Crawl, walk, run is an approach to change projects that sees small steps gather momentum by building upon incremental lessons. It is a recipe for success in Good to Great companies as well as in technology start-ups. It is also a central tenet of the continuous improvement mantra in Kaizen and a natural response to capital constraints. 

One covert rationale for the approach is that it is often better to take people on a journey - to demonstrate the advantages of a change. Change is inevitable, it is something we must either actively embrace or passively accept. However, many resist it in the mistaken belief that they can avoid it. Such resistance can undermine projects that seek improvement with passive aggressive tactics ranging from cynical chatter to the subtle "Japanese Yes"; where apparent support translates to actual inertia. Such resisters are usually only attracted in their hearts and minds when they see success in the change. In this way then, change agents lead from the front, from a fast moving upright position. Crawl, walk, run - and then lead the way.