9 Traits All Change Agents Share

In the 20-plus years of our company's existence, all of our most successful and game-changing projects shared a common thread: The presence of a change agent driving innovation on behalf of our clients. 

But what exactly is a change agent?

Our company’s CEO and Chief Geek, Alex Bratton, shared his perspective of change agents when he published his book “Billion Dollar Apps." In the book, he said:

“A change agent is a visionary inside an organization who has high professional aspirations and the desire to make the company a better place. This person is a seasoned professional, soaring upward but still close enough to his or her roots to understand the needs of those being managed.

 A change agent is an innovator who gets that technology is always going to be a big driver for the business. He or she embraces technology and, though perhaps not a “geek,” scouts for new technology solutions or ways to apply technology that provide real business benefits. It’s not just about the gadget factor of carrying around the latest device. It’s pushing the limits to see where something new can make an impact.

Change agents understand that the bottom line starts with engaging the people on the front lines. They work to enact technology-driven change that will make lasting impacts at the core of their organizations.”‍

The words Alex wrote years ago continue to hold true today.

A change agent is a visionary inside an organization who has high professional aspirations and the desire to make the company a better place.

9 Key Traits

In the book “Billion Dollar Apps,” Alex identifies nine key characteristics that change agents share. But rather than restate Alex’s descriptions, we asked our employees to share their descriptions of each characteristic, drawing from their personal experience at Lextech working with change agents.

Has solid professional experience

“Change agents have a strong and clear vision, the experience to know how to apply it and the juice (position, respect and relational equity) to get it done.”

Faces challenges head-on

“Leading change requires the relentless pursuit of priorities, reflection and struggle. Change agents instinctively understand that ignoring challenges, even for a short time, can be very costly."

Comfortable with technology

"Change agents know how to invest in technology even if they don't know exactly how it works. They bring a clear business outcome (the Why) and they look to end users for the What, and IT for the How.”

Keeps pace with new tech developments

"They don't pay attention because it's cool. They're looking for opportunities to level-up an outcome that has immense value to the business. This is how 'cool' becomes competitive advantage."

Draws parallels with other industries

“Change agents are VERY resourceful, often looking outside their industry for inspiration. They instinctively understand the danger of 'the status quo.'"

Listens to other people’s challenges

“I worked with a change agent who excelled at knowing exactly when to bring the right people into meetings, whether it was to get approval for something, or get feedback/discover objections prior to that approval steps. She had a keen sense of politics at her company and how to build the right coalitions of support to advance an initiative.”

Cares about their organization’s success

“Change agents have a white-hot passion to use their experience, vision and energy to move the organization forward. Personal or departmental politics and 'trying not to fail' threaten growth and suppress the brilliance of human capital.”

Attains personal fulfillment through team success

“The best change agents are leaders at heart. They balance strong vision and drive with empathy. They love to unlock the potential of their people.”

Mixes inventiveness and analytical thinking

“Change agents understand the importance of scrutinizing their own ideas. They know that progress doesn't come from ‘new and different,’ it comes from better and adopted.”

A Message for Change Agents

Did you identify with the 9 characteristics of being a change agent? Do you face challenges in your current role as a change agent? If so, we want to offer you an exclusive excerpt from “Billion Dollar Apps”  – revised and updated for the present day – where Alex describes some of the top-level challenges that change agents face and how to overcome them.

This excerpt will not be offered or shared with the general public. It is only available to people who consider themselves true change agents. To request your copy, email info@lextech.com or fill out the form below. We look forward to meeting more change agents!