Chief Change Officer
#264 Colin Savage: The Frequent Flyer of Change Has Thoughts on AI—and Lifelong Learning — Part Two
Mon, 31 Mar 2025
Part Two.If change were a sport, Colin Savage would have a trophy room. He’s worked in 70+ countries, lived in 7, and reinvented himself more times than most of us change our passwords.In this episode, Colin calls out lifelong learning as passé and introduces his take: skill stacking. Plus, we get into why having a personal AI strategy might be just as important as having a LinkedIn profile. Buckle up—Colin’s not slowing down, and neither should you.Key Highlights of Our Interview:The Kung Fu Panda Approach to Change“Wise, measured, and reflective—the best change leaders channel their inner ‘Kung Fu Panda turtle.’ Fewer words, deeper thought, and a collective approach to charting the path forward. Because real insight comes when you listen more than you speak.”Why Collective Decisions Matter“Making life-altering changes isn’t a solo act. Consulting with those affected—be it family, colleagues, or friends—adds invaluable perspectives. Ignoring this step risks blind spots and unanticipated challenges that could have been addressed earlier.”Lifelong Learning: The Good, the Bad, and the Outdated“While lifelong learning emphasizes constant self-improvement, it often lacks focus. Simply chasing degrees, certifications, or skills without purpose can lead to a disjointed portfolio of knowledge. The real magic happens when learning is intentional and builds toward expertise.”Skill Stacking as a Career Superpower“Focused learning that combines seemingly unrelated skills can redefine your career trajectory. It’s not just about learning for the sake of it—it’s about intentionally connecting knowledge areas to create a broader, more adaptable toolkit for the future.”_________________________Connect with us:Host: Vince Chan | Guest: Colin Savage --Chief Change Officer--Change Ambitiously. Outgrow Yourself.Open a World of Expansive Human Intelligencefor Transformation Gurus, Black Sheep,Unsung Visionaries & Bold Hearts.12 Million+ All-Time Downloads.Reaching 80+ Countries Daily.Global Top 3% Podcast.Top 10 US Business.Top 1 US Careers.>>>140,000+ are outgrowing. Act Today.<<<
Chapter 1: Who is Colin Savage and what is his journey?
Hi, everyone. Welcome to our show, Chief Change Officer. I'm Vince Chen, your ambitious human host. Our show is a modernist community for change progressives in organizational and human transformation from around the world. This is a three-part series with Colin Selvidge.
In Part 1, the first episode, we'll dive into Colin's fascinating journey as a self-proclaimed change addict turned change guru. Colin's career spans continents, cultures, and industries, seven countries lived in, seven more seconded to, and projects in over 70 nations.
From organizational transformation to personal reinvention, he has mastered the art of embracing change and applying those lessons to life. In this conversation, Colin unpacks his unique perspective on change. How throwing himself into the unknown led to unparalleled growth and insight.
From leaving Canada with nothing but a suitcase and ambition, to navigating industries from telecommunications to financial services, Colin shares how the constant evolution around him became his greatest teacher. In the next episodes, we'll explore the learning required for transformation, why Colin believes lifelong learning is outdated and skill stacking is the future.
And finally, in part three, we'll tackle AI, human intelligence, and why every one of us needs a personal AI strategy. Buckle up. This one is a ride. Like you said, one of the threats running through your experience is change and strategy. You've worked with so many firms and organizations, guiding them through their transformations, so you must have seen countless business cases unfold.
What have you learned from these consulting projects and organization change initiatives that could apply to individual situations? Are there lessons from these business cases that also resonate on a personal level, especially when we face dilemmas or crossroads in our own lives?
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Chapter 2: How does Colin view change and transformation?
One example is going to be a bit of a surprise to people because they will have read, potentially, how traditional this country is. And this is Japan. So I lived in Japan, as I mentioned, for quite a long time. And with the Japanese life insurance company, we're in Brazil. We're seeing something that's a bit unique. In Japan, one of the largest minorities are Yui. And they are people who...
Chapter 3: What lessons does Colin share from his experiences in Japan?
travel to japan as youth they have access to visas and other things and they start their working life in japan so they're actually indoctrinated they learn working culture from being in japanese companies a lot of them and otherwise they learn things like hey life insurance is important you need to have it the discussion one how are we going to go build this idea and
What came about was I learned that change, individual, team, and otherwise, comes from doing a lot of promotion. So Japan is a lot about individual conversations to get support or get direction. Big organizations are great at providing that direction, but often indirect. You have to be a cute direction. So, hey, why don't we consider this? Why don't we do that?
But also, it's measured and it's planned change. You can't just come up with an idea and throw it at people and get them to say yes or no. You've got to research your idea. This is the market size. These are the people. Look, they would buy. This is how it would benefit them if they stayed where they are or then when they moved back.
This is how we could link a dovetail or a pipeline into getting new people in a new market we might make. So it took a lot of time, but I was very surprised and very proud that we actually managed to get this kind of a lead. I got support from lovely people within the organization. They provided their time to me. We moved ahead. It took two years, but the change did happen.
And it was actually a real shining example of just because you think a culture and a group of people are traditional in their practices doesn't mean they're averse to change. You just need to be, from that change addict thing we were talking about, Not willy-nilly, not, hey, let's just do it for the sake of doing it.
Be measured, be strategic, be researched in what you want to change, and then find the kind and supportive voices. And if you find enough of them, you'll get groundswell and you'll be able to do it. If you don't, maybe your idea really isn't that great. Maybe you need to go back to the drawing board.
