This year’s winning article discusses the importance of leveraging multiple sources of influence to effect change in an organization. The authors conducted three studies that tracked long-term problems in organizations. Despite tackling nagging problems that they referred to as “destructive” or even “cancerous,” the executives in the studies were found most often to have tried only one fix for their problem. Only 5% of those studied used four or more potential solutions, such as increased training, reorganization or special retreats. However, the studies showed that executives who sought four or more sources of influence were 10 times more likely to succeed at solving their problem. The authors identified the six most important sources of influence that executives can use to effect positive change in their organizations. They further divided those into three categories: personal, social and structural. Personal influences include linking change to the mission and values of the organization and investing in skill building. When executives want to exert social influences, they work with positive forms of peer pressure and social support. Finally, executives can influence their organizations through structural changes, such as aligning... To read the complete article, login or sign-up using the form below.