Change leadership is defined as the ability to influence and enthuse others through personal advocacy, vision and drive, and to access resources to build a solid platform for change (Higgs and Rowland, 2000).
Change Leadership Process schematic by KnowledgeBrief (KBM)
The Baldrige Criteria defines change management as a leadership-induced process that involves transformational organizational change that leadership controls and sustains. It requires dedication, involvement of employees at all levels, and constant communication. Transformational change is strategy-driven and stems from the top of the organization. Its origin may be from needs identified within the organization and it requires active engagement of the whole organization.
McKinsey & Company states that, “Change management as it is traditionally applied is outdated. 70 percent of change programs fail to achieve their goals, largely due to employee resistance and lack of management support. We also know that when people are truly invested in change it is 30 percent more likely to stick.”
My 35+ years of experience is that the effective change leader possesses 3 critical skills:
- Communication
- Facilitation
- Project management
The effective change leader demonstrates strong facilitation, influence and collaboration skills necessary to build support, remove barriers and reduce resistance to change. The change leader must be able to enhance/ build the Systems & Structures necessary to drive the required change, reward desired behaviors and prevent organizational backsliding. The effective change leader identifies the key stakeholders and implements influence strategies to gain their support in helping to "model the behaviors that create the experiences needed to change beliefs resulting in actions that deliver expected results" (The Oz Principle: Culture of Accountability). An all-too-often over-looked influencer is the organization's "Keyhub" - those employees not part of the official managerial org chart, but whose experience/opinion/ insight is highly sought and respected among his/her peers, colleagues and subordinates. The identification of and collaboration with the keyhub is an important networking strategy to help lead successful change efforts in any organization.
The effective change leader must be able to marshal the resources and competencies necessary to support the change, adapt to challenges, and keep the change project on schedule and in budget. The change leader should follow a formalized change strategy or framework incorporating the methods, tools and technical assistance necessary to lead the process and coach the people through change. Three common models of a change management process are:
In conclusion, I offer the following three inspirational quotes befitting the effective change leader.
"It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory." ~W.Edwards Deming
"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change." ~Charles Darwin
"Never mistake motion for action. Motion produces activity. Action produces results. The distinction between motion and action underscores the need to have people assume accountability for producing results." ~Ernest Hemingway
