John P. Kotter Quotes

A collection of quotes by John P. Kotter.

John P. Kotter is a renowned author, professor, and leadership expert, best known for his groundbreaking work on change management. Born on February 25, 1947, in San Diego, California, Kotter obtained his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He later pursued a master's in management at the MIT Sloan School of Management and obtained his Ph.D. in business administration from Harvard Business School.

Kotter joined the Harvard Business School faculty in 1972 and has been a professor there ever since. Recognized as an authority on leadership and change, he has authored numerous influential books, including "Leading Change" and "Our Iceberg Is Melting," which have become seminal works in the field.

Kotter's research and writing primarily focus on helping organizations navigate and implement successful transformational change. He emphasizes the importance of establishing a sense of urgency, building a powerful guiding coalition, and aligning people and strategies to facilitate effective change initiatives. His eight-step change model has been widely adopted by companies and leaders worldwide.

In addition to his academic contributions, Kotter is also a sought-after speaker and consultant, providing guidance and support to leaders and organizations facing change-related challenges. His work has significantly impacted the field of leadership and change management, helping countless individuals and organizations develop the necessary skills to adapt, thrive, and lead successful transformations.

Because management deals mostly with the status quo and lead

Because management deals mostly with the status quo and leadership deals mostly with change, in the next century we are going to have to try to become much more skilled at creating leaders.

John P. Kotter


The vast majority of large scale change efforts fail. Which

The vast majority of large scale change efforts fail. Which means that the probability that you have actually experienced a failure, and your people know that and are pessimistic, therefore, about trying something again, is very high.

John P. Kotter

Failure