Prerecorded Program: How to Harness Power and Be an Effective Social Changemaker

Posted by Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) on August 5, 2025

Introducing positive change in organizations and society can prove very challenging. Numerous studies show that people tend to instinctively oppose such initiatives because they diverge from well-established norms and disrupt existing power structures. So social changemakers must consider people’s attitudes and then work to get them on board. Some do succeed—often spectacularly—at transforming their organizations, communities, or sectors of society. What factors enable one changemaker to succeed in a situation when the vast majority fail? 

In this asynchronous program, Julie Battilana, professor of organizational behavior at Harvard Business School and professor of social innovation at Harvard Kennedy School, will reveal what successful change agents do differently. Leveraging nearly two decades of experience researching and teaching about power and social change across the globe—including her Agitate, Innovate, Orchestrate framework—Battilana will show leaders and teams that the key to successfully implementing change is understanding how power works, then using one’s power effectively and responsibly. She will cover the fundamentals of power, debunk the common myths surrounding it, and unveil how to harness power for a positive impact on individuals, organizations, and society.

Learn more.