The key to the future for both individuals and organizations will be learning how to better deal with change. To do this, it is imperative to understand the psychology of change. Whenever we encounter and go through change we actually work through a series of identifiable steps or phases.

Leaders often identify the people problems within their organizations with common “tags,” such as lack of productivity, burnout, indecisiveness, lack of creativity, lack of motivation, etc. Those leaders, however, usually are not aware of the fact that those “tags” are only symptoms. Focusing on symptoms exclusively often leads an organization on a wild goose chase, fixing symptoms but never solving the real problem.

The word “apathy” is an unfriendly and threatening word to most people, and that is probably the reason you never hear leaders use the word to describe problems within their organizations. Instead, you hear the listing of symptoms that may sound more professional, academic, clinical, or forgiving. Effective leaders, however, must focus on the real problem, and not just the symptoms. David Byrd, president of Leadership Management®, Inc., in his new book, The Tripping Point in Leadership : Overcoming Organizational Apathy (Slight Edge® Publishing, Feb. 2008), shares what leaders must do to overcome the natural forces of apathy that affect every organization.