at drives you.

I know first hand. As a Marine sniper in Vietnam for two consecutive years I was an adrenaline junkie. When I came home it took me five years to wean myself from the high I experienced. I took up flying, rock climbing, racing, you name it but nothing satisfied me until I 'got it'. That's how some people become in organizations.

So w

"Ed, I used to love this place. We were all firefighters when we needed to be, and that's good. But right now it’s full of arsonists."

Change leaders don’t get it. They confuse enthusiasm for progress. Oftentimes their best people are arsonists and they don’t even know it. They allow their organizations to be so hooked on the old ways of firefighting, where they get their jolly's being the fire chief and putting out fires that they can't let it go. They don’t have the guts to instill process discipline, discipline that is needed to drive change.

When we were brought in to Compaq in the mid-nineties to change the logistics landscape, I met with one of our VP's, a lady I liked a lot, who was leaving. She told me how exciting it was in the beginning of the company. Everyone had to pitch in and make things happen.

"Why are you leaving then?” I asked.

She dejectedly said, "Because now that we have to change and move to the next level, where we need process and discipline like you guys are bringing, we have more arsonists than firefighters. We have people setting fires everywhere just to slow you down.

Every organization needs firefighters, people who step up in a crisis and make it happen. But when you live by the match you die by the match. When you thrive on the thrill of the chase you'll soon need a fix like the junkie on the corner. The excitement, the thrill in itself becomes the adrenaline that drives you.

I know first hand. As a Marine sniper in Vietnam for two consecutive years I was an adrenaline junkie. When I came home it took me five years to wean myself from the high I experienced. I took up flying, rock climbing, racing, you name it but nothing satisfied me until I 'got it'. That's how some people become in organizations.

So wh

here they get their jolly's being the fire chief and putting out fires that they can't let it go. They don’t have the guts to instill process discipline, discipline that is needed to drive change.

When we were brought in to Compaq in the mid-nineties to change the logistics landscape, I met with one of our VP's, a lady I liked a lot, who was leaving. She told me how exciting it was in the beginning of the company. Everyone had to pitch in and make things happen.

"Why are you leaving then?” I asked.

She dejectedly said, "Because now that we have to change and move to the next level, where we need process and discipline like you guys are bringing, we have more arsonists than firefighters. We have people setting fires everywhere just to slow you down.

Every organization needs firefighters, people who step up in a crisis and make it happen. But when you live by the match you die by the match. When you thrive on the thrill of the chase you'll soon need a fix like the junkie on the corner. The excitement, the thrill in itself becomes the adrenaline that drives you.

I know first hand. As a Marine sniper in Vietnam for two consecutive years I was an adrenaline junkie. When I came home it took me five years to wean myself from the high I experienced. I took up flying, rock climbing, racing, you name it but nothing satisfied me until I 'got it'. That's how some people become in organizations.

So w

told me how exciting it was in the beginning of the company. Everyone had to pitch in and make things happen.

"Why are you leaving then?” I asked.

She dejectedly said, "Because now that we have to change and move to the next level, where we need process and discipline like you guys are bringing, we have more arsonists than firefighters. We have people setting fires everywhere just to slow you down.

Every organization needs firefighters, people who step up in a crisis and make it happen. But when you live by the match you die by the match. When you thrive on the thrill of the chase you'll soon need a fix like the junkie on the corner. The excitement, the thrill in itself becomes the adrenaline that drives you.

I know first hand. As a Marine sniper in Vietnam for two consecutive years I was an adrenaline junkie. When I came home it took me five years to wean myself from the high I experienced. I took up flying, rock climbing, racing, you name it but nothing satisfied me until I 'got it'. That's how some people become in organizations.

So w

eople setting fires everywhere just to slow you down.

Every organization needs firefighters, people who step up in a crisis and make it happen. But when you live by the match you die by the match. When you thrive on the thrill of the chase you'll soon need a fix like the junkie on the corner. The excitement, the thrill in itself becomes the adrenaline that drives you.

I know first hand. As a Marine sniper in Vietnam for two consecutive years I was an adrenaline junkie. When I came home it took me five years to wean myself from the high I experienced. I took up flying, rock climbing, racing, you name it but nothing satisfied me until I 'got it'. That's how some people become in organizations.

So w

at drives you.

I know first hand. As a Marine sniper in Vietnam for two consecutive years I was an adrenaline junkie. When I came home it took me five years to wean myself from the high I experienced. I took up flying, rock climbing, racing, you name it but nothing satisfied me until I 'got it'. That's how some people become in organizations.

So what do they do? They do a little like I did; they try doing things to feed their need for an ego boost. They begin to create problems to feed their fix. They may not even know it, I didn’t for quite awhile. But before long if they don’t change, they become like a crack head. Soon your project is heading for a titanic sized crash on the beaches of change.

As the change leader you must not let arsonists prevail. You must teach and preach process and step in like a forensic cop at the first sign of a fire. Make sure you're not dealing with a serial arsonist if you want project victory.

If you want your change to be the talk of your organizational town - you'll make sure you have the right number of firefighters and all the arsonists go to jail. It's your choice. Your organizational project will have freedom or anarchy and as the leader, it’s up to you!

Ed Kugler