--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I look at efforts to create change…" description: "\"When I look at efforts to create change in big companies over the past 10 years, I have to say that there's enough evidence of success to say that chan..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36b/peter-senge-3906_big-companies_when-i-look-at-efforts-to-create-change_2492671.jpg" --- # When I look at efforts to create change in big companies… ![“When I look at efforts to create change in big companies over the past 10 years, I have to say that there's enough evidence of success to say that change is possible - and enough evidence of failure to say that it isn't likely. Both of those lessons are important.” quote by Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36b/peter-senge-3906_big-companies_when-i-look-at-efforts-to-create-change_2492671.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36b/peter-senge-3906_big-companies_when-i-look-at-efforts-to-create-change_2492671.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/36b/peter-senge-3906_big-companies_when-i-look-at-efforts-to-create-change_2492671.jpg) > “When I look at efforts to create change in big companies over the past 10 years, I have to say that there's enough evidence of success to say that change is possible - and enough evidence of failure to say that it isn't likely. Both of those lessons are important.” [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Evidence shows both successes and failures in large‑scale corporate change, highlighting its difficulty and possibility. **In simple terms:** Change works sometimes, fails often. Key Takeaway Recognize patterns, adjust strategies. Themes change management organizational learning risk assessment Mood cautious analytical Type strategic reflective When to use this quote - executive planning - product launches - cultural transformation - process redesign Key Concepts systems thinking learning organizations innovation Questions to Reflect On - What conditions make change succeed? - How can failures be turned into learning? A Different Perspective Success often depends on context and execution, not just theory. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big companies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-companies/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Company](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/company/) [Effort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/effort/) [Failure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/failure/) [Lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lessons/) [Past](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/past/) [Success](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/success/) ## Related quotes > [“They don’t change how big the project is, or what’s involved in creating it, but just by doing one thing exclusively before moving on,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sutherland/they-don-t-change-how-big-the-project-is-or-what-s-involved-in/) [Jeff Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sutherland/) > [Art, a book, a painting, a song, can definitely inspire change, whether it's a small change or a big change but you know there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rose-byrne/art-a-book-a-painting-a-song-can-definitely-inspire-change-whether-it/) [Rose Byrne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rose-byrne/) > [Big meetings and big talk are not enough in a world that is hungry for change. Big action - world leaders keeping their promises,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-mathews-burwell/big-meetings-and-big-talk-are-not-enough-in-a-world-that-is-hungry/) [Sylvia Mathews Burwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-mathews-burwell/) > [I didn't know, at 22, that regret is useless. If I could go back and change something - give myself some big break, pass…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumaan-alam/i-didn-t-know-at-22-that-regret-is-useless-if-i-could-go-back-and/) [Rumaan Alam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumaan-alam/) > [“Innovation is any change big or small that makes a difference.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-smith/innovation-is-any-change-big-or-small-that-makes-a-difference/) [Thomas Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-smith/) > [Focus on things that are small enough to change, but big enough to matter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-cole/focus-on-things-that-are-small-enough-to-change-but-big-enough-to/) [Kat Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-cole/) > [Love me, love me, love me, love me, love me, love me, love me, I'll be anybody you want me to be. Use me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/love-me-love-me-love-me-love-me-love-me-love-me-love-me-i-ll-be/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Knowing what you need to change and being able to change it is a big thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/corey-seager/knowing-what-you-need-to-change-and-being-able-to-change-it-is-a-big/) [Corey Seager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/corey-seager/) > [I love being able to change from big films to small films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/felicity-jones/i-love-being-able-to-change-from-big-films-to-small-films/) [Felicity Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/felicity-jones/) > [“Weird, how the small, dumb things never change. Yet the big, important things you want to stay the same never do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-r-johannes/weird-how-the-small-dumb-things-never-change-yet-the-big-important/) [S.R. Johannes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-r-johannes/) > [I want to start with small but definitive change; the big picture is too abstract.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-won-soon/i-want-to-start-with-small-but-definitive-change-the-big-picture-is/) [Park Won-soon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-won-soon/) > [Climate change is a big scam for a lot of people to make a lot of money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/climate-change-is-a-big-scam-for-a-lot-of-people-to-make-a-lot-of/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [I just want change.. A big change that will make everything different, but better. I just need to figure out what that change will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-just-want-change-a-big-change-that-will-make-everything-different/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I hope my work inspires people to speak and to stand up together to make change. Big or small, it doesn't matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/choi-si-won/i-hope-my-work-inspires-people-to-speak-and-to-stand-up-together-to/) [Choi Si-won](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/choi-si-won/) > [Everyday the opportunity exists to change your life. But most days, the idea of having to change the big things in life just seems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-davis/everyday-the-opportunity-exists-to-change-your-life-but-most-days-the/) [Jill Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-davis/) ## More by Peter Senge > [If people don't have their own vision, all they can do is 'sign-up' for someone else's.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/if-people-don-t-have-their-own-vision-all-they-can-do-is-sign-up-for/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [In the Machine Age, the company itself became a machine - a machine for making money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/in-the-machine-age-the-company-itself-became-a-machine-a-machine-for/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [Trusting people to be creative and constructive when given more freedom does not imply an overly optimistic belief in the perfectibility of human nature.