A groundbreaking guide to achieving sustainable change in today's turbulent and interconnected global landscape
In a world increasingly divided by opposing perspectives, systemic inertia, and rapid societal shifts, From Ought to Is: Catalysing Change and Movement in a Polarised World offers a transformative approach to navigating change. Deborah Rowland challenges conventional change leadership paradigms by urging readers to confront the reality of "what is" rather than fixating on "what ought to be." Through this lens, she demonstrates how true, sustainable change is achieved not by forcing rigid ideals but by fostering courageous honesty and embracing the messy, dynamic truths of the present.
Rooted in decades of research, experience, and interdisciplinary insights from neuroscience, moral philosophy, and spiritual tradition, From Ought to Is provides a compelling guide to navigating complex systems. Rowland illuminates how acknowledging the full truth of a situation can catalyse collaborative action and new possibilities. Through real-life case studies and practical exercises, readers are invited to engage deeply with their own change scenarios, unlocking new possibilities through inclusion, truth, and adaptive leadership.
An experiential roadmap for initiating movement in systems, organisations, and personal lives, From Ought to Is:
- Presents an innovative framework for leading sustainable change which utilises a holistic and interdisciplinary approach
- Offers an adaptive, reality-based alternative for complex environments which challenges traditional command-and-control change models
- Explores the dynamics of polarisation and its impact on leadership, collaboration, and systemic transformation
- Addresses pressing global issues such as political and societal polarisation, technological disruption, and biodiversity collapse
- Expands on the principles introduced in Deborah Rowland's bestselling Still Moving to address today's unique challenges
Ideal for leaders, change practitioners, and anyone seeking to shift entrenched patterns, From Ought to Is supports learning in leadership development programmes and organisational transformation courses. It is an essential text for graduate-level studies in business, organisational behaviour, and leadership, and serves as a vital resource for executives, consultants, and change agents.
About the Author :
DEBORAH ROWLAND is a globally recognised thought-leader, speaker, writer and practitioner in the field of change and its leadership, with over 30 years of experience transforming complex systems. Named an HR Most Influential Thinker and featured on the Thinkers50 Radar, she is the author of Still Moving: How to Lead Mindful Change, and co-author of Sustaining Change: Leadership That Works. Deborah has led change in organisations such as Shell, Gucci Group, BBC Worldwide and PepsiCo, and now acts as change coach to leaders in all walks of life.
Review :
"Working with Deborah has been transformative and a highlight of my career! This book is not just a book about catalysing change, it is so much more than that: From Ought to Is engages the reader on a journey on how to navigate human complexity providing you with a thorough map on how to create movement in your life and the world around you, containing a superb mix of theory and emotional real life stories, which you will never forget...."
--Laure Roberts, ex Chief Human Resources Officer, Syngenta Group
"I await each of Deborah Rowland's books wondering if she can possibly deliver another literary change masterpiece. The answer? Of course she can. In From Ought to Is Deborah uniquely combines philosophy, politics, literature, religion, biology and neuroscience with her real-world experience at some of the most influential organisations in the world. Her astute, enquiring mind and her courage to uncover and give voice to what is usually concealed has produced a book for our times with an unrivalled take on what keeps individuals, societies and organisations in deadlock. Deborah offers a personal perspective, new insights anchored in her previous work and practical guidance to bring ease and flow to accelerate change. If you dare to follow her advice, that is. Chapter after chapter set off fireworks in my brain, speaking directly to the stickiest of change challenges. I can't wait to start my own transit from ought to is. I'm recommending it to every change practitioner I know."
--Emma Coatsworth, Global Business Implementation Manager, Royal Dutch Shell
"Deborah Rowland is an exceptionally gifted individual whose brilliant work on leadership has had a profound impact on countless individuals and organisations. In this groundbreaking new work she brings together her huge experience in this field with profound insights from the world of spirituality and psychology. The result is a must-read: the journey of which Deborah writes, from a world of oughts to one in which we more fully experience all of reality could bring much needed ease, truth telling, freedom and movement to all of us as individuals and, through us, to the 'stuck' places in today's world. It's a journey into life in all its fullness which I cannot recommend highly enough."
--Dr John Inge, former Bishop of Worcester
Wow! Reading this book felt like a gift from the muses, whispered straight to the heart of what matters now. Deborah masterfully blends timeless wisdom, groundbreaking research, heartfelt human compassion, compelling personal stories and a career filled with practical experience at the highest levels to deliver a message with the power to transform leadership in these challenging times. It has profoundly changed me, leaving me more hopeful and inspired in my work facilitating change with some of the world's top family enterprise leaders and within my own team. I am deeply grateful for everything that went into the creation of this treasure. It will be a blessing to us all if leaders everywhere read this book."
--Don Opatrny, Managing Partner, The Lovins Group
"In From Ought to Is, Deborah offers a deeply philosophical and profoundly practical guide to navigating our increasingly turbulent and divided world. True to her characteristic approach, she emphasises truth, compassion, and curiousity as essential tools for leaders and individuals seeking meaningful change. This is not just another book about leadership--it is an urgent call to action for all of us to reconnect with what is, rather than remaining tethered to what we think ought to be. By taking a visceral, phenomenological approach, From Ought to Is invites us to delve deeper into the truths of our existence, encouraging us to understand the world in a more holistic, interconnected way. Far from despairing at today's social and political climes, Deborah provides a 'compass of compassion'. Her vision is both discomforting and reassuring: a reminder that growth requires humility, patience, and an unwavering commitment to authenticity and truth."
--Prof Dr Andrew Sharman, Chief Executive, International Institute of Leadership & Safety Culture, and Professor of Risk & Resilience, IMD, Switzerland
"This thought-provoking book is very timely for anyone who is trying to figure out how to navigate in the world that is becoming more and more polarised. Whether you are a business leader, a community member, or a parent - you would want to follow Deborah's advice on how to move From Ought to Is and resist the temptation to give in to quick judgement to things, events or ideas, and open your mind and heart to new ways of being and thinking. I cannot wait to put it into practice."
--Natalia Wallenberg, Chief Human Resources Officer, Ahold Delhaize
