The Power of Change: the Invisible Force That Moves the World
Change is no longer just a bridge between past and future. It has become the constant terrain on which the world moves. From work to technology, from geopolitics to public institutions, everything unfolds amid acceleration, demanding both the ability to adapt and the skill to steer the flow
THE CONTEXT
Seeing the world through the paradigm of constant change allows us to build new ways of interpreting it.
Since ancient times, philosophers and writers have recognized change as an essential element of life. Heraclitus, the Greek philosopher of the 6th century BCE, wrote: “Panta rei”, everything flows. Nothing stands still. And yet, how often do we cling to what we know, fearing that the new may destroy the fragile balance we’ve built?
In “The Leopard”, Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa gives the Prince of Salina a phrase that has become iconic: “If we want things to stay as they are, everything must change.” A paradoxical but deeply true statement, revealing how even preserving the status quo often requires transformation.
Today, change is no longer a simple transition from past to future - it has become the constant terrain on which our existence unfolds. We live in an age of continuous acceleration, where political, economic, cultural, and technological cycles are increasingly compressed, crises multiply, and certainties falter. In this scenario, change presents itself as an unavoidable challenge, both a risk and an opportunity. Those who resist fall behind; those who ride the wave build the future.
Yet the true power of change lies not so much in its speed, but in its capacity to reveal. To change means to face the truth of what no longer works, to recognize the inadequacy of outdated habits, structures, and models. In this sense, change is a collective mirror: it reflects who we are today and anticipates who we might become tomorrow.
At the individual level, transformation has become a structural constant. Identities are becoming more fluid and fragmented: profession, relationships, civic role, even the body itself, are all negotiable and in continuous reconfiguration. The idea of a person rooted in a stable identity is now the exception, not the rule.
Change, then, starts from within. It often means starting over: after failure, loss, dismissal - or simply in response to a changed context. This is not an experience reserved for cultural elites: millions of people reinvent themselves every day, out of necessity, passion, or survival.
A striking example is the creator economy: young people (and not only) building professional paths from scratch by leveraging their narrative and relational capital. Influencers like Chiara Ferragni or Emma Chamberlain, who started with fashion blogs or spontaneous vlogs, have become entrepreneurs with millions of followers. But alongside these high-profile successes, there are thousands of invisible stories: freelancers, videomakers, developers, and digital artisans crafting their own path daily, without the safety nets of traditional employment.
The concept of resilience has also changed: it’s no longer about passively withstanding blows, but about absorbing them and transforming. In this new era, rigidity is an obstacle. What’s needed is adaptability, creativity, openness.
For companies, change is no longer a strategic option - it’s an existential condition. The combined impact of technology, environmental pressures, global competition, and socio-political shifts demands radical transformation. Those who fail to evolve are doomed to disappear. The cases of Kodak, Blockbuster, and Nokia serve as warnings: it’s not enough to have been first, or big - you must know how to reinvent yourself before the market does. In contrast, companies like Microsoft show that rebirth is possible. Under Satya Nadella’s leadership, the company profoundly changed its organizational culture, embracing collaboration, experimentation, and digital transformation. Patagonia has placed environmental commitment at the heart of its identity, dedicating profits to protecting the planet and redefining the very concept of business. Ikea is shifting toward circular economy models - repair, rental, reuse - while Lego has focused on sustainability and co-creation to overcome its identity crisis. In all these cases, change was not reactive but a strategic choice and a long-term vision. An investment in the future, not merely a cost to bear.
The world of work is one of the areas most exposed to change. The pandemic accelerated processes already underway: remote work, automation, the decline of full-time jobs, and the rise of self-employment. According to many analyses, several current professions will be transformed or disappear within the next decade. That’s why the ability to acquire new skills – reskilling - is crucial. Companies like Accenture are investing heavily in continuous training for their workforce - and not just in technological areas.
Democratic institutions are facing unprecedented change. Disintermediation has undermined citizens’ trust, while the demand for systemic, coordinated responses has never been greater
Today, people demand more from their jobs: autonomy, flexibility, and, above all, meaning. For many, work is no longer just a contract - it’s part of their identity. The “Great Resignation” in the U.S., the phenomenon of quiet quitting, and the rise of freelancing are clear signs of a profound cultural shift.
Companies that ignore these changes - clinging to hierarchical, impersonal models—are losing appeal, especially among younger generations. Those that instead foster environments based on trust, listening, and shared growth earn loyalty, innovation, and cohesion. Today, empathy is a managerial resource, not an emotional accessory.
