Gregory P. Shea Books
Shea is a Senior Fellow at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an expert in organizational change and leadership.
Known for: Leading Successful Change: 8 Keys to Making Change Work
Books by Gregory P. Shea
Leading Successful Change: 8 Keys to Making Change Work
Leading Successful Change: 8 Keys to Making Change Work is a practical guide to one of the hardest tasks in management: turning ambitious plans into real, lasting organizational change. Gregory P. Shea and Cassie A. Solomon argue that most change efforts do not fail because people are lazy, resistant, or incapable. They fail because leaders misunderstand how organizations actually work. Instead of relying on slogans, inspiration, or top-down mandates alone, the authors show that successful change depends on aligning the concrete elements that shape daily behavior: priorities, roles, processes, relationships, and rewards. What makes this book especially valuable is its realism. It does not present change as a dramatic moment of vision, but as a disciplined leadership practice grounded in structure and execution. Shea, a Wharton professor and organizational consultant, and Solomon, an experienced advisor on leadership and change, bring decades of field-tested insight to the subject. Their framework helps leaders diagnose why change stalls, identify the leverage points that matter most, and build conditions where people can actually succeed. For managers, executives, team leaders, and anyone responsible for transformation, this book offers a clear roadmap for making change stick.
Read SummaryKey Insights from Gregory P. Shea
Change fails in the system
A powerful truth sits at the center of this book: people usually do not resist change nearly as much as systems resist change. Leaders often blame employees when transformation stalls, assuming the workforce lacks commitment, courage, or adaptability. Shea and Solomon challenge that instinct. They a...
From Leading Successful Change: 8 Keys to Making Change Work
Start with the real work
Many change efforts collapse because they begin at the level of abstraction rather than action. Leaders announce a bold future, define broad values, and communicate urgency, yet fail to specify what actual work must be done differently on Monday morning. Shea and Solomon insist that successful chang...
From Leading Successful Change: 8 Keys to Making Change Work
The eight levers shape behavior
One of the book’s biggest contributions is its structured framework for diagnosing change. Shea and Solomon show that behavior is influenced by a set of organizational levers that leaders can intentionally align. Although leaders often overemphasize communication and underuse design, the authors exp...
From Leading Successful Change: 8 Keys to Making Change Work
Alignment matters more than inspiration
A stirring speech can launch change, but only alignment can sustain it. Shea and Solomon do not dismiss the importance of vision, leadership energy, or emotional commitment. What they reject is the belief that inspiration alone can overcome structural contradiction. When leaders ask people to behave...
From Leading Successful Change: 8 Keys to Making Change Work
Leaders must diagnose before acting
One of the most costly habits in organizations is the rush to solutions. Faced with pressure, leaders often respond with new programs, restructuring announcements, or culture campaigns before they understand the real problem. Shea and Solomon emphasize that leading change requires disciplined diagno...
From Leading Successful Change: 8 Keys to Making Change Work
Middle managers make or break change
A striking reality of organizational change is that the middle layer often determines whether strategy becomes behavior. Senior leaders can set direction, and frontline employees can execute tasks, but middle managers translate goals into day-to-day priorities, coaching, tradeoffs, and coordination....
From Leading Successful Change: 8 Keys to Making Change Work
About Gregory P. Shea
Shea is a Senior Fellow at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an expert in organizational change and leadership.
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Shea is a Senior Fellow at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an expert in organizational change and leadership.
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