Six Secrets of Change

Michael Fullan has been at it again. In his 2008 work, The Six Secrets of Change, he writes about six key factors which have brought success to all kinds of institutions in his almost 30 years of research on change, reform and leadership.

Here are the six secrets, as listed in the contents page of that book (which proper CEOs of proper learning institutions would do well to read):

1. Love your employees
2. Connect peers with purpose
3. Capacity building prevails
4. Learning is the work
5. Transparency rules
6. Systems learn

It is a sobering and wonderful list, especially as explicated in the usual clear Fullan style.

It is also one of the many reasons why I was laughing so hard today. I think Fullan is wrong in one sense; if context is everything, and drama (and other sleights-of-hand and trompe l'oeil tricks) can prevail over reality, then sufficient unplanned and chaotic action with hyped-up positive outcomes will lead to true success. Then there is no need for any of these factors, and a theory can be put forward which uses this key finding as a fulcrum.

I mean, aren't you afraid that what I've said is true? What if an organisation which displays none of these six secrets evinces all kinds of successful change? Then there are only four main possible conclusions: 1) the secrets are there, but well-concealed; 2) the successful changes are an illusion; 3) the secrets are not necessary for successful change; 4) the kind of success Fullan is talking about is not real success.

See? Nothing to be afraid of: just another opportunity for educational research.