Why Effective Leadership Requires Planning for Change

Sharpen the Axe: Why Preparation Is the Hidden Superpower

Abraham Lincoln once said he’d spend four of six (6) hours sharpening his axe before chopping down a tree. We live in a world of AI rollouts. There are digital transformation deadlines and citizen demands for instant results. This sounds like a luxury we can’t afford.

But here’s what I’ve learned after years of guiding government leaders through complex tech implementations. Leaders who prepare thoroughly before taking action are more effective. They are the ones who deliver lasting change.

Why We’re Tempted to Skip the Setup

I get it. Preparation doesn’t generate the headlines that a shiny new AI chatbot does. Planning sessions and stakeholder interviews don’t significantly impact quarterly metrics. You’re facing budget pressures and public scrutiny. In such cases, “let’s take time to prepare” can feel like code for “let’s delay progress.”

But that thinking is exactly what turns promising initiatives into expensive lessons learned.

The Real Cost of Rushing

Recently, I worked with an agency rolling out a permitting chatbot. Great vision: reduce wait times, improve access, and free up staff for complex work. The problem? They built the entire system without consulting their permitting team on how to handle inquiries. The bot was trained on outdated data. Users didn’t trust it.

Sound familiar?

We hit pause and went back to basics:

• Conducted empathy interviews with staff and citizens
• Mapped the actual user journey (not the assumed one)
• Audited data sources
• Built real stakeholder buy-in

Three months later, the revised bot was handling 65% of inquiries without escalation. It earned higher satisfaction scores than the human-only process.

That’s the difference preparation makes.

The PAVE Approach to Government Innovation

This experience reinforced why I developed the PAVE Framework: Preparation, Action, Validation, and Evolution. Today, let’s focus on that often-skipped first step.

Effective preparation in gov tech means:

Empathy First: Understanding what frontline staff and citizens need (not what the RFP assumes they need)

Problem Clarity: Distinguishing between root causes and symptoms

Readiness Assessment: Honestly evaluating whether your organization, infrastructure, and culture can handle the change

Stakeholder Alignment: Getting the right people, including the skeptics, involved from day one

Process Prototyping: Testing small before scaling big

Your Leadership Moment

Here’s my challenge to fellow government and tech leaders: Before your next major initiative, ask yourself these questions:

• Have I spent as much energy planning as I have envisioning?
• Do I understand the current state as well as I understand the desired future state?
• Are my teams set up for success, not just launch?

The most impactful leaders I know resist the urge to jump straight to solutions. They understand that digital transformation doesn’t start with code—it begins with clarity.

The Bottom Line

In our rush to modernize government services, we often forget something important. Sustainable innovation is built on solid foundations, not just bold ambitions. The agencies that thrive aren’t necessarily the ones that move fastest—they’re the ones that move most thoughtfully.

Lincoln was right: sharpen the axe first. Because once that tree starts falling, it’s too late to rethink your swing.

What’s your experience with preparation vs. speed in government innovation? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.