(1) Facilitative leaders exercise advanced communication skills
These 3 techniques can help ensure that your people are involved in the change management process and that they are assured of your interest:
(a) Confirming - your understanding. When you confirm, you verify that you understand what the other person said.
(b) Acknowledging - shows that you value what the other person has said.
(c) Bridging - make links between points you have both made. When you bridge, you make a connection between one or more points that the other person and you have made.
The purpose of all this is to build a shared perception.
(2) Facilitative leaders create the environment where people want to participate
So often I hear CEOs and directors moaning: "But why don't they just do it?"
Another question I often here is: "How can I get them to share ownership of decisions and the outcomes - how do I get them to follow through on their commitments?"
There are 2 aspects to resolving this:
(a) Harnessing the emotional energy of the group
Your leadership style needs to be tranformative and inspirational - it is up to you to exercise emotional intelligence, build connection with your people and to harness the emotional energy of the group - so that feel the possibilities of belonging and cooperating together as a group for the greater good of the group.
(b) Personalise and "emotionalise" the energy for change
People need to know cognitively why the change is so important (vision, strategy, business case etc) but they also need to feel emotionally what it will mean to them personally. They need to feel the personal impact of the change.
The more they feel it the more they will prioritise it - because it matters to them personally.
It then rapidly becomes natural for the facilitative leaders to ask rather than tell groups what they need to be doing, and to ask them what help they need to move forward rather than attempting to control their activities.
(3) Facilitative leaders encourage people to "speak the unspeakable"
Facilitative leaders encourage people to identify and discuss important issues they may be unaware of or unwilling to address - I call this "speaking the unspeakable".
These are often issues that are felt to be "too sensitive", "politically difficult" or just plain fraught to be easily and openly expressed.
Yet it is very often these difficult issues that are key to unblocking log-jams.
As change leader you achieve this by providing the tools, language and process to make this possible.
There are many excellent tools available and you need to select an appropriate tool and process for your situation.
(4) Facilitative leaders recognise that they are changing the culture
If, as part of your preparation and planning, you have undertaken a thorough cultural analysis and planning process you will have been through - and equally important, taken your people through - a process of cognition involving a thorough cultural mapping and analysis of "How we look now" and "How we want to look in future".
You will have a defined a cultural framework for the organisation that identifies the desired-culture (the dominant culture that will exist when the vision for the change is successfully realised) - i.e. "how we will look in the future" .
As you involve your people in this and other processes, you are subtly changing the culture in the desired direction by your continuous involvement of your people in these processes. The new culture slowly emerges.
(5) Facilitative leaders operate from a position of considerable self awareness and emotional intelligence
As a facilitative leader you begin with self-awareness - awareness of your own thoughts and feelings, and how these affect your actions, and how they affect the states of others.
As your self-awareness develops, you begin to lead with an integrity and authenticity that resonates with others, and inspires them to follow.
Find out more about: Facilitative Leadership - 5 Characteristics
Equip yourself to avoid the 70% failure rate of all change initiatives with the 8 FREE Introductory Lessons from Practitioners Masterclass
Showing posts with label Leadership. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leadership. Show all posts
Facilitative Leadership in Change Management - What is It?
What is facilitative leadership? The definition and understanding of facilitative leadership has evolved over time, and has emerged from the more familiar term "transformational leadership" which is all about inspiring employees to look beyond self-interest and focus on wider organisational goals. Facilitative leadership requires communication skills, social skills and a collaborative approach.
Facilitative leadership is the opposite style of leadership from the centralised command-control transactional leadership style that is fairly typical of many organisations. It is particularly well suited to the context and environment of change management initiatives.
It is now often viewed as a broad strategy that has been described as: "the behaviours that enhance the collective ability... to adapt, solve problems, and improve performance." (Conley & Goldman 1994)
Key to this is the emphasis on "collective ability" and the facilitative leader's role is to ensure the wider involvement of people at all levels - especially in the informal networks - a key to success in change management.
Whilst the command-control hierarchy remains intact - and it needs to for the exercising of legal authority to ratify decisions - in contrast to centralised command-control transactional leadership, the power here is based on synergy and mutuality and is multi-directional.
Key strategies that are employed include:
Resolving resource issues
Team building
Feedback
Coordination
Conflict management and resolution
Communication networks
Collaborative politics
All of these strategies involve processes that are dependent on informal negotiation and communication.
(1) Facilitative leadership and informal networks
Facilitative leadership recognises and fully utilise the informal networks that exist in organisations. This partly because this type of leader recognises the value of working with and through informal as well as formal networks, and also because the (s)he is a pragmatist and recognises that up to 75% of an organisation's natural leaders and informal networks sit outside of the formal management structure.
In change management, facilitative leadership is a crucial skill that needs to be applied and especially to the informal networks, given that the shadow or informal organisation largely determines the scope and pace of change.
(2) "There is no such thing as a singular success"
At root, facilitative leadership recognises that no one has a monopoly of talent, ideas or solutions and that organisational success is a group effort.
A programme manager friend of mine used to express it this way: "There is no such thing as a singular success"!
From my own experience, I have found time and time again that the answers to the most challenging business issues, project and programme failures and performance problems always - without exception lies with the front line staff - those directly involved in "doing it". All you have to do is ask them, listen to them and then act upon what they tell you - with their support.
(3) The importance of trust
Ultimately, all of these strategies and processes rely on trust: "...a letting go of control and an increasing belief that others can and will function independently and successfully within a common framework of expectations and accountability." (Conley & Goldman 1994)
Find out more about: Facilitative Leadership in Change Management
Equip yourself to avoid the 70% failure rate of all change initiatives with the 8 FREE Introductory Lessons from Practitioners Masterclass
Facilitative leadership is the opposite style of leadership from the centralised command-control transactional leadership style that is fairly typical of many organisations. It is particularly well suited to the context and environment of change management initiatives.
It is now often viewed as a broad strategy that has been described as: "the behaviours that enhance the collective ability... to adapt, solve problems, and improve performance." (Conley & Goldman 1994)
Key to this is the emphasis on "collective ability" and the facilitative leader's role is to ensure the wider involvement of people at all levels - especially in the informal networks - a key to success in change management.
Whilst the command-control hierarchy remains intact - and it needs to for the exercising of legal authority to ratify decisions - in contrast to centralised command-control transactional leadership, the power here is based on synergy and mutuality and is multi-directional.
Key strategies that are employed include:
Resolving resource issues
Team building
Feedback
Coordination
Conflict management and resolution
Communication networks
Collaborative politics
All of these strategies involve processes that are dependent on informal negotiation and communication.
(1) Facilitative leadership and informal networks
Facilitative leadership recognises and fully utilise the informal networks that exist in organisations. This partly because this type of leader recognises the value of working with and through informal as well as formal networks, and also because the (s)he is a pragmatist and recognises that up to 75% of an organisation's natural leaders and informal networks sit outside of the formal management structure.
In change management, facilitative leadership is a crucial skill that needs to be applied and especially to the informal networks, given that the shadow or informal organisation largely determines the scope and pace of change.
(2) "There is no such thing as a singular success"
At root, facilitative leadership recognises that no one has a monopoly of talent, ideas or solutions and that organisational success is a group effort.
A programme manager friend of mine used to express it this way: "There is no such thing as a singular success"!
From my own experience, I have found time and time again that the answers to the most challenging business issues, project and programme failures and performance problems always - without exception lies with the front line staff - those directly involved in "doing it". All you have to do is ask them, listen to them and then act upon what they tell you - with their support.
(3) The importance of trust
Ultimately, all of these strategies and processes rely on trust: "...a letting go of control and an increasing belief that others can and will function independently and successfully within a common framework of expectations and accountability." (Conley & Goldman 1994)
Find out more about: Facilitative Leadership in Change Management
Equip yourself to avoid the 70% failure rate of all change initiatives with the 8 FREE Introductory Lessons from Practitioners Masterclass
Change Management - What is the Appropriate Leadership Response to Change?
