'The Change Philosopher' - Daniël Wolfs

Even though, for years, we have had a vast array of change management theories and methodologies at our disposal (Kotter, Lewin, Kubler-Ross, Bridges, ADKAR, etc.), it still proves to be very hard for us as leaders and consultants to implement real, sustainable change (transformation). Most change projects fail (70% according to McKinsey), or end with a superficial victory declaration, after which the organization often falls back to 'the way we DID things here'. 'Why is that?' That very question drove Daniël Wolfs, experienced change consultant and co-founder of The Change Studio, to write his thought-provoking book De Veranderfilosoof (The Change Philosopher) on how we can approach transformation in a deeper, more human, and more sustainable way.' In our conversation about this book, we discussed the following topics: 00:00 The Why of this book 03:07 ‘Fake News’ in Organizations 07:15 ‘Storytelling’ versus ‘Storyselling’ 12:03 Preventing entropy in change processes 16:30 The ‘Shifting Baseline’ Syndrome 22:20 The Soul of Organizations 27:32 The Plessner Paradox: Individual identities in collective change processes 32:17 Focusing on the change instead of the outcome 36:35 Why Daniel is fascinated by change 40:07 Final thoughts ► About Daniël Wolfs Daniël Wolfs is co-founder and co-owner of The Change Studio, where he works with clients and colleagues on modern approaches to organizational change and leadership. The guiding principles: Lead. Inspire. Create. He is the author of the book 'De Veranderfilosoof '- op zoek naar de kern van verandering ('The Change Philosopher - Searching for the core of change'), in which he explores both the visible and invisible dynamics of organizational change. Drawing on philosophy, systems thinking, and real-world cases, he challenges conventional change management with fresh perspectives and provocative questions. Daniël has spent his career helping leaders and organizations navigate complex transformations—by making change tangible in the day-to-day, and by creating space for the kind of conversations that actually move people. Whether guiding leadership teams, designing change journeys, or deconstructing old patterns, his work is rooted in connection, reflection, and practical momentum. Through writing, speaking, and advising, he continues to explore how we can make change not just possible—but meaningful. PS: 'Publisher beware': the book has just been published in Dutch, so please contact the author in case your are interested to publish a translation (email below)! ► Resources Email Daniël Wolfs: [email protected] The Book: https://www.boom.nl/management/100-18563_De-veranderfilosoof. The Change Studio: https://www.changestudio.nl/over-ons/?lang=en Podcast episode Murray Stein: https://youtu.be/g--DStR8GuU