Why Most Change Initiatives Fail: Mastering Organizational Culture and Continuous Improvement

Master Change Management and Organizational Culture Transformation. Rahul Karan Sharma and Sarena Diamond (Accenture, IBM, Pepsi) reveal how to sustain change and drive continuous improvement.

Ranked in the Global Top 1.5%, The Climb: Leadership Development and Confident Leader podcast provides the blueprint for Leadership Development and Employee Engagement. In this episode, transformation executive Sarena Diamond shares over two decades of high-stakes experience. We dive deep into why cultural misalignment kills 70% of change initiatives and how to use positive influence to create a ripple effect across Fortune 100 enterprises.

The CLIMB™ Framework InsightThis episode bridges L – Leveraging Your Strengths and M – Magnify Your Impact:

• L – Leveraging Your Strengths: Sarena highlights the role of the "Individual Contributor." Successful change isn't just top-down; it’s about leveraging the unique strengths of every team member to foster ownership.

• M – Magnify Your Impact: To magnify a transformation, leaders must be "the water, not the rocks." By focusing on outcomes and collective benefits, you turn resistance into momentum.

Key Leadership Moments

• 03:07 – Why Change Management is the #1 skill for modern leaders.

• 06:02 – Navigating Change: Common pitfalls in Organizational Culture.

• 09:02 – Sustaining Change: Moving from activity to outcomes.

• 17:50 – Success Metrics: Leading vs. Lagging indicators in transformation.

• 21:01 – The Ripple Effect: Using positive influence to drive Continuous Improvement.

ABOUT THE GUEST: SARENA DIAMOND

Sarena Diamond is a multi-dimensional transformation executive with deep expertise in Organizational Change Management, project facilitation, and training. With a powerhouse career spanning Accenture, IBM, and Pepsi Cola, Sarena has guided Fortune 100 enterprises and PE-backed ventures through complex global shifts. She specializes in embedding culture from the top down and empowering individual contributors to become agents of positive change.

• 🔗 Connect with Sarena: linkedin.com/in/sarena-diamond/

ABOUT YOUR HOST: RAHUL KARAN SHARMA

Rahul Karan Sharma | Forbes Coaches Council Global Leadership Expert and Staffing Industry Specialist

Rahul solves the "Accidental Manager" crisis. Using his proprietary CLIMB Framework™, he transforms technical experts into executive-ready leaders. Ranked in the Global Top 1.5% of Podcasters, Rahul bridges the gap between Northern Virginia’s business ecosystem and international leadership standards. As a prominent member of the Loudoun County and Greater Reston Chambers of Commerce, Rahul is the definitive advisor for firms from Ashburn to Arlington seeking Strategic Acceleration.

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