The Human Advantage Live - Why Change Stalls: The Human Side of M&A and AI | Susan Ganz

Why do sound strategies stall? Often, it is not because the business case is wrong. It is because leaders have not understood what the people involved need to move forward. In this episode of The Human Advantage: Leadership in Practice, Kathy Eastwood speaks with Susan Ganz, business strategist and outsourced Chief of Staff with Ganz Strategic Solutions and Human Capital Squad Leader for PortlyAI. Susan shares the story of an acquisition delayed by an owner who was not emotionally ready to let go. She also explains how she approached a technology initiative that had already failed eight times, involved the people who would use it, and helped deliver $12 million in annual productivity savings for Merrill Lynch. Together they discuss: ✅ Why resistance may be a sign of fear, uncertainty, or an unspoken need ✅ How stakeholder involvement strengthens technology adoption and ROI ✅ Why demand management cannot replace thoughtful change leadership ✅ How leaders can keep execution focused without trying to “boil the ocean” ✅ Why humans and AI produce greater value when they work together The human side of change is not separate from performance. It is often what determines whether a strong strategy becomes a real result. Connect and learn more: Follow Susan Ganz on LinkedIn: Susan Ganz - PortlyAI | LinkedIn -   / susanganz   Learn more about Ganz Strategic Solutions: Ganz Strategic Solutions- https://ganzstrategicsolutions.com Follow Kathy Eastwood on LinkedIn: Kathy Eastwood -   / kathyeastwood   E EQUALS WHY | LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/eequ... Learn more about The E3 Leadership Code: A Human Approach to High Performance: https://www.kathyeastwood.com/book Learn more about E Equals Why: https://www.eequalswhy.com