The Innovator's Dilemma - Renaissance style

I was fascinated to find that a friend of mine, working in the field of Innovation and Change Management, wasn't aware of Niccolo Machiavelli's (1469 - 1527) view on the subject (yes, that Machiavelli). So here it is:

“It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out, nor more doubtful of success, nor more dangerous to handle, than to initiate a new order of things. For the reformer has enemies in all those who profit by the old order, and only lukewarm defenders in all those who would profit by the new order, this lukewarmness arising partly from fear of their adversaries, who have the laws in their favour; and partly from the incredulity of mankind, who do not truly believe in anything new until they have had actual experience of it. Thus it arises that on every opportunity for attacking the reformer, his opponents do so with the zeal of partisans, the others only defend him half-heartedly, so that between them he runs great danger."

By the way, Machiavelli's Bad Rep is largely because he just wrote down what the reality of the day looked like (and much is relevant today, cf Prez Obama's health reforms). But for some odd reason people don't like gritty reality exposed too far, and he was vilified by both those who found the realpolitik of human relationships all too painful to accept and those who didn't want it all exposed. Honesty, best policy?..... Ask any whistleblower..................

Some things are ever thus.