Historically, in times of recession and economic slow down, the organisational response has been "slash and burn" on costs, and to focus on and streamline business processes to squeeze out ever greater efficiencies.
In the recession of the early 90's, the focus was all about achieving those efficiencies by creating and putting in place processes that would deliver those efficiencies regardless of the human cost.
You may recall the period after the last recession when "Business Process Re-engineering" was very popular? And the focus was always on the process and not the people - and getting "buy-in" was once described by a change agent friend of mine as "like trying to get a bunch of turkeys voting in favour of Christmas"!
Lack of leadership and management failure
All too often, change management is largely reactive to issues that show up on the board's radar rather than driven by any strategic intent or innovation. Typically the three main drivers for change are:
- Increased efficiency
- Cost reduction
- Corporate restructure
Essentially this is all about stripping out cost rather than innovation to create added customer value.
The research evidence shows that in these conditions, change initiatives are frequently badly thought out, managing change in the workplace is poorly executed and many change initiatives do not succeed in achieving their stated objectives. The responsibility for this lies predominantly with the directors and senior management.
Change management is often seen by directors and senior management as a sort of "magical box of tricks" that will somehow get them through the aspect of change they don't like handling, the people issues, so that they can get to the aspect they do like handling - which is the money.
This also reflects the all too frequent lack of clarity of what the change initiative is intended to deliver, and a "business case" for change based on knee-jerk reactions.
In these conditions, change management is imposed from the top-down, and little if any consideration is given to the need and business benefit of winning hearts and minds.
So the majority on the receiving end of these edicts spend most of their time doing just enough to "be seen to be wanting" to comply, but in reality, resisting the change and despising and resenting those "on high" who impose this stuff on them.
The reality is that all too often, directors and senior managers sacrifice the needs and feelings of their employees in the interests of keeping their shareholders happy.
The appropriate response
So in short, the appropriate response to change is one that actually works!
What works is an approach that addresses the root cause of human resistance to change:
- That looks beyond the organisational "synergies", cost reductions and service improvements, and identifies those people who will be impacted by the change.
- That thoroughly assesses what those impacts will be.
- That recognises and addresses the emotional issues arising and the personal transitions that accompany the organisational change.
- That provides leadership, supported by management processes, and practical, tactical support that deal directly with these impacts.
- That does so in ways that work as well for the people within the organisation as they do for the organisation.
Stephen Warrilow
www.strategies-for-managing-change.com
Change Management - Harnessing the Energy
Traditional approaches to change management have been based around the principles of Newtonian physics and in particular the 3 laws of motion which, broadly stated, suggest that things don't change until an external force is applied; that the rate of change is proportional to the force applied and inversely proportional to the size of the organisation, and that for every action applied there is an equal and opposite reaction.
Contrary, however, to this comforting traditional Newtonian world-view of fixed scientific certainties and universal laws that are predictable and replicable, contrary to our societal and cultural belief systems, we now know through the insights and perspectives of quantum physics, that the universe [and everything in it] is a single gigantic field of energy.
This energy field is an undivided whole in a constant state of dynamic flux. Perhaps even more disturbingly, from this has emerged the understanding that everything is interconnected as part of that whole. Leaving aside the science, this interconnection is also increasingly and disturbingly apparent in the global political, economic, environmental and technological scale and forces of change, and the speed at which they take place.
So it seems that the sages of the major world philosophical and religious traditions were right after all. We live in a world of constant change - a "dynamic flux of interconnection". Unfortunately, most of us are not very well equipped to deal with this reality.
Insights gained in the field of quantum physics go even further and suggest that every manifestation of "slowed down energy" that appears in the physical world as a "tangible something" remains at a sub atomic level simply as energy. Thus human beings can be regarded as fundamentally energy beings.
From this perspective we are energy beings functioning in an environment that is an energy field. So change management and motivating people to respond constructively to change is essentially all to do with energy. In practical terms this means energising, enthusing or inspiring people. So we are really talking about the importance of emotions.
Themes that are emerging in the sphere of change management are increasingly reflecting the need to respond to and harness this energy dimension - and specifically by stressing the importance of emotional connection.
To take a couple of brief examples of thought leaders in the world of leadership and change management:
(1) Jon Katzenbach
One of Katzenbach's themes is people's anxiety over change can be eased by the skilful transformational leader's ability to tune in to such concerns and take them seriously.
In "Peak Performance: Aligning The Hearts and Minds in your Employees", Katzenbach observes that the leaders of high performing companies create strong emotional bonds with their employees, through which they transmit positive emotions about the challenges being faced and destination being worked towards. Katzenbach argues that the key to encouraging people is via inspirational motivation that has more to do with figuring out how to connect them emotionally to their work than throwing money or promotions at them. Key actions include:
(2) John Kotter
A key theme of Kotter's famous 8 Step Change Model, and a recurring theme in recent interviews is the need to establish and maintain a sense of urgency around the need for change that runs deep throughout the organisation. Kotter suggests that for a change initiative to be successful, 75% of a company's management needs to support the change.
In 'Making Change Real - The Heart of Change: Real-Life Stories of How People Change Their Organizations', John Kotter [with co author Dan Cohen] says that the single biggest challenge facing leadership in a change process is just getting people to change their behaviour, and that is achieved by dealing with the emotional dimension:
"All through our lives we have been taught to over-rely on what you might call the memo approach - the 19 logical reasons to change - and we've under-relied on what Dan Cohen and I found is much more effective, which is presenting something that is emotionally compelling. People change their behaviour when they are motivated to do so, and that happens when you speak to their feelings."
Clearly, leading and managing organisational change is all about creating and transmitting energy, and emotions are particularly dynamic expressions of energy. People are motivated when they are inspired. For people to be inspired means, literally means, to have life and energy breathed into them. Do you as a change leader inspire your people?
Contrary, however, to this comforting traditional Newtonian world-view of fixed scientific certainties and universal laws that are predictable and replicable, contrary to our societal and cultural belief systems, we now know through the insights and perspectives of quantum physics, that the universe [and everything in it] is a single gigantic field of energy.
This energy field is an undivided whole in a constant state of dynamic flux. Perhaps even more disturbingly, from this has emerged the understanding that everything is interconnected as part of that whole. Leaving aside the science, this interconnection is also increasingly and disturbingly apparent in the global political, economic, environmental and technological scale and forces of change, and the speed at which they take place.
So it seems that the sages of the major world philosophical and religious traditions were right after all. We live in a world of constant change - a "dynamic flux of interconnection". Unfortunately, most of us are not very well equipped to deal with this reality.
Insights gained in the field of quantum physics go even further and suggest that every manifestation of "slowed down energy" that appears in the physical world as a "tangible something" remains at a sub atomic level simply as energy. Thus human beings can be regarded as fundamentally energy beings.
From this perspective we are energy beings functioning in an environment that is an energy field. So change management and motivating people to respond constructively to change is essentially all to do with energy. In practical terms this means energising, enthusing or inspiring people. So we are really talking about the importance of emotions.
Themes that are emerging in the sphere of change management are increasingly reflecting the need to respond to and harness this energy dimension - and specifically by stressing the importance of emotional connection.
To take a couple of brief examples of thought leaders in the world of leadership and change management:
(1) Jon Katzenbach
One of Katzenbach's themes is people's anxiety over change can be eased by the skilful transformational leader's ability to tune in to such concerns and take them seriously.
