to modifying an individual’s work tasks to increasing company morale and loyalty.  The goal of “initiating significant change” is solid, but where is the passion in the word choice?

The problem with the term “change management” is that no one really desires to change or plans to change.  We desire and plan to progress.

We do not want managers to manage our change. We want leaders to lead our progress.

Let’s call “initiating significant change” what it truly is (or should be):  Progress Leadership.

In a time of continual transformation, committed leaders – Progress Agents –should focus on inspiring the progress, not apologizing for the change.

Progress Agents don’t just TELL people what to do.  Progress Agents include others in the progress as well as the process.  It is reasons that shape, nourish,

and sustain the thoughts that create the actions necessary to reach desired results.

“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”
— Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Companies are most successful at “initiating significant change” when the reasons to act connect personally with the individual employees making the alteration in behavior.  If the reasons don’t connect with the individual, then the planned progress will be viewed as merely change and will be resisted or at least not acted on.  Team members may still physically clock in but have often mentally checked out. 

Committed leaders work to positively influence thoughts and feelings as well as oversee actions.  We live in a world of influence.

Intense focus on feelings in a time of transformation is often described as the “human side of change management.”  This always gives me pause.

The “human side” of business—what other side is there?  Some might say the company side.

So then, the company and the humans are on different sides?   That’s the problem right there.  Companies are formed by people (humans) partnering to get their wants and needs met by helping other people (humans) get their wants and needs met.  Leaders who do not take the individual into account and do not plan for the human side of Progress often find themselves scratching their heads about where their plans went wrong.

When the next shift happens or next big thing comes our way, we internalize it, and size it up as Progress or Change.  All progress is change, but not all change is progress.  We should be careful not to mistake mere change for progress.

To Change Is Human; to Progress, Divine.

Because progress is subjective, there is no single factor that clearly determines whether an event represents progress or change.

However, we can say that we:

• Start businesses to progress, not change

• Hire employees to progress, not change

• Work on teams to progress, not change

• Make the tough choices and the tough phone calls to progress, not change

• Keep our cool when dealing with challenging customers or co-workers to progress, not change

The business term change management has been around for a good long while.  The term relates to “initiating significant change” within an organization’s processes.  This change can include anything from altering work culture to embracing diversity to modifying an individual’s work tasks to increasing company morale and loyalty.

The problem with the term “change management” is that no one really desires to change or plans to change.  We desire and plan to progress.

Without personal commitment to execute, new organizational plans and initiatives often fail.  Execution is assured by establishing clear links between operations, strategy, and team members.  Progress leadership means working to understand and communicate how a team member’s personal goals can dovetail with the organization’s goals and thus create true commitment that gets the team member to act – because he or she wants to, not because they have to.  Progress Leadership means striving to help others find meaning in their work.

 Contact Dean Lindsay to discuss your Organizational PROGRESS LEADERSHIP ® Needs.

Call him at +1 (214) 457-5656 or Click Here to Fill out Our Contact Form.

Virtual Leadership Keynote Speaker, Presentations, 2020 Motivational Opening, humorous convention, 2021, creating progress in a world of change management

“Your message was extremely appropriate to our Sales Leaders during these uncertain financial times. As you are aware, like most major corporations, we are dealing with lots of change both with the economy and organizationally and your message was relevant and on the mark.”  – Dave Nostrand, Vice President, Sales – Eastern Region, Marriott International, Inc.