Batman gave us two essential lessons to apply in leading change efforts.

First, Batman became the external force for change that Sir Isaac Newton told us about.  He didn’t sit back to play defense.  He went after the criminals where they were, and he terrified them.  They fought back by trying to make Batman “the bad guy”.  Still that did not deter him.  He was willing to make the sacrifice, and persevere, in order to achieve the victory, and save Gotham City.

The leader of change must be willing to be the persistent external force - sufficient force for sufficient time.

Second, Batman purposefully engaged and encouraged the people of Gotham City, knowing that it would ultimately come down to getting the citizens to believe that this change for the better was possible, and worth fighting for.  He made some splashy arrests and gave the citizens a sense of hope.  He used his platform to bring additional people into the fray, knowing that Gotham’s citizens would need lots of reinforcement along the way – more than he could provide alone.

The leader of change must provide numerous opportunities for people to get engaged and take ownership for the change.