In "Peak Performance: Aligning The Hearts and Minds in your Employees", Katzenbach observes that the leaders of high performing companies create strong emotional bonds with their employees, through which they transmit positive emotions about the challenges being faced and destination being worked towards. Katzenbach argues that the key to encouraging people is via inspirational motivation that has more to do with figuring out how to connect them emotionally to their work than throwing money or promotions at them. Key actions include:
- Tapping into positive emotions
- Managing one-on-one
- Avoiding force
- Aligning one's self with others
(2) John Kotter
A key theme of Kotter's famous 8 Step Change Model, and a recurring theme in recent interviews is the need to establish and maintain a sense of urgency around the need for change that runs deep throughout the organisation. Kotter suggests that for a change initiative to be successful, 75% of a company's management needs to support the change.
In 'Making Change Real - The Heart of Change: Real-Life Stories of How People Change Their Organizations', John Kotter [with co author Dan Cohen] says that the single biggest challenge facing leadership in a change process is just getting people to change their behaviour, and that is achieved by dealing with the emotional dimension:
"All through our lives we have been taught to over-rely on what you might call the memo approach - the 19 logical reasons to change - and we've under-relied on what Dan Cohen and I found is much more effective, which is presenting something that is emotionally compelling. People change their behaviour when they are motivated to do so, and that happens when you speak to their feelings."
Clearly, leading and managing organisational change is all about creating and transmitting energy, and emotions are particularly dynamic expressions of energy. People are motivated when they are inspired. For people to be inspired means, literally means, to have life and energy breathed into them. Do you as a change leader inspire your people?
Change Management - Survival of the Most Responsive
Charles Darwin famously said that:
"It isn't the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones who are most responsive to change"
Any organisation whose processes, behaviours and cultures have evolved around a perception and belief in a fixed and static environment, are finding that they have a limited effectiveness in the fluid reality that we are all currently experiencing. Survival depends on continuous change.
For your organisation to survive and prosper in this climate your feedback processes and behaviours need to be aligned to the reality of your external environment - or you die.
But in reality it's even harder than that. It's not just about catching up with what is changing all around you - it's about doing it faster than your competition. So in a very real sense your survival and success in organisational life isn't merely based on your ability to simply change - survival and success is based on your ability to change faster.
In recent interviews John Kotter makes the disturbing point that the marginal rate of change is increasing - and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. In his view, many organisations just can't keep up with the speed of change.
We used to believe that change occurs in cycles and waves that ebb and flow. This may be accurate over long time spans of hundreds of years, but in the present the rate of change is continually increasing, and the blunt reality is that continuous change is hard work and deeply unpopular.
2 key themes emerge:
(1) The failure of BPR and the over emphasis on process at the expense of people
Probably the single biggest reason for the astonishingly high 70% failure rate of ALL business change management initiatives has been the over-emphasis on process rather than people - the failure to take full account of the impact of change on those people who are most impacted by it.
The major lesson of the last recession was that big companies had to learn fast how to think and behave like the small companies they originally were. This led to the emergence and growth of Business Process Re-engineering [BPR] that advocated that organisations get back to the basics and reexamine their roots.
The objective behind this was to attempt to achieve a massive step change in productivity and profitability by transcending organisational boundaries and focusing on processes above tasks, jobs, functions and people.
A primary area of initial focus was establishing customer needs and requirements and defining and implement the feedback processes to ensure that the organisation stayed aligned to changes in market conditions and customer requirements.
Only trouble was that it didn't work. Michael Hammer co-author of "Re-engineering the Corporation"- the arch proponent of the process led approach to change and business improvement - revised his opinion and claimed that 70% of all BPR initiatives failed [Hammer and Champy 1993]:
"I don't regret saying anything; it's more what I left out. In particular, the human side is much harder than the technology side and harder than the process side. It's the overwhelming issue."
Even Hammer now recognises that the people aspects of change are "the overwhelming" issue!
(2) The emerging recognition of the "people factor" and the importance of the emotional dimension
Change is an emotional business. The failure to address the human impacts of change is at the root of most failed change initiatives. It is not enough just to "manage" change; people need to be led through change.
One of the major change leadership priorities is recognising and addressing the inner psychological and emotional adjustments that people move through in response to external organisational change events.
William Bridges was the first thought leader to draw the important distinction between external organisational change and what he defines as the internal "transition" that people need to move through as they make a successful emotional and psychological adjustment to the changed circumstances that they are experiencing as as a result of the organisational change.
In my view, this is an extremely important aspect of change leadership and one that, in my experience, is invariably over-looked.
So often it is just assumed by senior management that people can and will accept an organisational change.
But, the failure to recognise and attempt to address this dimension is a significant cause of organisational change failure. The larger the human impact of the organisational change the greater the need for some form of "transitional support".
Many directors and senior managers have the emotional detachment and objectivity to make clear, sound strategic decisions yet seem to lack the "counter-balancing" self-awareness and emotional intelligence to realise the impact of their decisions.
This omission frequently [and unnecessarily] delays or jeopardises the implementation of their strategic vision and the realisation of the organisational benefits.
Change management is about how you take an organisation from Position A to Position B, in the fulfilment or implementation of a vision and a strategy. The whole art of this is to how to carry your people with you, so that the envisaged benefits of the vision and strategy are actually realised.
The perspective of "change management as survival of the most responsive to changing markets and customer requirements" can be expanded to include the perspective of "change management as the survival of the most responsive to the needs and emotional requirements of the people employed by the organisation - who satisfy those changing customer requirements".
"It isn't the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones who are most responsive to change"
Any organisation whose processes, behaviours and cultures have evolved around a perception and belief in a fixed and static environment, are finding that they have a limited effectiveness in the fluid reality that we are all currently experiencing. Survival depends on continuous change.
For your organisation to survive and prosper in this climate your feedback processes and behaviours need to be aligned to the reality of your external environment - or you die.
But in reality it's even harder than that. It's not just about catching up with what is changing all around you - it's about doing it faster than your competition. So in a very real sense your survival and success in organisational life isn't merely based on your ability to simply change - survival and success is based on your ability to change faster.
In recent interviews John Kotter makes the disturbing point that the marginal rate of change is increasing - and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. In his view, many organisations just can't keep up with the speed of change.
We used to believe that change occurs in cycles and waves that ebb and flow. This may be accurate over long time spans of hundreds of years, but in the present the rate of change is continually increasing, and the blunt reality is that continuous change is hard work and deeply unpopular.
2 key themes emerge:
(1) The failure of BPR and the over emphasis on process at the expense of people
Probably the single biggest reason for the astonishingly high 70% failure rate of ALL business change management initiatives has been the over-emphasis on process rather than people - the failure to take full account of the impact of change on those people who are most impacted by it.
The major lesson of the last recession was that big companies had to learn fast how to think and behave like the small companies they originally were. This led to the emergence and growth of Business Process Re-engineering [BPR] that advocated that organisations get back to the basics and reexamine their roots.
The objective behind this was to attempt to achieve a massive step change in productivity and profitability by transcending organisational boundaries and focusing on processes above tasks, jobs, functions and people.
A primary area of initial focus was establishing customer needs and requirements and defining and implement the feedback processes to ensure that the organisation stayed aligned to changes in market conditions and customer requirements.
Only trouble was that it didn't work. Michael Hammer co-author of "Re-engineering the Corporation"- the arch proponent of the process led approach to change and business improvement - revised his opinion and claimed that 70% of all BPR initiatives failed [Hammer and Champy 1993]:
"I don't regret saying anything; it's more what I left out. In particular, the human side is much harder than the technology side and harder than the process side. It's the overwhelming issue."
Even Hammer now recognises that the people aspects of change are "the overwhelming" issue!
(2) The emerging recognition of the "people factor" and the importance of the emotional dimension
Change is an emotional business. The failure to address the human impacts of change is at the root of most failed change initiatives. It is not enough just to "manage" change; people need to be led through change.
