What is a change agent?

• A. A manager who maintains the status quo
• B. A person who resists new ideas
• C. Someone who influences others to achieve a goal
• D. A supervisor who enforces compliance through punishment

Answer: (C)

A change agent is someone who influences others to achieve a goal by guiding, persuading, and supporting them through a transition. They help articulate why the change is needed, build buy-in, remove obstacles, and model the new behaviors, often coordinating efforts across teams and channels. This role is about enabling adoption and shaping how people actually move from old ways to new ones, not about coercion or resisting change.

The other descriptions describe approaches that don’t fit a change agent’s role: maintaining the status quo resists change; resisting new ideas blocks progress; and enforcing compliance through punishment relies on coercion rather than influence and support.