Leading Change - The Man in the Mirror

"I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
Take a look at yourself and then make a change" [ Michael Jackson]

By convention we speak of change "management" but the reality is that change involves leadership as well as management, and change leadership requires some very special qualities in the person[s] leading the change. This is more to do with "being" than "doing". What you do, and how you do it will be largely determined by how you are as a person. The traditional and fairly typical transactional leadership seeks to motivate followers by appealing to their own self-interest - using the conventional "carrot and stick" approach to gain compliance. Transactional leaders accept the goals, structure and culture of the existing organisation. They must do so because this type of leadership is ineffective at bringing significant change.

In contrast, transformational leadership is about leadership that creates positive change in the followers, whereby they take care of each other's interests and act in the interests of the group as a whole. Here, the leader enhances the motivation, morale and performance of his follower group. Transformational Leadership begins with self-awareness - awareness of our own thoughts and feelings, and how these affect your actions, and how they affect the states of others. As your awareness grows, you begin to see your own inner motivating force, what drives you - your passions and values - and how these affect your thoughts, feelings and actions, and those of others.

It is about leading with an integrity and authenticity that resonates with others, and inspires them to follow, and also, in some cases to become leaders themselves. This is an important aspect of what Daniel Goleman has termed "Emotional Intelligence". So, as change leader, let's take a look in the mirror:

# Are you inspired in your heart and mind, and do you show it?
# Are you connected to yourself, the world and the people around you? [I don't mean as a concept but as felt or sensed reality]?
# Do you have a vision and communicate it with passion and purpose?
# Do you allow your emotion to speak to others in a way that transcends their mind, and speaks to their heart?
# Do you pay personal attention to others in a way that engages them and generates their trust and commitment?
# Do you genuinely care about others, what they want, and how you can help them meet their objectives as well as yours?
# How does reviewing this list of questions make you feel?