Leader's Vision vs. Leader's Engagement

I recently completed a CRM implementation for a large financial services company.

In spite of all the time and money invested and the huge untapped potential in their current book of business, I'd give them a 50/50 chance at success with their CRM initiatives.

Their core problem is huge - and simple: their business leaders have cast a grand vision for CRM, but remain totally disengaged from the actual change process. All efforts to engage their support, participation, and collaboration have failed.

Set aside all the pop/fad leadership pablum, and we are left with this fulcrum, on which all organizational change rests: how and where leaders engage in the change process itself.

Vision casting is overrated; leaders who empower and engage in the actual change process get the best results.