Immunity to Change

Desire and motivation are not enough to make people change, as a study of heart patients shows: told by doctors that they would die unless they changed their habits, only one in seven followed through. Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey explain why, arguing that individual beliefs combine with the collective mindsets inside organizations to create a natural immunity to change. By revealing how that mechanism holds people back, the authors aim to help readers pinpoint and uproot their own immunities and bring their organizations along with them. Hands-on diagnostics and case studies support the method, which is meant to apply to both personal life and work.

Deal'n founder Nadia Al Sheikh found it interesting for showing that what stops people from getting what they want is, surprisingly often, resistance they create themselves, and said learning to overcome those defenses is important for success in business.