Tech managers consider leading change as ‘career suicide’
More than a quarter (26%) of change experts in the technology sector say senior managers are avoiding leading major change within their company, fearing it will derail their career.
According to an international survey by Capability for Change, a third of senior managers polled felt it was safer to leave projects, such as rolling out AI in the business or restructuring, to someone else than risk being tainted by association if anything went wrong.
The study also found that almost half (48%) of all projects involving major change in tech don’t succeed. Furthermore, just 28% of managers are given specialist training to help them lead or manage change.
Melanie Franklin, CEO of Capability for Change, said: “With so many change initiatives failing, and so little support on offer, it is easy to see why senior tech managers may be reluctant to put their professional reputations on the line. The risk is deemed far too high for something that could seriously jeopardise their careers. However, with change both increasingly important and commonplace in day-to-day business, these attitudes simply can’t persist.”
According to the survey, organisations across all sectors are embarking on major change initiatives. Almost two-thirds (65%) were undergoing digitisation, such as AI adoption, 62% were looking to improve operational efficiencies, four in 10 (39%) were reorganising, and a third (34%) were changing strategic direction.
The vast majority (95%) of respondents acknowledged the importance of change within business, stating the ability to change was important, if not critical, to the success of an organisation.
The survey also found that a third (35%) believed being good at change was important to cope with a more rapidly changing world, a fifth (21%) said it was vital if they’re to innovate faster. A further 29% said it as important for responding to market volatility, while one in six (17%) said it gave their company a competitive edge.
Lastly, 39% of those who took part in the study said that change was a skill any senior manager has to have, and one which could mark them out for rapid progression.
Franklin commented: “Every major business we speak to has a huge change agenda and needs senior talent to deliver it. Sure, it’s not easy, especially when companies are juggling multiple initiatives at once, and the pace of change is so fast, thanks to AI. But with the right support and approach in place, it can be done. Now is not the moment for executives to keep their heads down, but to step up.”
The survey was conducted during September and October 2025 among 531 change professionals, based in the UK, North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, South America and Australia. Almost half (49%) of those interviewed work in organisations employing at least 5,000 people.
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