Transformation Fails When Leaders ‘Sponsor’ Rather Than Build

IndustryWeek examines a core design flaw behind the 80% transformation failure rate: leadership teams that sponsor change from a distance instead of becoming the performance system at the center of it.

The numbers are stark: 73% of failed initiatives lack clear executive alignment on success metrics, and 56% lose active C-suite sponsorship within six months. The programs that succeed change their own operating rhythm to match the transformation, not the other way around.