Public institutions are also at a delicate crossroads. On one hand, disintermediation has eroded citizens’ trust; on the other, the complexity of today’s challenges demands systemic, coordinated, and forward-looking responses. Some virtuous examples exist: Estonia has built a transparent and efficient digital state; Barcelona, with its Decidim platform, has experimented with participatory democracy; in Italy, tools like “Io” and “PagoPa” represent early attempts at modern administration.
AN IN-DEPTH LOOK
The Estonian Model
Estonia is a leader in the digitalization of public services. Every citizen has an electronic identity that serves as access for all interactions with public institutions. The country already has full access to electronic health records, and the e-Residency program allows individuals to create and manage a company entirely online. More than half of Estonian companies (52.6%) already use cloud services, significantly surpassing the EU average of 38.7%.
But we are still far from a truly open and adaptive system. Two major threats loom: technocracy - with opaque algorithms influencing or making decisions - and institutional inertia. Both compromise democratic legitimacy. What’s needed first and foremost is a cultural shift that re-centers the relationship between power and citizen.
In this regard, a troubling trend has emerged in recent years: the expansion and legitimization of authoritarian regimes. From Russia to China, from Iran to Turkey, and across several African and Asian countries, political models based on control, censorship, and repression are consolidating. What’s new is that these regimes present themselves as functional alternatives to democracy, promising order, efficiency, and security. In uncertain times, stability becomes a precious commodity - and authoritarianism a dangerous temptation. Even in Western democracies, illiberal tendencies are emerging: concentration of power, delegitimization of the press and universities, use of emergencies to suspend rights. The “authoritarian temptation” is no longer an exception - it’s a systemic risk.
Geopolitics reflects this tension. The international order built after World War II - based on shared rules and multilateral institutions - is in crisis. The war in Ukraine is the clearest manifestation: for the first time since 1945, a European country has invaded another by military force, disregarding treaties, borders, and rights. And despite a strong international reaction, the inability of supranational institutions to prevent or contain aggression has been made plain.
China offers a model of influence based on technology, commerce, and social control - but at the cost of individual freedoms. Meanwhile, new actors - tech companies, cryptocurrencies, armed groups, transnational organizations - bypass rules that have held for decades, redefining global power dynamics. International law risks becoming optional. Foreign policy is being shaped by power, not consensus. Soft power is giving way to muscular realism. This is a profound shift, one that requires new interpretive frameworks.
Among the transformative forces of our time, technological innovation is the most disruptive. Artificial intelligence, biotechnology, robotics, blockchain, neurotechnologies - they are not just changing how we live, but redefining who we are. The line between human and artificial, natural and digital, grows thinner every day.
Artificial intelligence, in particular, is reshaping the relationship between individuals, knowledge, and work. For those working in creative, legal, educational, or administrative fields, AI is simultaneously assistant, competitor, and sometimes, judge. Companies are already delegating complex functions to AI: content production, customer service, design. This creates efficiency, but also widespread anxiety - the fear of becoming obsolete. A recent Fortune survey indicates that nearly half of recent college graduates in the U.S. believe AI diminishes the value of their degree.
In daily life, AI filters our searches, news, suggestions, and interactions. The risk is that we delegate not only execution but also interpretation and judgment. A new kind of digital literacy is urgently needed. Technical skills are not enough: we must develop critical thinking, ethics of technology, and discernment. Along with a shared framework to regulate the misuse of algorithms.
There is an urgent need for clear rules, widespread educational tools, and a public ethic of technology. AI is neither good nor bad in itself - it mirrors how we choose to use it. And if we do not govern it, it may end up governing us. Technology is a power multiplier. It can liberate entire populations - but it can also strengthen monopolies, surveil citizens, and manipulate opinion. In many cases, innovation moves faster than regulation. The danger is that society arrives too late - when the damage is already done.
In the face of all this, the main challenge is educational. We must prepare minds capable of living with uncertainty, managing complexity, and navigating among multiple “truths.” Schools, universities, media, businesses, families: all must contribute to this mission. It’s not about teaching flexibility as passive submission, but about nurturing critical and creative spirits. For change to be constructive, it must be understood, governed, directed. As the American futurist Alvin Toffler warned: “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”
Change is not a monster to be fought, but a bridge to be crossed. It’s not always easy, and often it’s frightening. But as in Kafka’s metamorphosis, even in the strangest and most incomprehensible moments, we can find a new form of truth. We cannot stop time, but we can decide in which direction to go.
The power of change is the deepest force we possess. It is what distinguishes us from machines, what makes us alive. To change is an act of trust. In ourselves, in the future, in others. And perhaps, after all, as Luigi Pirandello once wrote: “Life cannot be explained; it is lived. By changing.”
Dante Roscini
Graduated in nuclear engineering, he serves as Professor of Management Practice at Harvard Business School and was awarded the L.E. Simmons Fellowship. He also has a career background in the financial sector.