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/trusting-people-to-be-creative-and-constructive-when-given-more/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [It takes courage and skill to be unambiguous and clear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/it-takes-courage-and-skill-to-be-unambiguous-and-clear/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [One possibility for difficulties innovating is that most people really donÕt care about innovation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/one-possibility-for-difficulties-innovating-is-that-most-people/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [One industrial age belief is that GDP or GNP is a measure of progress. I don't care if you're the President of China or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/one-industrial-age-belief-is-that-gdp-or-gnp-is-a-measure-of-progress/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [“The only sustainable competitive advantage is an organization's ability to learn faster than the competition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/the-only-sustainable-competitive-advantage-is-an-organization-s/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [Businesses and other human endeavors are also systems. They, too, are bound by invisible fabrics of interrelated actions, which often take years to fully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/businesses-and-other-human-endeavors-are-also-systems-they-too-are/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [To listen fully means to pay close attention to what is being said beneath the words. You listen not only to the 'music,' but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/to-listen-fully-means-to-pay-close-attention-to-what-is-being-said/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [The faster we go, the slower we need to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/the-faster-we-go-the-slower-we-need-to-be/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [Leadership is about creating new realities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/leadership-is-about-creating-new-realities/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [Don't push growth; remove the factors limiting growth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/don-t-push-growth-remove-the-factors-limiting-growth/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [All great things have small beginnings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/all-great-things-have-small-beginnings/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [It's common to say that trees come from seeds. But how can a tiny seed create a huge tree? Seeds do not contain the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/it-s-common-to-say-that-trees-come-from-seeds-but-how-can-a-tiny-seed/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) > [Innovation requires resources to invest, and you can see many companies pulling back and going into an intense protective mode in a major extended…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-senge/innovation-requires-resources-to-invest-and-you-can-see-many/) [Peter Senge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) [Explore all 119 Peter Senge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-senge/) ## More Big companies quotes > [Most big companies don't like you very much, except hotels, airlines and Microsoft, which don't like you at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/most-big-companies-don-t-like-you-very-much-except-hotels-airlines/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [In the commercial world, big companies mostly die within a few decades because they cannot maintain an internal system to keep them aligned to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dominic-cummings/in-the-commercial-world-big-companies-mostly-die-within-a-few-decades/) [Dominic Cummings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dominic-cummings/) > [Whatever vocation you decide on, track down the best people in the world at doing it and surround yourself with them. Aim high and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scott-weiss/whatever-vocation-you-decide-on-track-down-the-best-people-in-the/) [Scott Weiss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scott-weiss/) > [I started noticing a lot of big companies are bored with ads; they feel sort of lost in the advertising world. They're not into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-mcinnes/i-started-noticing-a-lot-of-big-companies-are-bored-with-ads-they/) [Gavin McInnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-mcinnes/) > [Be creative. Innovate consistently on the little things that the big companies ignore. Little things often make big differences in business.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-branson/be-creative-innovate-consistently-on-the-little-things-that-the-big/) [Richard Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-branson/) > [I don't think you're going to have one bank. Big companies aren't going to give us all their business. So they can pick and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/i-don-t-think-you-re-going-to-have-one-bank-big-companies-aren-t/) [Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/) > [In the increasingly digital world, data is a valuable currency, yet as consumers, we control and own little of it. As consumers, we must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mougayar/in-the-increasingly-digital-world-data-is-a-valuable-currency-yet-as/) [William Mougayar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mougayar/) > [I never imagined I'd be working with government, or military or politicians or big companies. None of this stuff I'm doing was on any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-sinek/i-never-imagined-i-d-be-working-with-government-or-military-or/) [Simon Sinek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-sinek/) > [The shining star in the world is Shanghai. That's what CEOs from big companies say - 'if I want mathematical analytical work done, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-rosling/the-shining-star-in-the-world-is-shanghai-that-s-what-ceos-from-big/) [Hans Rosling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-rosling/) > [They have a policy in China for their big companies called "Go abroad." It's a rational thing for both the company and the country…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/they-have-a-policy-in-china-for-their-big-companies-called-go-abroad/) [Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/) > [I hear my own daughters talking about big companies polluting the environment, and then I realise they are talking about companies of which one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indra-nooyi/i-hear-my-own-daughters-talking-about-big-companies-polluting-the/) [Indra Nooyi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indra-nooyi/) > [You need to ask yourself, ‘Where do you want to work: startups, mid-size or large companies?’ If you find yourself debating the ‘startup versus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-blank/you-need-to-ask-yourself-where-do-you-want-to-work-startups-mid-size/) [Steve Blank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-blank/) > [I suspect there's a lot of validity to the premise that big companies aren't going to attract entrepreneurial talent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evan-williams/i-suspect-there-s-a-lot-of-validity-to-the-premise-that-big-companies/) [Evan Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evan-williams/) > [“If you’re struggling to get into big companies, you probably have a weak value proposition. Pure and simple.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-konrath/if-you-re-struggling-to-get-into-big-companies-you-probably-have-a/) [Jill Konrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-konrath/) > [Before I started my company in 1998, I worked for big companies traveling a lot and saw firsthand how much waste there was. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-cornejo/before-i-started-my-company-in-1998-i-worked-for-big-companies/) [Maria Cornejo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-cornejo/) [Browse all 124 Big companies quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big-companies/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I look at efforts to create change in big companies over the past 10 years, I have to say that there's enough evidence of success to say that change is possible - and enough evidence of failure to say that it isn't likely. 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