One of the major change leadership priorities is recognising and addressing the inner psychological and emotional adjustments that people move through in response to external organisational change events.
William Bridges was the first thought leader to draw the important distinction between external organisational change and what he defines as the internal "transition" that people need to move through as they make a successful emotional and psychological adjustment to the changed circumstances that they are experiencing as as a result of the organisational change.
In my view, this is an extremely important aspect of change leadership and one that, in my experience, is invariably over-looked.
So often it is just assumed by senior management that people can and will accept an organisational change.
But, the failure to recognise and attempt to address this dimension is a significant cause of organisational change failure. The larger the human impact of the organisational change the greater the need for some form of "transitional support".
Many directors and senior managers have the emotional detachment and objectivity to make clear, sound strategic decisions yet seem to lack the "counter-balancing" self-awareness and emotional intelligence to realise the impact of their decisions.
This omission frequently [and unnecessarily] delays or jeopardises the implementation of their strategic vision and the realisation of the organisational benefits.
Change management is about how you take an organisation from Position A to Position B, in the fulfilment or implementation of a vision and a strategy. The whole art of this is to how to carry your people with you, so that the envisaged benefits of the vision and strategy are actually realised.
The perspective of "change management as survival of the most responsive to changing markets and customer requirements" can be expanded to include the perspective of "change management as the survival of the most responsive to the needs and emotional requirements of the people employed by the organisation - who satisfy those changing customer requirements".
Change Management - The Horror of it All
The failure rate of all significant change initiatives is approximately 70%. A recent reader of an article on my website challenged me re the source of that often quoted statistic. Here is a brief summary of a cross section of sources that I sent her and that reveal the horror of it all...
A global survey conducted in 2008 by McKinsey and Company offered the insight that organisations could only hope to survive by constantly changing - but approximately two thirds of all change initiatives fail.
In a recent "Call for Papers" for the "Journal of Change Management" [for a special issue entitled "Why Does Change Fail and What Can We Do About It?"] Professor Bernard Burnes of Manchester Business School makes the observation that whilst this does seem to be an astonishingly high rate of failure, it is in line with most of the literature on change which consistently quotes failure rates of between 60% and 90% [Burnes, 2009]. For example, consultants Bain and Co claim the general failure rate is 70% but they indicate that it rises to 90% for culture change programmes. And in relation to the failure rate of BPR initiatives, prevalent in the 1990s, Hammer and Champy [1993] claimed a failure rate of 70%.
According to "Research Findings on Program Failure and Success" by Patrick Morley, Ph.D. Chairman and CEO, "Man in the Mirror": "Two-thirds of Total Quality Management (TQM) programs fail, and reengineering initiatives fail 70% of the time [Senge, 1999]. Change initiatives crucial to organizational success fail 70% of the time [Miller, 2002]"
A "Computer Weekly" study [2003] on 421 IT projects revealed the following:
# 16% of all projects successfully completed [that is they were delivered in scope on time and on budget]
# 75% of all projects were "challenged" in the following ways:
# 35% behind schedule
# 59% over budget
# 54% under-delivered on planned scope
A survey conducted by the Standish Group [2003] showed that 66% of IT projects are either totally abandoned or fail against a measure of budget, scope, time or quality (i.e. 'challenged').
It has been estimated that the cost to US business of failing or abandoned IT projects runs into hundreds of billions of dollars.
Closer to home, the UK Labour government have wasted 26 billions of pounds on failed projects. An investigation by "The Independent" newspaper has found that the total cost of Labour's 10 most notorious IT failures is equivalent to more than half of the budget for Britain's schools in 2009.
The world of mergers and acquisitions fares little better. The "value enhancement trend for 10 years of KPMG International's MandA survey" shows that on average only 28% of mergers have resulted in enhanced shareholder value, whilst an average of 36% have led to a reduction in shareholder value. This value assessment is based on company share price movements relative to average industry sector movement during a two-year period.
In the film "Apocalypse Now", the anti-hero Colonel Kurtz mumbles through the closing sequences:
"...the horror...horror has a face...and you must make a friend of horror..."
Any impartial assessment of all of the main types of significant change initiatives reveals the sheer horror of the colossal human and financial wastage perpetrated by organisational and political leaders.
The knowledge of how to successfully lead and manage change is out there in the public domain in a growing body of easily accessible work.
So it must be an appalling combination of ignorance and arrogance that causes the organisational and political leaders who preside over this litany of costly failures to be so desperately under-prepared as they embark on further change initiatives without facing [let alone making a friend of] the horror of change failure.
Or, god help us, has the marginal rate of increase in change now largely overtaken many organisations' capacity to deal with it?
A global survey conducted in 2008 by McKinsey and Company offered the insight that organisations could only hope to survive by constantly changing - but approximately two thirds of all change initiatives fail.
In a recent "Call for Papers" for the "Journal of Change Management" [for a special issue entitled "Why Does Change Fail and What Can We Do About It?"] Professor Bernard Burnes of Manchester Business School makes the observation that whilst this does seem to be an astonishingly high rate of failure, it is in line with most of the literature on change which consistently quotes failure rates of between 60% and 90% [Burnes, 2009]. For example, consultants Bain and Co claim the general failure rate is 70% but they indicate that it rises to 90% for culture change programmes. And in relation to the failure rate of BPR initiatives, prevalent in the 1990s, Hammer and Champy [1993] claimed a failure rate of 70%.
According to "Research Findings on Program Failure and Success" by Patrick Morley, Ph.D. Chairman and CEO, "Man in the Mirror": "Two-thirds of Total Quality Management (TQM) programs fail, and reengineering initiatives fail 70% of the time [Senge, 1999]. Change initiatives crucial to organizational success fail 70% of the time [Miller, 2002]"
A "Computer Weekly" study [2003] on 421 IT projects revealed the following:
# 16% of all projects successfully completed [that is they were delivered in scope on time and on budget]
# 75% of all projects were "challenged" in the following ways:
# 35% behind schedule
# 59% over budget
# 54% under-delivered on planned scope
A survey conducted by the Standish Group [2003] showed that 66% of IT projects are either totally abandoned or fail against a measure of budget, scope, time or quality (i.e. 'challenged').
It has been estimated that the cost to US business of failing or abandoned IT projects runs into hundreds of billions of dollars.
Closer to home, the UK Labour government have wasted 26 billions of pounds on failed projects. An investigation by "The Independent" newspaper has found that the total cost of Labour's 10 most notorious IT failures is equivalent to more than half of the budget for Britain's schools in 2009.
The world of mergers and acquisitions fares little better. The "value enhancement trend for 10 years of KPMG International's MandA survey" shows that on average only 28% of mergers have resulted in enhanced shareholder value, whilst an average of 36% have led to a reduction in shareholder value. This value assessment is based on company share price movements relative to average industry sector movement during a two-year period.
In the film "Apocalypse Now", the anti-hero Colonel Kurtz mumbles through the closing sequences:
"...the horror...horror has a face...and you must make a friend of horror..."
Any impartial assessment of all of the main types of significant change initiatives reveals the sheer horror of the colossal human and financial wastage perpetrated by organisational and political leaders.
The knowledge of how to successfully lead and manage change is out there in the public domain in a growing body of easily accessible work.
So it must be an appalling combination of ignorance and arrogance that causes the organisational and political leaders who preside over this litany of costly failures to be so desperately under-prepared as they embark on further change initiatives without facing [let alone making a friend of] the horror of change failure.
Or, god help us, has the marginal rate of increase in change now largely overtaken many organisations' capacity to deal with it?
