Sponsors are the key drivers of transformational change.  What they say, what they do, and what they reinforce on a daily basis determines 50-70% of the likelihood of achieving value realization for the transformation. So, what do you do when they are the ones who are reluctant to change? 

A common mistake during any change implementation is when Change Agents look for resistance to a transformational change deep down in the organization. After all, you would expect to find the most resistance at the front lines of the change, right?  But in our 30+ years of Change Management Consulting experience, we have discovered it's usually the senior managers, directors, and VPs that have the greatest resistance to the transformational change.