How to Win the Culture Change War

Leaders don’t need better messaging. They need to regain control of the narrative.

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A tech CEO recently brought me in because his organization was fighting change. He had done everything right. At least, that’s what he thought. After months of work, he’d introduced two new leadership principles: “AI-first mentality” and “bold risk-taking.” They looked good on slides but felt empty in real life. But that was the least of the problems.

Nothing was changing, and teams kept working the same old way.

The CEO was convinced the problem was communication. He wanted to double down on town halls, emails, and prettier slides. But words alone weren’t enough. His change story was making people feel worthless and even disrespected.

The CEO treated culture change as a brand campaign when it was actually a narrative war. And he was losing.

The Battle of Competing Narratives

Culture isn’t a marketing problem needing a catchy slogan. It’s a battlefield where competing stories fight for dominance. To create a new one, you first need to understand what you’re up against.

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