Leading Change - Leading People Through Change in Difficult Times
According to John Kotter, in a recent interview in "Management Consulting News", many organisations are now much better at managing and guiding change. But unfortunately the current rate of change that we are all experiencing is faster than the rate at which organisations are improving, and he feels that gap is increasing. Here are 5 implications:
(1) The marginal rate of change is increasing [and will continue to do so]
We used to believe that change occurs in cycles and waves that ebb and flow. This may be accurate over long time spans of hundreds of years, but in the present the rate of change is continually increasing.
(2) Leaders need to get better at leading and managing change
As I see it, Kotter's core message is that leaders need to get better at leading people through change, putting it all together and managing the whole messy business. To deal with this organisational leaders need to get better at all of the eight steps that the Kotter 8 step change model identifies as necessary for successful change
(3) The sense of urgency re change needs to permeate the whole organisation
Leaders need to pay more attention to the early stages of the change process, that is: creating a feeling of urgency, clarifying the vision, good communication and empowering people to take action. And the one key place to focus is on creating and sustaining the sense of urgency about the need for change, and that starts at the top.
In my own experience I have observed that the people at the top may think there's plenty of sense of urgency, yet if you drill down into the organisation, you so often find that it's not really there and certainly not what it needs to be to sustain change throughout the duration of a successful initiative.
The absence of a universally shared sense of urgency in an organisation embarking on change is as Kotter aptly puts it: "like trying to build a pyramid on a foundation of empty shoe boxes"!
(4) Leaders' deeds are more important than their words
Often during the change process, difficult things have to be addressed, such as layoffs, restructurings and redeployments. In these situations, the leaders deeds are as, or probably more, important than their words:
"When people see it being done right, their fear level quite rationally goes down and their conviction grows that the plan can work..."
(5) Leaders need to understand what does and doesn't work before embarking on change
The key piece of advice that Kotter offers is for organisational leaders to take the time to get themselves informed about what does and doesn't work - before launching into action with a change initiative. A perspective that I thoroughly endorse and as he says:
"If you get that knowledge upfront, it can save you great grief and money later on."
(1) The marginal rate of change is increasing [and will continue to do so]
We used to believe that change occurs in cycles and waves that ebb and flow. This may be accurate over long time spans of hundreds of years, but in the present the rate of change is continually increasing.
(2) Leaders need to get better at leading and managing change
As I see it, Kotter's core message is that leaders need to get better at leading people through change, putting it all together and managing the whole messy business. To deal with this organisational leaders need to get better at all of the eight steps that the Kotter 8 step change model identifies as necessary for successful change
(3) The sense of urgency re change needs to permeate the whole organisation
Leaders need to pay more attention to the early stages of the change process, that is: creating a feeling of urgency, clarifying the vision, good communication and empowering people to take action. And the one key place to focus is on creating and sustaining the sense of urgency about the need for change, and that starts at the top.
In my own experience I have observed that the people at the top may think there's plenty of sense of urgency, yet if you drill down into the organisation, you so often find that it's not really there and certainly not what it needs to be to sustain change throughout the duration of a successful initiative.
The absence of a universally shared sense of urgency in an organisation embarking on change is as Kotter aptly puts it: "like trying to build a pyramid on a foundation of empty shoe boxes"!
(4) Leaders' deeds are more important than their words
Often during the change process, difficult things have to be addressed, such as layoffs, restructurings and redeployments. In these situations, the leaders deeds are as, or probably more, important than their words:
"When people see it being done right, their fear level quite rationally goes down and their conviction grows that the plan can work..."
(5) Leaders need to understand what does and doesn't work before embarking on change
The key piece of advice that Kotter offers is for organisational leaders to take the time to get themselves informed about what does and doesn't work - before launching into action with a change initiative. A perspective that I thoroughly endorse and as he says:
"If you get that knowledge upfront, it can save you great grief and money later on."
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?
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?
Transformational Leadership - How to Successfully Lead People Through Change
Transformational leadership theories are based on the idea of some form of collaborative greater good. These are are qualities that are needed in change management. The effect of these qualities on people undergoing significant organisational change can be summarised as:
(1) Building an awareness of the value and importance of tasks
(2) Focusing their minds on group objectives rather than just personal interests
(3) Appealing to and activating their aspirational needs
Integrity and consistency required
In my opinion and based on my experiences I feel that of all the leadership theories, Transformational Leadership is particularly relevant to successful change management - especially in situations of major change. This leadership style is often seen in wartime political and military leaders.
It requires absolute integrity and personal behaviour that is resonant with and totally consistent and with your message and vision.
Consciousness raising
Transformational leadership is about consciousness-raising on a wide spectrum according to Harvard professor James Burns Macgregor.
In practical terms this is all about encouraging people to become conscious and aware of what they feel, to feel it strongly and to do so in a context where their values have been defined in such a way that they can be motivated and encouraged to take constructive action.
Helping the transitions
For this to be possible, the leader needs to take account of the impact of change on their people and especially the transitions that they have to move through if the change is to be successful.
Business guru William Bridges focuses on transitions and the psychological changes that lie behind behind significant organisational change. He maintains that the situational changes are not as difficult for companies to make as the psychological transitions that are experienced by the people impacted by the change.
These emotional and psychological stages of transition are very well illustrated in the roller coaster of change, and which maps the emotional journey that people experience as they move from denial to acceptance.
Winning trust
The Transformational approach also depends on winning the trust of people. This is facilitated by the unconscious assumption that, by following the leader, the people too will be changed, uplifted or enhanced in some way.
An example of this would be the way in which during the early part of World War 2, Winston Churchill, the wartime Prime Minister of the UK Government, engendered enormous trust in the hearts of the population and fostered a strong feeling of national identity and a resolution to keep on fighting together - whatever the cost.
Inspiration
Overall, at times of major organisational change people feel anxious, insecure and demotivated. Another function of transformational leadership is to supply an infusion of inspiration, positive energy. This is even more necessary during the current economic climate
(1) Building an awareness of the value and importance of tasks
(2) Focusing their minds on group objectives rather than just personal interests
(3) Appealing to and activating their aspirational needs
Integrity and consistency required
In my opinion and based on my experiences I feel that of all the leadership theories, Transformational Leadership is particularly relevant to successful change management - especially in situations of major change. This leadership style is often seen in wartime political and military leaders.
It requires absolute integrity and personal behaviour that is resonant with and totally consistent and with your message and vision.
Consciousness raising
Transformational leadership is about consciousness-raising on a wide spectrum according to Harvard professor James Burns Macgregor.
In practical terms this is all about encouraging people to become conscious and aware of what they feel, to feel it strongly and to do so in a context where their values have been defined in such a way that they can be motivated and encouraged to take constructive action.
Helping the transitions
For this to be possible, the leader needs to take account of the impact of change on their people and especially the transitions that they have to move through if the change is to be successful.
Business guru William Bridges focuses on transitions and the psychological changes that lie behind behind significant organisational change. He maintains that the situational changes are not as difficult for companies to make as the psychological transitions that are experienced by the people impacted by the change.
These emotional and psychological stages of transition are very well illustrated in the roller coaster of change, and which maps the emotional journey that people experience as they move from denial to acceptance.
Winning trust
The Transformational approach also depends on winning the trust of people. This is facilitated by the unconscious assumption that, by following the leader, the people too will be changed, uplifted or enhanced in some way.
An example of this would be the way in which during the early part of World War 2, Winston Churchill, the wartime Prime Minister of the UK Government, engendered enormous trust in the hearts of the population and fostered a strong feeling of national identity and a resolution to keep on fighting together - whatever the cost.
Inspiration
Overall, at times of major organisational change people feel anxious, insecure and demotivated. Another function of transformational leadership is to supply an infusion of inspiration, positive energy. This is even more necessary during the current economic climate
Leadership Characteristics - The 5 Practices of Excellent Leadership
Leadership characteristics are extremely relevant as this is the first of three key success factors in change management. They have been extensively researched by Jim Kouzes and Barry Posner. Their groundbreaking studies, commenced in 1983 with the driver that they wanted to find out what people did when they were at their "personal best" in leading others - i.e. to identify the characteristics of good leadership.
