DOGE is Bad Change Management
A bold lightbox message reads “TIME FOR CHANGE,” symbolizing transformation and forward momentum.
When DOGE and the Trump administration began making sweeping changes to the federal government in January of 2025, we got a front-row seat to what not to do when leading organizational change. While the situation is undeniably extreme, it’s a cautionary tale. Too often, new leaders arrive with bold promises to "shake things up," only to bulldoze their way through an organization without regard for the people, systems, or values that make it work.
Charging ahead without listening, collaborating, or building trust rarely ends well, unless your goal is to completely dismantle what’s there. Frighteningly, that may be what we’re witnessing now.
For anyone watching this unfold and thinking this is what strong leadership looks like, let’s pause. Here’s a breakdown of the destructive and counterproductive tactics being used under the guise of change—and why they should serve as a warning, not a model:
MISTAKE #1: Assuming everyone who works in the organization you just took over is part of the problem, not willing to change, or worse, the enemy who must be eradicated. This is almost never true. People are generally loyal to their employers, want to be helpful to new leadership, and are willing to listen to new ideas (as long as they are not harmful or illegal). Alienating (or firing) everyone you think is opposed to your aims just hobbles your organization and makes it harder for you to understand how the place works and how to actually run it.
MISTAKE #2: Assuming approaches that work well in other sectors will work well anywhere. The federal government has a responsibility to serve *all* the American people and protect American interests home and abroad, in perpetuity. Honoring these tenets are its entire purpose. Applying the "move fast and break things" approach from big tech to our democracy is dangerous and just plain stupid. In any sector, undermining an organization's enduring mission in the pursuit of short-term gains is counterproductive and likely to cause long-term harm.
MISTAKE #3. Issuing unclear and conflicting directives and refusing to explain their purpose or application is not likely to result in the outcomes you want. If chaos and destabilization is your aim, then this is a good tactic. But if you are actually trying to get people to change what they are doing and how they are doing it, you need to articulate what you want, how it will work, and what you want them to do.
MISTAKE #4. Assuming that no one will hold you accountable for your actions and that your "mandate for change" will protect your reign indefinitely, no matter the harm you are causing. I know it may not feel like it now, but history shows us that bad leaders are eventually toppled, usually when the people they are leading get tired of it all and see the promise of something better on the horizon.
In a nonprofit organization, leaders who charge ahead without trust, transparency, or collaboration will quickly alienate staff and lose the confidence of the very communities they exist to serve. Boards will take notice, internal tensions will rise, and any hope of lasting impact will unravel. Let what’s happening with the US Government right now serve as a cautionary tale: leadership isn’t about force or control. Successful leaders prioritize earning buy-in, building relationships, and remaining accountable for their decisions. Avoid DOGE’s costly mistakes, and you’ll set the stage for a far more successful and sustainable transition.
