033 - Say "Yes, And!" to Sparking a Cascade of Change With Greg Satell

Yes, And! With Avish Parashar

In this episode of Yes, And with Avish Parashar, I sit down with Greg Satell—author of Cascades and Mapping Innovation, and a leading voice on evidence-based change management. We dive deep into why traditional change methods often backfire, the science of how change actually spreads, and how leaders can spark transformational change by starting small, building momentum, and leading with shared values.

Greg brings powerful insights from his time running media organizations during revolutions, writing for Harvard Business Review, and studying network science. We also explore the role humor and psychological safety play in helping people say "yes, and" to change.

Key Takeaways

• Why a big kickoff meeting can actually sabotage your change initiative

• The three types of change—and why collective behavior change requires a different approach

• The surprising truth about how few people are needed to start a change cascade

• Why leading with shared values (not differentiating ideas) is the secret to building buy-in

• How to create "keystone changes" that are small, meaningful, and scalable

• The science behind peer networks, influence, and the S-curve of adoption

• How humor creates a sense of "we together" that supports shared effort and transformation

Relevant Links

• GregSatell.com

• DigitalTonto.com

• Greg's books: Cascades | Mapping Innovation

• Connect with Greg on LinkedIn

Learn more about the Yes, And Framework at AvishParashar.com