Turnaround in the bandits of Bravo Company

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to retroactively study a positive organizational change by showing how the elements of readiness creation and the change strategies in a widely accepted change model applied to a 20‐month change in one US Army company. Design/methodology/approach – The commander was not familiar with many of the contemporary change management models. Retrospective analysis of the change strategies reveals congruence with components of a widely accepted change model. The commander's actions, matched with the model's components, highlighting the model's potential value in the military. Findings – The most significant finding is that a military commander with limited theoretical experience in organizational change successfully turned around a military unit while unconsciously paralleling an existing change model, suggesting that the military should study the model further. Research limitations/implications – The paper is limited by the number of organizations studied. Practical implications – One implication is that military leaders and other professionals can benefit by looking outside traditional sources for tools and inspiration to solve challenging problems in their unique environments. Originality/value – This application of the organizational change model outside a business setting suggests that the model may have greater utility than previously thought. Additionally, the application of business change management strategy in a military organization impacts on military professionals who are seeking new ways of conducting operations. Finally, the paper is original because of the retroactive change model application, suggesting the model is grounded in leadership and organizational development theory and practice.