OPEX Experts Highlight Fear and Leadership as Core Barriers to Lasting Change

BRISBANE, Australia - Sept. 18, 2025 - PRLog -- Why do more than half of organizational change initiatives fail to stick? According to transformation leaders gathered at the latest Operational Excellence (OPEX) Reference Group – North America Chapter meetup, the answer lies in leadership style, communication, and the ability to manage fear.

The August 2025 session, hosted virtually and powered by PRIME BPM, featured Ana Cavagnoli, Director of Customer Engagement at HID Global. Cavagnoli, who has spent over 20 years leading change initiatives across pharmaceuticals, construction, and technology, outlined nine principles that organizations can use to embed transformation into everyday culture.

Her core message: change agents must move beyond being seen as disruptors and instead position themselves as value creators. "The question isn't whether you're disrupting—it's whether your disruption is embraced as progress or resisted out of fear," Cavagnoli said.

Leadership, People, and Performance at the Core

Among the themes that sparked debate were:

• Leadership qualities: Humility, servant leadership, and self-awareness as non-negotiables.
• Generational differences: Recognizing varying motivations across age groups.
• Communication: With 93% of communication being non-verbal, leaders must rethink how they convey messages.
• Strategy: Piloting small projects with champions before scaling organization-wide.
• Measurement: Using OKRs instead of static KPIs to sustain momentum.

Attendees also examined how fear underlies resistance and change fatigue. "Often it's not that people don't support us—it's that fear is left unaddressed," Cavagnoli noted during a Q&A exchange that resonated with many participants.

Growing Community Conversations

The meetup attracted professionals from multiple sectors who exchanged insights on overcoming leadership resistance and maintaining employee engagement during transformation. The interactive format continues to make the OPEX Chapter a hub for cross-industry learning.

Looking Ahead

The next OPEX North America Chapter session is set for September 25, 2025, at 1:00 PM EST, with Procter & Gamble's Loai Gomaa presenting "Building a Culture of Continuous Improvement—At Scale." The event is free to attend and open to all transformation professionals.

About OPEX Reference Group

Powered by PRIME BPM, the OPEX Reference Group is a professional community for experts in process improvement, compliance, risk, digital transformation, and operational excellence. The group offers regular forums for leaders to share practical strategies and explore the future of transformation.

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