They devised a leadership characteristics survey consisting of thirty-eight open-ended questions designed to capture "Personal Best" stories of peak leadership experience.
The research was conducted over 15 years with 75,000 people, on a worldwide basis and included middle and senior level managers in private and public sector organisations, community leaders, student leaders, church leaders, government leaders, and hundreds of others in non-managerial positions.
The last study was conducted in 2002 and the prioritised list of leadership characteristics is as follows:
1. Honest 88%
2. Forward-Looking 71%
3. Competent 65%
4. Inspiring 66%
5. Intelligent 35%
6. Fair-minded 47%
7. Broad-minded 40%
8. Supportive 42%
9. Straightforward 34%
10. Dependable 33%
11. Co-operative 24%
12. Determined 20%
13. Imaginative 23%
14. Ambitious 17%
15. Courageous 28%
16. Caring 21%
17. Mature 20%
18. Loyalty 14%
19. Self-Controlled 8%
20. Independent 6%
It is interesting to note that these figures have remained largely consistent over the full 15 years of research. The results of this research and subsequent analysis of leadership characteristics has led them to the defining of the 5 practices of excellent leadership and which are crucial in change management
In summary they found that despite differences in the circumstances and details of people's individual stories, their "personal-best" leadership experiences revealed recurring and similar patterns of behaviour in their descriptions of the characteristics of good leadership.
(1) Showing the Way
Leaders define and establish principles about the way people should be treated and the way goals should be pursued. Leaders set the benchmark by creating standards of excellence and then demonstrate these standards in their own behaviour and thus establishing an example for others to follow.
They recognise that people can become overwhelmed by large scale, complex and/or long term goals, and so they set interim objectives that encourage easier "early wins".
Leaders also untangle unnecessary bureaucracy and give their people clear unambiguous pointers to successfully achieving goals. They create the environment in which people can succeed.
(2) Creating a Shared Vision
Leaders have a clear and passionately held vision of what the changed organisation can become. They have the skills and energy to enthuse and inspire people to share that vision, and also to see and get excited about the future possibilities.
(3) Challenging the Way Things Are
Leaders are challenging and seek out opportunities to challenge and change the status quo. They seek innovation and improvement in the organisation, and are prepared to experiment, to take risks and to accept the inevitable failures as part of the the learning experience.
(4) Empowering and Encouraging People to Act
Leaders are enablers and empower people by involving them and believing in them. They engender mutual respect and trust and in so doing motivate their people to extraordinary effort and achievement.
(5) Addressing the Emotional Dimension
Leaders know that extraordinary achievement in an organisation is very hard work. They also know that emotional dimension is extremely important. So they regularly acknowledge their people's achievements and celebrate team and individual accomplishments, and is so doing they make their people feel good about themselves.
All of these are qualities and practises that make for successful leadership in change management initiatives.
They devised a leadership characteristics survey consisting of thirty-eight open-ended questions designed to capture "Personal Best" stories of peak leadership experience.
The research was conducted over 15 years with 75,000 people, on a worldwide basis and included middle and senior level managers in private and public sector organisations, community leaders, student leaders, church leaders, government leaders, and hundreds of others in non-managerial positions.
The last study was conducted in 2002 and the prioritised list of leadership characteristics is as follows:
1. Honest 88%
2. Forward-Looking 71%
3. Competent 65%
4. Inspiring 66%
5. Intelligent 35%
6. Fair-minded 47%
7. Broad-minded 40%
8. Supportive 42%
9. Straightforward 34%
10. Dependable 33%
11. Co-operative 24%
12. Determined 20%
13. Imaginative 23%
14. Ambitious 17%
15. Courageous 28%
16. Caring 21%
17. Mature 20%
18. Loyalty 14%
19. Self-Controlled 8%
20. Independent 6%
It is interesting to note that these figures have remained largely consistent over the full 15 years of research. The results of this research and subsequent analysis of leadership characteristics has led them to the defining of the 5 practices of excellent leadership and which are crucial in change management
In summary they found that despite differences in the circumstances and details of people's individual stories, their "personal-best" leadership experiences revealed recurring and similar patterns of behaviour in their descriptions of the characteristics of good leadership.
(1) Showing the Way
Leaders define and establish principles about the way people should be treated and the way goals should be pursued. Leaders set the benchmark by creating standards of excellence and then demonstrate these standards in their own behaviour and thus establishing an example for others to follow.
They recognise that people can become overwhelmed by large scale, complex and/or long term goals, and so they set interim objectives that encourage easier "early wins".
Leaders also untangle unnecessary bureaucracy and give their people clear unambiguous pointers to successfully achieving goals. They create the environment in which people can succeed.
(2) Creating a Shared Vision
Leaders have a clear and passionately held vision of what the changed organisation can become. They have the skills and energy to enthuse and inspire people to share that vision, and also to see and get excited about the future possibilities.
(3) Challenging the Way Things Are
Leaders are challenging and seek out opportunities to challenge and change the status quo. They seek innovation and improvement in the organisation, and are prepared to experiment, to take risks and to accept the inevitable failures as part of the the learning experience.
(4) Empowering and Encouraging People to Act
Leaders are enablers and empower people by involving them and believing in them. They engender mutual respect and trust and in so doing motivate their people to extraordinary effort and achievement.
(5) Addressing the Emotional Dimension
Leaders know that extraordinary achievement in an organisation is very hard work. They also know that emotional dimension is extremely important. So they regularly acknowledge their people's achievements and celebrate team and individual accomplishments, and is so doing they make their people feel good about themselves.
All of these are qualities and practises that make for successful leadership in change management initiatives.
Situational Leadership Theory in Change Management - Different Strokes For Different Folks
Given the catastrophic 70% failure rate of all change management initiatives, the quality of leadership exercised is clearly a significant component in reducing this risk.
In essence, situational leadership theory emphasises 2 areas:
(1) "Different strokes for different folks" - different leadership styles are applicable to different situations
(2) "Cometh the hour cometh the man" - leadership extends potentially to just about everyone in an organisation - at some time
Dr Paul Hersey, who is closely associated with the development of situational leadership theory, suggested in a fairly recent presentation that: "... a situational leader is anyone, anywhere who recognises that influencing behaviour is not an event but a process. The process entails assessing followers' performance in relation to what the leader wants to accomplish and providing the appropriate amounts of guidance and support."
According to change management guru John Kotter "...today's organizations need heroes at every level. To truly succeed in a turbulent world, more than half the workforce needs to step up to the plate in some arena and provide change leadership."
To my mind, the idea that effective leaders change their leadership styles to fit the situation is an expansion of Robert Blake and Jane Mouton's "Managerial Grid" theory, which suggest that the effective leader "moves appropriately" along the spectrum of task versus relationship orientation.
4 Communication Components
According to a recent study [Baker, Brown], successful use of situational leadership relies on effectiveness in four communication components:
- Communicating expectations
- Listening
- Delegating
- Providing feedback
The Hersey and Blanchard Leadership Model takes this all a bit further and introduces the notion that the level of development or maturity of the followers is also something that the leader takes into account.
"Maturity" in this context to do with the preparedness and ability of a person to take responsibility for directing his or her own behaviour in relation to a specific task in a specific situation.
4 Distinct Leadership Styles
Clearly the appropriate leadership style to use in a given situation is going to be determined by the leader's assessment of the maturity level of the followers in that specific situation. The leader will move appropriately long the task-directive versus relationship-supportive spectrum.
