The book “Immunity to Change” is a compilation of tools and techniques identified by Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey which if utilized will lead to successful change. The purpose of the book is to teach leaders how to close the gap between what people genuinely intend to do and what they are actually able to bring about. This principle is often referred to by Keagan as the "knowing-doing gap": “how to close the gap between our intentions, things we actually want to carry out, and what we are actually able to do". Rick Maurer states that “the knowing-doing gap” is a term coined by Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert Sutton. A dramatic and poignant illustration of the "knowing-doing" gap can be seen in research in the US healthcare sector. As Kegan explains:
