11 years ago a bestseller: Leading Change. In this book Kotter described an eight step process to create sustainable change (see 8 Steps for Sustainable Change). This year Kotter published a book, A Sense of Urgency, that deals with the first step: Establishing a Sense of Urgency:

He believes that after years of studying companies that performed organizational change initiatives one point of these 8 steps sticks out: Establishing a true sense of urgency:

(…) Everything I have seen in my work over the years, suggest that the number-one problem they (companies that what to change, boris gloger) is all about creating a sense of urgency—and that’s the first step in a series of actions needed to succeed in a changing world. — John Kotter, A Sense of Urgency, p.13

He rephrased his 8 Steps: 

It all starts with urgency

1. A sense of urgency
2. The guiding team
3. Vision and strategies
4. Communication
5. Empowerment
6. Short-term wins
7. Never letting up
8. Making change stick

What is urgency?

Real urgency is an essential assest that must be created, and re-created, and it can be. — John Kotter, A Sense of Urgency, p. 7