Canadian Government Executive - Volume 22 - Issue 5

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May 2016 // Canadian Government Executive / 25
sure or reveal the depth and abiding emotional attachment to
original Coca-Cola felt by so many people. They said they want-
ed the original taste of Coca-Cola back and they wanted it soon.
Yesterday afternoon, after Coca-Cola Classic was announced, we
received calls. The overwhelming reaction of consumers is one
of excitement. Most of them are emotional, honestly, many in
tears, but their message is the same. We’re glad to have an old
friend back… Well, what does this really mean? It only means
what we say – that our boss is the consumer.”
• Warning symbol: The metaphor of a burning platform is a
powerful visual symbol against resisting change. Symbols can
be visual, auditory, spatial, and physical.
The authors offer an impressive array of ceremonies: Immerse
deeply and mourn endings in the Dream phase; pledge commit-
ment and dismantle blockages in Leap; rally spirits and demystify
threats in Fight; Renew commitment and heal wounds in Climb;
and honour heroes and concede defeat in Arrive.
The book offers a far more elaborate, textured guide for your
torchbearing quests. The authors offer case studies from business,
the civil rights movement, and the charity world, but not govern-
ment. However, the ideas are readily adaptable to a government
executive’s work.
• Renunciation speech: In the leap phase, you acknowledge
that some people still cling to the past. You will show in the talk
why everyone must begin a new way of thinking. If, on the oth-
er hand, followers have a positive framework, a pursuit speech
explains what action is required and why to embrace it.
• A battle speech: This stirs courage in the middle of the fight
by describing the enemy’s damage. We saw it in Braveheart,
when William Wallace launches into a passionate speech mo-
ments before battle to motivate his fellow Scots. An Underdog
Speech admits you are losing the battle and may experience de-
feat. You acknowledge suffering and ask for more from follow-
ers. Churchill offered it famously with: “We shall fight on the
beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight on
the fields and in the streets.”
• Heal Wounds ceremony: When Intel Corp customers were
furious at the company for its decision to cancel the popular
Pentium 4 chip, CEO Craig Barrett got down on his knees at
an industry conference to beg forgiveness for the misstep. He
was, in the Illuminate formulation, gathering in retreat to bond
hearts before continuing the climb stage. The reverse would
be a Renew Commitment ceremony, in which you re-examine
goals, revise plans, and recommit to the finish the job.
• Victory speech: You reflect on the journey and relive the tri-
als as you arrive at the destination. But there is also a Surren-
der speech, in which you throw in the towel, admit failure, and
apologize. Alan Mulally, CEO of Ford, gave a victory speech in
2010 at an auto show. “It’s going really well… in the third quarter
of last year all of the Ford operations around the world returned
to profitability during the worst recession that we’ve ever had…
We have a cost structure that allows us to make [our cars] and
the profitability goes to the company so we can continue to in-
vest in Ford… and not use our precious taxpayer money.”
Don Keough, president of Coca-Cola, gave a classic surrender
speech after the company’s new formula drew a consumer
backlash in 1985: “All of the time and money and skill poured
into consumer research on the new Coca-Cola could not mea-
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“The desire to build something significant
simmers inside torchbearers; how you
communicate determines whether or not
you achieve that goal. Leading people
requires not only sensing change afoot,
but imagining a brighter future and
communicating it in a way that
motivates others to follow you there”
The Leader’s Bookshelf