Four distinct leadership styles are identified in the Hershey and Blanchard Leadership Model - each reflecting the evolving levels of maturity of the followers:
(1) Directing - the leader is very directive providing clear, specific instructions
(2) Coaching - whilst the leader retains control of decision making, he/she encourages two-way communication and helps build confidence and motivation on the part of his/her people
(3) Supporting - the people no longer need the leader to tell them what to do or to make the decisions - so decision making is shared
(4) Delegating - when the people are ready, willing and able the leader delegates full responsibility to them
Whilst I agree with this style of flexible leadership, I have to say that, in a change management context, extending leadership throughout an organisation in the manner suggested is asking a lot of most organisations as it requires a complete and total change of culture.
Also, all of this is dependent on the supporting framework of change management processes that are derived from adopting a programme-based approach to leading and managing the change.
In essence, situational leadership theory emphasises 2 areas:
(1) "Different strokes for different folks" - different leadership styles are applicable to different situations
(2) "Cometh the hour cometh the man" - leadership extends potentially to just about everyone in an organisation - at some time
Dr Paul Hersey, who is closely associated with the development of situational leadership theory, suggested in a fairly recent presentation that: "... a situational leader is anyone, anywhere who recognises that influencing behaviour is not an event but a process. The process entails assessing followers' performance in relation to what the leader wants to accomplish and providing the appropriate amounts of guidance and support."
According to change management guru John Kotter "...today's organizations need heroes at every level. To truly succeed in a turbulent world, more than half the workforce needs to step up to the plate in some arena and provide change leadership."
To my mind, the idea that effective leaders change their leadership styles to fit the situation is an expansion of Robert Blake and Jane Mouton's "Managerial Grid" theory, which suggest that the effective leader "moves appropriately" along the spectrum of task versus relationship orientation.
4 Communication Components
According to a recent study [Baker, Brown], successful use of situational leadership relies on effectiveness in four communication components:
- Communicating expectations
- Listening
- Delegating
- Providing feedback
The Hersey and Blanchard Leadership Model takes this all a bit further and introduces the notion that the level of development or maturity of the followers is also something that the leader takes into account.
"Maturity" in this context to do with the preparedness and ability of a person to take responsibility for directing his or her own behaviour in relation to a specific task in a specific situation.
4 Distinct Leadership Styles
Clearly the appropriate leadership style to use in a given situation is going to be determined by the leader's assessment of the maturity level of the followers in that specific situation. The leader will move appropriately long the task-directive versus relationship-supportive spectrum.
Four distinct leadership styles are identified in the Hershey and Blanchard Leadership Model - each reflecting the evolving levels of maturity of the followers:
(1) Directing - the leader is very directive providing clear, specific instructions
(2) Coaching - whilst the leader retains control of decision making, he/she encourages two-way communication and helps build confidence and motivation on the part of his/her people
(3) Supporting - the people no longer need the leader to tell them what to do or to make the decisions - so decision making is shared
(4) Delegating - when the people are ready, willing and able the leader delegates full responsibility to them
Whilst I agree with this style of flexible leadership, I have to say that, in a change management context, extending leadership throughout an organisation in the manner suggested is asking a lot of most organisations as it requires a complete and total change of culture.
Also, all of this is dependent on the supporting framework of change management processes that are derived from adopting a programme-based approach to leading and managing the change.
Leadership Styles in Change Management - The Leader's Mood Drives a Staggering 30% of Performance
How do you provide a change management leadership style that connects with people and motivates them when they are stressed out by the current economic climate?
How do you lead your people through change and identify the most effective strategies for managing change that are appropriate to these difficult conditions?
A new focus on leadership has been defined and articulated by Daniel Goleman - and he calls it "Primal Leadership". This refers to the emotional dimension of leadership - the leader's ability to articulate a message that resonates with their followers' emotional reality and their sense of purpose, and thus motivate them to move in a specific direction.
To my mind this is of considerable interest and relevance to those of us working with companies who are going through change.
Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis & Annie McKee in 2002, first introduced the concept in a book of that name. Their work draws extensively on research into Emotional Intelligence or "EI".
Here are the key themes:
The importance of Primal Leadership
In the current climate of uncertainty people need leadership that offers a measure of re-assurance and certainty of conviction about the direction in which they are being led.
This is important because people cannot work effectively if they are experiencing emotional turbulence. Their ability to get work done depends on their emotions being under control. A leader has to address those often unconscious and unexpressed fears along the way in order to help people keep them under control.
A study of 3,871 executives and their direct reports shows that HOW a leader leads in terms of the emotional resonance they do or don't generate matters for 2 reasons:
(1) A big part of the culture and "general feel" or "emotional tone" of what it is like to work in an organisation is determined to a very large extent by the leader.
(2) The leader's style determines about 70% of the emotional climate which in turns drives 20-30% of business performance.
The leaders emotions infect the organisation - the importance of resonance.
The central finding of EI research is that emotions are essentially contagious, and thus a leader's attitude and energy can "infect" a workplace either for better or for worse.
With this in mind the authors stress the importance of resonance, which is the ability of leaders to perceive and influence the flow of emotions (including motivational states) between themselves and others they work with.
One of the keys to achieving resonance is empathic listening. [See "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey]
Self awareness and the 4 building blocks of primal leadership
The 4 building blocks of primal leadership are:
(1) Self-awareness
(2) Self-mastery [or self-management of emotion]
(3) Empathy or social awareness
(4) Relationship management
"Self-awareness is actually the fundamental ability of emotional intelligence, and probably the most ignored in a business setting." Goleman
Emotions are contagious - from the top down
In an interview [with Stephen Bernhut in "Leaders Edge", Ivey Business Journal May/June 2002] Daniel Goleman said:
"First, you have to reach within yourself to find out your own truth, because you can't be resonant if you're clueless, if you're pretending, or if you're just trying to manipulate people."
You have to speak from your heart, and you have to do it in a way that speaks to other people's hearts. So it takes authenticity. And if you can articulate a positive goal, that is, stay optimistic, enthusiastic and motivated in delivering that message, then what you're doing is spreading that message and those moods and predisposition to the people you're talking to. Emotions are contagious, and they are most contagious from the top down, from leader to followers.
Acting as a leader in a way that primes positive emotions in people
In the same interview, Goleman suggests that first of all, you need self-awareness, to know what's happening with your own emotions. You also need to use your self-awareness to sense what's right and what's wrong in a situation, to use your deep values to guide you in what you do from moment to moment.
You need to be able to manage your emotions... and to keep yourself in a positive state, to have a good time with people as well, along with getting the job done. Of course, you also need empathy.
And then finally, you need to put that all into practice by acting as a leader in a way that primes positive emotions in people, because that's the state in which they're going to work best.
In my view this is inspiring stuff and offers deep insight and fresh perspective on key aspects of the leadership of change management.
Properly applied in a change management context, this emphasis on primal leadership is exactly what a people-oriented leadership style needs to deliver when employing the holistic and wide view perspective of a programme based approach to change management.
How do you lead your people through change and identify the most effective strategies for managing change that are appropriate to these difficult conditions?
A new focus on leadership has been defined and articulated by Daniel Goleman - and he calls it "Primal Leadership". This refers to the emotional dimension of leadership - the leader's ability to articulate a message that resonates with their followers' emotional reality and their sense of purpose, and thus motivate them to move in a specific direction.
To my mind this is of considerable interest and relevance to those of us working with companies who are going through change.
Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis & Annie McKee in 2002, first introduced the concept in a book of that name. Their work draws extensively on research into Emotional Intelligence or "EI".
Here are the key themes:
The importance of Primal Leadership
In the current climate of uncertainty people need leadership that offers a measure of re-assurance and certainty of conviction about the direction in which they are being led.
