Change Leadership
Introduction
Leadership has been looked at from various aspects ever since it has been studied and all of the derived theories are relevant to different situations and conditions. A common definition of leadership is; ‘A process of social influence by which an individual enlists the aid and support of others in accomplishment of a task or a mission’ (Chemers, 1997). A leadership facet, which greatly interests me, is ‘Change Leadership’.
The scale of competition in the market has increased by leaps and bounds in the past few decades. To survive today, innovation is necessary, not only in business models, products & processes, but also in leadership styles and approach. The biggest challenges that a Leader faces today are either driving change or coping with change. To lead change, multiple styles of leadership are needed which could be applicable to different situations. An effective change leader, would need to practice all 5 styles of change based on situations, scale of change, task at hand and team to accomplish the tasks. Change however is resisted by most, especially if it’s a radical one1. Change leadership is the ability to energize groups who will be implementing change projects that they may or may not buy into.2 Importance of change leadership
The most responsive to change are the ones who survive and grow. The key component of leadership for now and the coming decades is proactive and effective responsiveness to change. It 's important for change leaders to understand the need for change and demonstrate a high tolerance for ambiguity and a positive attitude. Change leadership also involves defining areas for change, preparing & responding effectively to roadblocks, managing change initiatives smoothly by anticipating, create a conducive work environment and involving participation of people at levels in the organization. IF the change is complex, it involves understanding cultural dynamics and developing practical strategies.3
Levels of change
Leadership has been looked at from various aspects ever since it has been studied and all of the derived theories are relevant to different situations and conditions. A common definition of leadership is; ‘A process of social influence by which an individual enlists the aid and support of others in accomplishment of a task or a mission’ (Chemers, 1997). A leadership facet, which greatly interests me, is ‘Change Leadership’.
The scale of competition in the market has increased by leaps and bounds in the past few decades. To survive today, innovation is necessary, not only in business models, products & processes, but also in leadership styles and approach. The biggest challenges that a Leader faces today are either driving change or coping with change. To lead change, multiple styles of leadership are needed which could be applicable to different situations. An effective change leader, would need to practice all 5 styles of change based on situations, scale of change, task at hand and team to accomplish the tasks. Change however is resisted by most, especially if it’s a radical one1. Change leadership is the ability to energize groups who will be implementing change projects that they may or may not buy into.2 Importance of change leadership
The most responsive to change are the ones who survive and grow. The key component of leadership for now and the coming decades is proactive and effective responsiveness to change. It 's important for change leaders to understand the need for change and demonstrate a high tolerance for ambiguity and a positive attitude. Change leadership also involves defining areas for change, preparing & responding effectively to roadblocks, managing change initiatives smoothly by anticipating, create a conducive work environment and involving participation of people at levels in the organization. IF the change is complex, it involves understanding cultural dynamics and developing practical strategies.3
Levels of change
Bibliography: • Dr. Kathleen K. Reardon, Dr. Kevin J. Reardon, and Dr. Alan J. Rowe, Leadership Styles For The Five Stages Of Radical Change, URL: http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/dau/reardon.pdf • Canterucci J., ,Are you a leader?’ , Transition management advisors: URL: http://www.corpchange.com/Resources/Articles/Areyouachangeleaderarticle.aspx • Martin M., Leadership, Change and Organizational Effectiveness., University of California, Santa Cruz • Graetz F. , Strategic Change Leadership, Bowater School of Management & Marketing, Deakin University, Melbourne Campus, Burwood, Victoria, Australia • McGuire J,. Leadership Strategies for Culture Change, The Center for Creative Leadership – Friends of the Center Leadership Conference, Orlando, Florida, October 8-10, 2003 • Leadership in Rapidly changing wor