Change Management : Creating Deep & Sustainable Behavioral Change - Arend Ardon

In this episode of the Leadership 2.0 podcast, I am interviewing Arend Ardon about how leaders can create deep, and sustainable behavioral change in their organizations.

Arend Ardon (1967) is a management consultant and co-founder and co-owner of the Change Studio, a consultancy firm specializing in change management. 

He is a leading thinker in this area and has published dozens of articles and books.

During our conversation, I asked Arend questions about the following topics:

- Why Arend decided to become a management consultant

- To what he contributes his success in implementing changes in large organizations, despite never having worked as a leader in such an environment

- His fascination for change and change management

- Why we, in the context of change, need to adapt a different paradigm than thinking in terms of initiating leaders on the one hand, and reactive and dependent employees on the other.

-  Why leaders and experts should reflect on their own role in change processes

- Why and how leaders should release control if they want to make things happen

 -  ‘Creating a sense of belonging’ versus 'Burning platforms' to drive change management

- What the undertow in organizations is, and why leaders should pay attention to this

- Why Arend decided to pursue a PhD study

- Arend's drive for writing

- Why Arend decided to establish his own consulting firm (The Change Studio)

- The type of clients that are attracted by the Change Studio

- The profile of the consultants that work for the change studio

- Why Arend Still makes the time available to lecture at universities

Information about Arend's work:

Arends' book Doorbreek de cirkel! has meanwhile sold more than 30,000 copies and was recently also published in English (Break the Cycle!). Other books include Ontketen vernieuwing! (which translates as ‘Unleash innovation’) and, more recently, with Cynthia van der Zwan, ‘Wat speelt hier? Laat de onderstroom spreken (which translates as: ‘What is going on here? Listen to the undertow’). All books have become best-sellers in the Netherlands.

In partnership with GoodHabitz, Arend developed the online Change & Innovation course, especially for use on smartphones and tablets. The course offers lots of video content, interactive tests, and a vast library of further reading (http://bit.ly/2qLlDr0).

Relevant contact details and links:

Arend can be reached at: [email protected]

The website of the Change Studio: https://www.thechangestudio.nl/?lang=en

Arend's PhD Thesis "Moving moments" can be downloaded here: https://research.vu.nl/ws/portalfiles/portal/42174484/complete+dissertation.pdf