Please don't shoot me: I'm only the change agent.

The change agent is a necessity rather than an option for a hospital's future success in the volatile managed care environment. While his or her message may be unpopular and tactics unconventional, the change agent had the extraordinary confidence and capacity to move an organization from analysis to synthesis. This article describes the change agent's makeup and method of operation as well as the 10 most potent tools and insights for effecting sustainable change.