Executive Brief

Modernization initiatives fail far more often than leaders expect, and multiple studies converge on the same root cause: weak or absent institutional sponsorship.

• Prosci’s 25-year benchmark¹ identifies active and visible sponsorship as the #1 contributor to change success; it has held the top spot since 1998.

• McKinsey² finds that committed leadership behaviors are among the strongest predictors of transformation outcomes.

• PMI’s Pulse of the Profession³ likewise shows that actively engaged sponsors are the top driver of projects meeting original goals and business intent.

• Gartner⁴ call their select group the digital vanguard and see a 71% higher success.

For boards and senior management, the implication is simple: before you debate vendors, migration patterns or tools, name and empower the internal champion. Your champion will help avoid obstacles of uncertainty, scope creep and stakeholder resistance, and overcome objections.

Why Boards Stall—and Why a Champion Unblocks Each Concern

Modernization doesn’t stall because boards dislike progress—it stalls because their job is to guard against risk. Every review room echoes with the same questions and hesitations. That’s where an internal champion becomes more than a cheerleader: they’re the translator who turns doubts into decisions, moving the conversation from “why not” to “how soon.” Here are the recurring concerns boards raise—and how a champion systematically unblocks each one. Boards (appropriately) play defense on risk. In modernization reviews, the same issues recur:

1. “What if this fails?” Champion counter: reframes failure from good/bad outcomes to opportunities for improvement.

2. Budget discipline and ROI visibility
   Champion counter: moves the discussion from cost to return on investment.

3. Feature Creep
   Champion counter: enforces an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) for the pilot and avoids detours.

4. Stakeholder resistance
   Champion counter: leads a sponsorship coalition and builds adoption through visible leadership.

5. Compliance and security exposure
   Champion counter: integrates audit and compliance requirements early on.

6. Execution capacity and talent gaps
   Champion counter: focuses scarce talent and resources on the critical issues.

What Exactly Is an “Internal Champion”?

The internal champion is the authorized project manager who:

• Is active and visible—communicates the “why”, not just "how".
• Owns features and benefits—not just delivery of code.
• Holds the keystone role—bridges business strategy to tech execution.

Five Design Principles for the Champion Model

It’s one thing to name a champion—it’s another to set them up to win. Champions thrive when a few simple rules shape how they lead, how they build support, and how they keep momentum visible. Think of these as the “operating manual” for a champion that really makes a difference.

1. One Leader
   Empower one named individual as champion. Committees advise; the champion decides.

2. Coalition and coverage
   Recruit co-sponsors from Finance, Compliance, Operations, HR.

3. Front-load change management
   Embed training, communications, and adoption metrics from day one.

4. Benefits over deliverables
   Track business outcomes, not just technical milestones.

5. Visible cadence
   Weekly demos, monthly steering, quarterly value reviews.

Anti-Patterns Boards Should Not Tolerate

Not every obstacle comes from outside the project—sometimes the biggest risks come from inside the room. Boards can set the tone by refusing to accept behaviors and shortcuts that quietly doom modernization efforts.

Here are the red flags that deserve zero tolerance.

• Leaders in name only—sponsors who never show up.
• Feature creep—requests for features not in the plan.
• Late-stage compliance bolt-ons—security and audit engaged too late.
• End-user last—user experience ignored until rollout.

Selecting the Right Champion: A Board Checklist

Appointing a champion is one of the board’s most powerful moves—but only if the choice is intentional. The best champions combine seniority with agility, and succeed when clear conditions and success signals are built in. This checklist helps boards go beyond intuition and put structure around the selection.

Profile to Seek

• Senior enough to resolve roadblocks
  Authority matters—only someone at the right level can cut through organizational friction.
• Speaks the languages of both business and technology
  Bridges the gap between strategic goals and technical realities.
• Track record of decisiveness
  Champions can’t wait for perfect consensus; progress depends on timely calls.

Conditions for a Champion to Succeed

A well-chosen champion can still fail if the board doesn’t set them up with the right support. These conditions create the structure and bandwidth needed for the role to deliver real impact.

• Written charter with metrics of success
  Establishes accountability and ensures expectations are transparent.
• Benefits ledger owned by the champion
  Keeps focus on business outcomes instead of activity alone.
• Time budget (20–30% of their capacity)
  Champions need real bandwidth—this role cannot be “extra credit.”

Signals You Picked Well

• Decisions within 72 hours
  Shows momentum is real and not trapped in endless cycles.
• Honest status reporting
  A good champion tells the board the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable.
• Visible increments in use
  Adoption in the field—not just slideware—is the proof point that matters.

How the Champion Converts Obstacles into Confidence

• From "giant, scary project" to "bite-sized pieces"
• From “no capacity” to “focused execution."
• From “unclear ROI” to “specific performance indicators”.
• From “users will resist” to “users are engaged.”

Turning Principles into Action

It’s not enough to talk about champions in theory—boards need clear signals of what “good” looks like on the ground.
These practices translate the model into visible, measurable progress.

1. Clarify the business mandates
   Satisfy each department's priorities.
2. Name the champion and coalition
   Communicate decision maker's authority and responsibility.
3. Make adoption measurable
   Track weekly usage, completion time, and training.

Board Resolution Template

Resolved:
The Board designates [Name, Title] as Internal Champion for the [Modernization] initiative with authority to:

(a) define scope to achieve agreed business outcomes;
(b) establish and lead a cross-functional sponsorship coalition;
(c) approve releases within approved funding; and
(d) escalate unresolved issues to the CEO within 72 hours.

Further Resolved:
This Internal Champion will provide a quarterly Benefits Realization Report to the Board detailing financial, risk, and adoption metrics.

Footnotes