Paulo Miguel, Sao Paolo, Brazil

A First, we're going to assume that your company is not under siege from global competitors quite yet. You're too calm.

That's OK, for now. But get ready. The fact that 'war' hasn't officially broken out yet will make your job much more difficult than if your company already were in well-publicised trouble.

Organisational transformations, especially the bravenew-world kind required by global competition, almost never happen unless people really feel the need for it in their bones. Survival is a mighty motivator. Without a crisis, oh, how people like the way things are. A bureaucracy like yours, in fact, can feel like a warm bath. People never want to get out. And they certainly don't have an inkling of desire to jump into ice water, which is how the radically different behaviour required by global competition will feel at first.

After all, globally competitive organisations must be flat, fast and transparent. Informal, candid communication is a must. A mindset that has people constantly seeking best practices inside and outside the company is an absolute requirement. And since people won't jump, they need a push.

That being said, you, or any leader trying to galvanise change, has to make a case for change . . . and make that case personal. Your people will change when, and only when, they see how new behaviour will improve the company and, more important, their own lives.

So get gritty and get detailed. Use as much data as you can gather on industry dynamics, profit margins, emerging technologies, political trends . . . whatever . . . to come up with two vivid story lines . . . one about what the company will become if it doesn't change, and the other if it does. Contrast plant closings with growth opportunities at home and abroad, lost jobs with more interesting work, and flat or shrinking wages with more money for everyone.

Then start campaigning. Talk and talk and talk. Not believing . . . or absorbing . . . a tough message the first or second time around is just human nature. And so you will have to repeat your case to the point of gagging, and then repeat it again.

Eventually, however, if your case is compelling enough, behaviours will change. They will change faster if you publicly praise and celebrate them whenever they occur, and faster still if you reward the people who demonstrate them.

Speaking of people, two other actions will help your transformation effort. First, make sure you start to hire and promote only true believers, people who completely accept the case for change and will proselytise for it too.

And second, make sure you start to ease out resisters who cannot let go of the good old days, no matter how much persuading they hear. Yes, some of these individuals may do their jobs well, but they should be working someplace else. That is, at one of the few companies left out there with no global competition.

Q I have achieved a lot as a leader and still want to grow and move on to more challenging positions, but I fail to make an impact at interviews. I always think I am right for the job, but the right answers don't come to me until it's over. What's your advice?

Eddie Khumalo, Johannesburg, South Africa

A Your question reminds us of the time one of us was part of a hiring process where a highly qualified young job candidate strutted into the room and started his interview with the words, "So, let me get this straight, do you ask me questions at this event, or do I ask you?" His bravado, needless to say, did not exactly win over any hearts.

You don't have a bravado problem . . . quite the opposite . . . but it sure sounds like you're not winning over any hearts either. And we would guess that's because you're too tied up during interviews trying to win over brains with perfectly crafted answers.

That's off track.

Your resume should speak for itself in terms of credentials.

Of course, you can use the interview to elaborate or fill in any blanks on your expertise. But based on your question, it seems more important that you use it to show your potential boss who you really are. That as a leader you care about your work and your team passionately. That you laugh, worry and listen, that you have outside interests and friends, that you have maturity and self-awareness, that you connect emotionally.

Indeed, in any interview, your best selling point can be your authenticity. So, stop performing and be yourself.

The positive impact you long for is probably right inside you, if you'll only let it out.

Jack and Suzy Welch are the authors of the international best-seller Winning. They are eager to hear about your career dilemmas and challenges at work, and look forward to answering your questions in future columns. You can email them questions at Winning@)nytimes. com. Please include your name, occupation, city and country.