Praise for The Six Secrets of Change, Second Edition
“Once again, Michael Fullan has written a book that critically examines the components of great leadership. Though he calls them the Six Secrets, readers will recognize their value and utility immediately. Written for leaders who seek to have a positive impact on their organizations and to lead with integrity during this period of complexity and uncertainty, this book will serve as an excellent guide on how to do just that.”
―Pedro A. Noguera, PhD, Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California
“I started reading the manuscript and could not put it down! For more than three decades, I have worked to drive systemic change in education. Michael Fullan has long guided that effort, reminding us through his ‘six secrets’ that true reform requires strategies that reinforce one another. His new book offers a hopeful and actionable path forward in an era of growing complexity and disruption. Drawing on what we know and have experienced, he scales it into a fresh approach to systems change―one that includes harnessing Artificial Intelligence wisely. Fullan challenges us to be critical consumers of technology rather than passive recipients. By combining the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of effective change with the essential ‘how,’ this book becomes a vital roadmap for anyone committed to shaping the future of humanity.”
―Jean-Claude Brizard, President and CEO, Digital Promise
“Few have had more widespread influence than Michael Fullan on thinking about the future of education and how we can dislodge a tenacious status quo that serves fewer and fewer. Hidden behind Fullan’s pragmatic and compelling exposition of the ’six secrets’ is a powerful and urgent challenge to the reader: How must I change? How can I find and help others cultivate fertile soil for understanding genuine learning and human development?”
―Peter Senge, Senior Lecturer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
“Few scholars have shaped global education reform more than Michael Fullan. In this new edition, he re-examines the Six Secrets of Change, showing how both change itself and our understanding of it have shifted in a complex, post-pandemic world. For policymakers, educators, and change agents, this book is indispensable for navigating education system renewal.”
―Pasi Sahlberg, Professor in Educational Leadership, University of Melbourne
“The Six Secrets of Change 2.0 is my anchor in the storm. It cuts through the illusion that meaningful change comes only from distant strategy, hierarchy, or top-down control. It grounds me where spirit work lives―close to the action, building trust and belonging, and connecting people to the purpose of our work. It steadies my practice and sharpens my focus. It reframes how I see the system itself. Hope comes from the idea that people at every level can act, learn together, and reshape the system from within. It’s not naive optimism; it’s grounded, disciplined hope―and this book is full of it. It leaves you not just inspired, but ready to act with greater clarity and purpose.”
―Marie-Claire Bretherton, Deputy CEO, Waterton Academy Trust, UK
“Michael’s combination of deep wisdom and deep optimism is unparalleled. This book does far more than simply update the original six secrets―it reimagines them for an age of AI and extraordinary change. In doing so, Michael brings together his long experience of school and system change with his cutting edge work with leading experts to reimagine the role and purpose of schools. Highly recommended!”
―Toby Greany, Professor of Education, University of Nottingham
“The Six Secrets of Change 2.0 deepens Fullan’s compelling argument for the necessity of transformation, the ‘why’. At the same time, it provides the equally persuasive arguments about ‘how‘ this might be achieved. He demonstrates for example how the Six Secrets can partner with AI to generate even deeper change that has specificity, precision and timeliness; that has in his words ongoing ‘proximity to practice’.
―Anthony Mackay, Board Co-Chair, National Center on Education & the Economy, Washington DC
“Fullan deepens and extends some of the original Six Secret gems that he has given us continuing to provide us with practical examples of how to seek the changes we all desire. This book provides a path to ‘increase the likelihood that desirable and effective change for humanity can be achieved in increasingly complex and negative circumstances.’ The hidden secret that we all know, is that this is people work and has to be done in collaboration, and in context. The Six Secrets of Change 2.0 shows us how to do this, making it possible, and essential.”
―Jordan Tinney, Leadership Consultant, Former Superintendent, Surrey School District, BC
“Michael Fullan has done it once again. He boils down the complexity of today to six secrets. These six secrets change the narrative from a pervasive, reactive, negative rhetoric to a guide for success for all our students and staff. It is time to step back and commit to the work ahead that he is fully articulating. As Michael says, ‘with specificity without imposition.’ Fullan integrates the learning in the classroom with the organizational challenges. The result is a seamless strategy for success. The Six Secrets of Change 2.0 is an inspirational must read!”
―Lyle Kirtman, President, Future Management Systems
“In The Six Secrets of Change 2.0, renowned educational change expert Michael Fullan provides clear and compelling guidance to leaders on how to transform systems so that educators and students can thrive. This highly readable and insightful volume unlocks the secrets for system transformation in a rapidly shifting world with economic uncertainties, the advent of AI, and other forces shaping schooling today. Engaging examples from the education sector and beyond, Fullan’s book will help leaders engage their communities in creating a powerful new framework for the future.”
―Amanda Datnow, Acting Senior Associate Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs; Chancellor’s Associates Endowed Chair and Professor, Dept. of Education Studies, University of California San Diego
A POWERFUL, EFFECTIVE STRATEGY GUIDE FOR BUILDING ORGANIZATIONS THAT THRIVE―REVISED AND UPDATED WITH EXCITING NEW CONTENT
In The Six Secrets of Change 2.0, bestselling author Michael Fullan delivers his signature approach―updated with brand-new content―to leading organizations through shifts in consumer taste, politics, markets, and trends. He offers simple, time-tested lessons to help you cultivate collegiality in your teams, build long-range plans that maintain adaptability while being specific enough to provide real guidance, and nurture employees without coddling them.
You’ll discover actionable guidelines and ideas that support leaders at every level of your organization. You’ll learn how to build scalable, predictable systems that improve outcomes and behaviors in schools, for-profit companies, nonprofits, government agencies, and in communities. The author provides detailed examples from businesses, health organizations, and public education systems to highlight the real-world application of the book’s principles.
Perfect for managers, executives, and business leaders, The Six Secrets of Change 2.0 is a must-read roadmap for everyone seeking exciting, effective, and inspiring new perspectives to help them create transformational change in any kind of organization.
“Once again, Michael Fullan has written a book that critically examines the components of great leadership. Though he calls them the Six Secrets, readers will recognize their value and utility immediately. Written for leaders who seek to have a positive impact on their organizations and to lead with integrity during this period of complexity and uncertainty, this book will serve as an excellent guide on how to do just that.”
―PEDRO A. NOGUERA, PhD, Emery Stoops and Joyce King Stoops Dean, Rossier School of Education, University of Southern California
“A truly intriguing read. Fullan brings the six secrets to an entirely new level―from isolated recipes into a compelling framework that enables leaders to both embrace and enact transformation.”
―ANDREAS SCHLEICHER, Director for Education and Skills at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
About the Author
MICHAEL FULLAN is the former Dean of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education and Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto. He’s a recipient of the Order of Canada, co-leader of the New Pedagogies for Deep Learning initiative, and the author of The Principal 2.0, Leading in a Culture of Change, and Turnaround Leadership. Visit https://michaelfullan.ca to learn more about Michael’s work.
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