Christophe Derdeyn Shares Essential Leadership Skills for Successful Business Transformation
Change is a constant in business today. Whether it’s shifting to shared services, entering new markets, or transforming operations, organizations must evolve to stay competitive. Yet up to 70% of business transformations fail. The difference between success and failure often comes down to leadership. Drawing from over two decades of leading major organizational changes across nine countries, transformation expert Christophe Derdeyn strips away the fluff and shares what really matters: communication that connects, patience that perseveres, and trust that transforms. His insights shed light on which leadership skills can be learned – and which ones can’t.
Understanding the Role of Communication
“No one actually likes to change things,” Christophe says bluntly. Having led massive programs that changed how organizations handle everything from finance to supply chains, he’s learned that communication isn’t just important – it’s essential. The challenge starts with getting everyone on the same page. Each person interprets messages differently, so leaders need to spell out exactly where the company is heading. “You need to develop a vision that you convey in a consistent manner to make sure people who receive your message understand what it is that you’re actually trying to achieve,” Christophe explains.
But it’s not just about the message – it’s about tailoring it to different audiences. Finance teams have different concerns than supply chain managers. White collar workers see things differently than blue collar staff. “You need to adjust your communication to that,” Christophe notes. “You need to have a communication strategy to make sure that you manage all the stakeholders and bit by bit you get them across the line.”
Taking Change One Step at a Time
Quick fixes don’t exist in business transformation. Leaders often face pushback, but Christophe has found it usually stems from confusion rather than opposition. “You will have a lot of objections which are not necessarily objections but just misinterpretation, or rejection because they don’t know where you want to go and what’s in it for them,” he shares. His solution? Take it step by step. Racing towards change without bringing people along guarantees failure. Patient leaders who take time to address concerns and demonstrate value win in the long run.
Even perfect plans fall flat without trust. “You need to be trustworthy as a leader,” Christophe states. “It’s about building that team that’s going to go along with you on the journey. People need to believe that what you say is good for them.” This requires a mix of charisma and credibility. Leaders must rally people behind their vision while proving they understand the nuts and bolts of what needs to change.
Learning vs. Inherent Leadership Skills
Can anyone learn to lead transformation? Christophe sees it as a mix. Planning, stakeholder management and communication techniques can all be learned through experience. The hard part? Developing an open mind. “People who have a very strong closed opinion, they’re typically not open to explore different ideas and different mindsets,” he observes. “They’re not willing to put themselves in other people’s shoes.”
Christophe points to a complex project involving nine countries merging various business functions into shared services. Despite careful planning, the final result looked different than initially imagined. Why? Because good leaders adjust when reality differs from theory. “You amend the way that you do things as you go along because you see this works, that doesn’t work,” he explains. “Team structures, ways of reporting, ways of measuring – they’re all things that you work out on paper which looks good and everyone says probably going to work, but then when you test these things in the field, you will see we don’t have the desired outcome.”
Leading business transformation demands both technical know-how and people skills. While methods can be taught, success ultimately depends on a leader’s ability to communicate clearly, maintain patience, build trust, and stay flexible when plans meet reality. To learn more about Christophe’s approach to transformation leadership, visit his website or check out his LinkedIn profile.