So learn to take the interest and the novelty and the energy that comes from potential change and have it fuel huge ideas that are really important. steps, fundamental steps to maybe make that change happen. And the flip side would be actually back here in Canada. I worked for a quite traditional marketing company. Probably if I tell you who it is, people will know right away.
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Chapter 4: Why do organizations struggle with change?
They brought me in as a change person. That's how I was recruited. Please come here. We know our industry is on the decline. We're not really entirely sure where to go with it. We've seen what you did in other places. We're eager to change. We want a chance where they use all the right words. They were very receptive to the idea before I moved in house.
I got in there and I asked, do you want me to be disruptive? Would you like me to push new initiatives? Absolutely. This is what we want. And within a month of me doing that, we don't really like it. Or that was a little too much. The reality is they were a different kind of ad. They were hooked on a legacy of very high revenue and high profit margin.
And they weren't willing, they really weren't willing and they hadn't done the time to figure out, do we want to change? Are we willing to forego some of that to potentially make it somewhere else or maybe not? And even though they had all of the support, allegedly support from people above and their ownership and others, they were incredibly reluctant to do it.
So I was sitting in a role where change was in my title, but I couldn't do anything. And I had tried, I had built up goodwill. I'd got some champions. I was doing everything that change management tells you to do. Pushing the needle here, scaling your time here. And for the time period that I was there, they were wholly unwilling to take it on.
Chapter 5: How does personal change relate to professional change?
And at a certain point I had to, you know what, it isn't going to work for me. I'm pushing the rock as ill as whatever the Greek do. And I'm not getting anywhere. And I'm being told two different stories. So we dig into it, which might have really been like an external push from other people. So we don't want to do it. And it ended up being a failure for myself.
And it's something that I had taken on and I accept. I learned a lot of really good lessons from it. And frankly, had some work with the wonderful people that were driven to do it. But when the entire organization has been dictated change, and not really trusting of the person who's supposed to pilot it, then it's not gonna happen.
But in this instance, it's a little bit about, it's maybe less about the change addict thing, but learning of how that change grow, if that's a good word or change guide, which is all right, maybe we need to take a step back, figure out what is your definition of change? Is it collectively the same? Do we all think this is a good idea?
Okay, maybe we need to tailor it a little more specific and then move on from there. And that's hopefully where I am now and how I actually go about it a little bit more. There's a little bit less, less put on the gas, more, let's put the car in park for a second and let's have a talk. We'll drive a block down the road and then we're going to have another talk.
And that way we can get to the kind of, again, change that we're all trying to achieve. And back to that definition of six steps. It's not just keep that directed by the outside or financial reasons only. The whole way that we're going to evolve and change for the better.
I can totally relate to your Canadian example. I've had a similar experience myself. We can chat more about it offline. But eventually, it led to me leaving that company. If I think about it in a more personal context, like within a family, change isn't just about one person. It's a group decision that can lead to challenges too. For example,
When I used to help younger professionals plan their MBA career paths, many of them would ask me, Vince, should I apply to this school or that school? Should I study in this city or another city? Often, these decisions weren't just about them. They were married, so the decision had to include the spouse. My answer to them was, this isn't just about you. What does your husband or wife think?
Have you discussed whether it will mean long distance for two years? Will they move with you? If they do, will they be able to work? If not, what happens then? That's where the tension often starts. One partner wants to change, but the other doesn't, or they see the change differently. It creates conflict, and that's not unlike what happens in a business setting.
One stakeholder might push for a big transformation, while others hesitate or resist because the interpretation of change is different. So yes, I think that dynamic applies across contexts, personal or professional.
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Chapter 6: What are Colin's thoughts on lifelong learning and skill stacking?
And then hit the ground running. And it was only later on the last couple of times that I've asked and I'm concerned about this, or I'm not sure how that's going to work or what are we going to do in this thing? And a lot of the things she's done is really ground. Why we were going to go and move somewhere, why we were going to make a significant change in our lives.
To your example, I'm going to take it on and then everything's going to be hunky-dory and we're all going to be happy. But they didn't know that they could voice it. And so now it's more like a collective. So now we're sitting around in Canada and we're thinking, so what's the next step?
And my first step now is to go and talk to my two teenage sons and my wife and say, hey guys, what do you think about this? And the reality is, whatever our age is and wherever our life has taken us, They'll come up with questions and problems and scenarios, or that's a chant that's difficult. And you've got to be a little bit more soul-searching to figure out, is this really right for me?
Is this really what should happen? And if it doesn't, how is it going to go, and how can I deal with it as and where it goes?
Actually, you have so many degrees that people often ask me, Vince, are you collecting degrees? I usually laugh it off and say, no, I have three, and I talk each one very seriously. I don't even bother explaining why I pursued two MBAs anymore. But looking at you, Colin, you have even more. Would you consider yourself a lifelong learner? I imagine you have some strong opinions on that term.
A lot of people lean on lifelong learning when they are at the crossroads or want to make a change in their lives. They fall back on education, upskilling, retooling, whatever the buzzword of the day might be. But you've shared some interesting ideas with me about skill stacking and how that might offer a more impactful approach. So what do you think of lifelong learning as a concept?
How do you see it evolving? And where does skill stacking fit into the equation?
Very recently, I found myself, and I think this also leads a little bit to my love for novelty. I don't think a day goes by where I don't find the topic that I go, hey, you know what? I should really study this. And then I go and I start to spend 10 minutes looking for universities where I could go and I could, I mean, and I don't know if I'm ever actually going to get over that practice.
But to talk to your specific comment about light law and learning to skill deckers. So I am the product to academic people. And so both of my parents were educators. They both were educators at all different levels. They were both academically inclined and so was our family. And it was ingrained in us very young in two ways.
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