Change is an inevitable function of any organization and it is something that employees and leaders are bound to face during their careers. According to Ivancevich et al (2011), how leaders are able to handle the task of change can determine the success or failure of an organization. As students of organizational leadership, it is important for us to begin developing and honing the skills needed to effectively innovate and adapt to change. Leaders must be familiar with a variety of elements within the organization, including an assessment of employee and leader strengths, relationships, level of skill and ability, level of support, and types of resources easily available. Assessing these elements before and during change, as well as evaluating the process after the fact, helps prepare organizations and leaders for future success. Harvard School of Business's interactive change management simulation, Change Management Simulation: Power and Influence V2 (2013), has been a valuable assignment to help teach us about change from the perspective of a middle management position at Spectrum, a sunglasses company, is looking to adopt a new sustainability initiative. This scenario, a low-pressure question as a middle manager at a company, seems particularly useful because it's a position many of us might find ourselves in after graduation. We are thrown into the storyline with an average amount of surface information. In this exercise, we faced the challenges of implementing an organization-wide sustainability initiative, to which we encountered some resistance. The plan aimed to change the amount of raw materials used to make Spectrum sunglasses more environmentally friendly, as well as respond to the company's current environment...... middle of paper.. ....connected students, we connect with each other. These connections can help us later in our careers, when we face a challenge. For example, if as a leader I had an employee who was clearly in distress and couldn't help them cope, whether it was something in their professional or personal life, I know a quick email or a phone call to Eric Swan, thanks to his advice. training and leadership courses can help me a lot. Likewise, if I were ever in a situation where I needed help understanding the inner workings of a manufacturing team, Joel Marz could give me valuable insights to run my organization more effectively. Going to college and making these connections allows all of us to expand our knowledge base. Using them beyond classes and homework is an invaluable tool we should all keep in mind..