In the pursuit of a national reset, change is not only necessary—it is urgent. But progress is impossible if the same forces that caused dysfunction remain embedded in power structures. Change management, therefore, must begin with a clear-eyed confrontation of the adversaries and impediments standing in the way of reform.
1. Identifying Adversaries to Progress
Adversaries to a national reset can take many forms:
• Corrupt officials who profit from dysfunction.
• Inefficient institutions that resist accountability.
• Entrenched elites who oppose redistribution of power.
• Toxic cultural norms such as impunity, arrogance, and self-aggrandizement among leaders.
One of the most dangerous adversaries is leadership that models the very behavior reform seeks to eliminate. Impunity, corruption, and the ostentatious display of wealth by those championing the reset undermine credibility and fuel public distrust.
A reset cannot be led by those who refuse to be reset.
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2. Strategic Approaches to Addressing Adversaries
a. Lead by Example
Change begins at the top. Leaders must:
• Demonstrate personal accountability.
• Embrace transparency in finances and decision-making.
• Model humility and ethical behavior.
b. Build a Coalition for Reform
Create alliances across political, civic, and private sectors to:
• Strengthen legitimacy.
• Amplify support for difficult reforms.
• Counterbalance resistance from entrenched interests.
c. Expose and Neutralize Resistance
• Conduct audits, investigations, and lifestyle checks.
• Enforce consequences for corruption and sabotage.
• Remove or sideline those proven to be obstructing progress.
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3. Overcoming Systemic Impediments
Even without visible adversaries, systemic impediments can stall change:
a. Bureaucratic Inertia
• Simplify regulations and streamline decision-making processes.
• Introduce performance-based incentives.
b. Skill and Capacity Gaps
• Invest in civil service training and institutional development.
• Bring in experts or technocrats for key reform roles.
c. Cultural Barriers
• Launch civic education campaigns that promote ethical leadership, civic responsibility, and national unity.
• Counter apathy and fatalism through public dialogue and success stories.
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4. Strengthening the Change Management Framework
To ensure adversaries and impediments are not just displaced but dismantled:
• Develop a Risk Management Plan: Identify and prepare for political, economic, and institutional pushback.
• Empower Change Agents: Support individuals and institutions that show reform-minded leadership.
• Communicate Relentlessly: Keep the public informed to build trust and mobilize support.
• Institutionalize Reform: Make changes durable through legal, constitutional, or structural means.
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Conclusion
A national reset is not a symbolic gesture—it is a break from the past. To manage that change effectively, adversaries must be named and neutralized, and systemic impediments must be uprooted. A reset led by individuals who embody the old order is doomed to replicate it.
True change demands bold leadership, strategic clarity, and the moral courage to discard what no longer serves the nation.
By Akwasi Opong-Fosu, Governance and Public Policy Analyst and a former Minister of State