This is important because people cannot work effectively if they are experiencing emotional turbulence. Their ability to get work done depends on their emotions being under control. A leader has to address those often unconscious and unexpressed fears along the way in order to help people keep them under control.
A study of 3,871 executives and their direct reports shows that HOW a leader leads in terms of the emotional resonance they do or don't generate matters for 2 reasons:
(1) A big part of the culture and "general feel" or "emotional tone" of what it is like to work in an organisation is determined to a very large extent by the leader.
(2) The leader's style determines about 70% of the emotional climate which in turns drives 20-30% of business performance.
The leaders emotions infect the organisation - the importance of resonance.
The central finding of EI research is that emotions are essentially contagious, and thus a leader's attitude and energy can "infect" a workplace either for better or for worse.
With this in mind the authors stress the importance of resonance, which is the ability of leaders to perceive and influence the flow of emotions (including motivational states) between themselves and others they work with.
One of the keys to achieving resonance is empathic listening. [See "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey]
Self awareness and the 4 building blocks of primal leadership
The 4 building blocks of primal leadership are:
(1) Self-awareness
(2) Self-mastery [or self-management of emotion]
(3) Empathy or social awareness
(4) Relationship management
"Self-awareness is actually the fundamental ability of emotional intelligence, and probably the most ignored in a business setting." Goleman
Emotions are contagious - from the top down
In an interview [with Stephen Bernhut in "Leaders Edge", Ivey Business Journal May/June 2002] Daniel Goleman said:
"First, you have to reach within yourself to find out your own truth, because you can't be resonant if you're clueless, if you're pretending, or if you're just trying to manipulate people."
You have to speak from your heart, and you have to do it in a way that speaks to other people's hearts. So it takes authenticity. And if you can articulate a positive goal, that is, stay optimistic, enthusiastic and motivated in delivering that message, then what you're doing is spreading that message and those moods and predisposition to the people you're talking to. Emotions are contagious, and they are most contagious from the top down, from leader to followers.
Acting as a leader in a way that primes positive emotions in people
In the same interview, Goleman suggests that first of all, you need self-awareness, to know what's happening with your own emotions. You also need to use your self-awareness to sense what's right and what's wrong in a situation, to use your deep values to guide you in what you do from moment to moment.
You need to be able to manage your emotions... and to keep yourself in a positive state, to have a good time with people as well, along with getting the job done. Of course, you also need empathy.
And then finally, you need to put that all into practice by acting as a leader in a way that primes positive emotions in people, because that's the state in which they're going to work best.
In my view this is inspiring stuff and offers deep insight and fresh perspective on key aspects of the leadership of change management.
Properly applied in a change management context, this emphasis on primal leadership is exactly what a people-oriented leadership style needs to deliver when employing the holistic and wide view perspective of a programme based approach to change management.
Leadership Styles in Change Management - 3 Key Lessons From the Hard Man Who Found His Heart
I am constantly on the look out for interesting, informative stories and illustrations of leadership styles that support successful change management - and especially ones that are people centred as well as process focused.
In the course of recent research I came across the very interesting story of the man of nails who found his heart.
Andy Pearson founding chairman and former CEO of Tricon Global Restaurants Inc. [KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell] has recently undergone a huge change in leadership style. The new Andy Pearson, a man who is now in his mid-70s, has transformed himself into a new kind of boss who majors on inspirational motivation.
Having carved himself a decades-long reputation of ruthless, hard-nosed, numbers obsessed success in corporate America with companies such as Pepsi Co and McKinsey, he now feels that he has arrived at a personal point of change that he feels has universal significance...
Through working with colleagues at Tricom, Pearson experienced a Damascene conversion as he realised the importance of the human heart in driving a company's success - one person at a time - and how this kind of success can't be imposed from the top but must be ignited and nurtured through attention, awareness, recognition, and reward - true inspirational motivation.
Lesson number (1) - People will respond to their leaders efforts to connect with their emotional side
Pearson realised [albeit rather late in life in my view!] that the need for recognition and that the need for approval is a fundamental human drive - and key to inspirational motivation in change management situations
He was also a big enough man [in my view] to change direction and style almost overnight.
Pearson's own re-definition of leadership is as follows:
"Great leaders find a balance between getting results and how they get them."
Lesson number (2) - The need for recognition and approval is a fundamental human drive
He now believes that it's less important to issue orders than it is to seek answers and ideas from below. He sees his job is to listen to the people who work for him and to serve them. He still believes in firing those who don't perform!
"Ultimately," Pearson says, "it's all about having more genuine concern for the other person. There's a big difference between being tough and being tough-minded. There's an important aspect that has to do with humility."
Lesson number (3) - The big leadership difference between being tough and being tough-minded
So Andy Pearson's experience clearly shows that people benefit from a change management leadership style that addresses their emotional side and gives them respect and approval.
Properly applied in a change management context, this is exactly what a people-oriented leadership style will deliver when employing the holistic and wide view perspective of a programme based approach to change management.
In the course of recent research I came across the very interesting story of the man of nails who found his heart.
Andy Pearson founding chairman and former CEO of Tricon Global Restaurants Inc. [KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell] has recently undergone a huge change in leadership style. The new Andy Pearson, a man who is now in his mid-70s, has transformed himself into a new kind of boss who majors on inspirational motivation.
Having carved himself a decades-long reputation of ruthless, hard-nosed, numbers obsessed success in corporate America with companies such as Pepsi Co and McKinsey, he now feels that he has arrived at a personal point of change that he feels has universal significance...
Through working with colleagues at Tricom, Pearson experienced a Damascene conversion as he realised the importance of the human heart in driving a company's success - one person at a time - and how this kind of success can't be imposed from the top but must be ignited and nurtured through attention, awareness, recognition, and reward - true inspirational motivation.
Lesson number (1) - People will respond to their leaders efforts to connect with their emotional side
Pearson realised [albeit rather late in life in my view!] that the need for recognition and that the need for approval is a fundamental human drive - and key to inspirational motivation in change management situations
He was also a big enough man [in my view] to change direction and style almost overnight.
Pearson's own re-definition of leadership is as follows:
"Great leaders find a balance between getting results and how they get them."
Lesson number (2) - The need for recognition and approval is a fundamental human drive
He now believes that it's less important to issue orders than it is to seek answers and ideas from below. He sees his job is to listen to the people who work for him and to serve them. He still believes in firing those who don't perform!
"Ultimately," Pearson says, "it's all about having more genuine concern for the other person. There's a big difference between being tough and being tough-minded. There's an important aspect that has to do with humility."
Lesson number (3) - The big leadership difference between being tough and being tough-minded
So Andy Pearson's experience clearly shows that people benefit from a change management leadership style that addresses their emotional side and gives them respect and approval.
Properly applied in a change management context, this is exactly what a people-oriented leadership style will deliver when employing the holistic and wide view perspective of a programme based approach to change management.
Leadership Styles in Change Management - The Amazing Story of the Hawthorne Effect
I have long held the view that the successful strategies for managing change and the leadership styles in practical change management that support those strategies are people centric rather than totally process oriented.
Whilst undertaking research for a section of my website I came across a very interesting experiment.
A major business improvement research project was conducted between 1927 and 1932 at the Hawthorne Plant of the Western Electric Company in Cicero, Illinois.
This research project was not about inspirational motivation, or leadership, or change management - but an attempt to examine the physical and environmental influences of the workplace (e.g. brightness of lights, humidity) and later, moved into the psychological aspects (e.g. breaks, group pressure, working hours, managerial leadership).
However, the major finding of the study was a totally unintended and unexpected consequence of the study.
What they found was that almost regardless of the experimental manipulation employed, the production of the workers seemed to improve! This has become known as "The Hawthorne Effect".
Stated simply the discovery was that: people work better together when they are allowed to socially interact with one another and are given supportive attention.
The primary [at the time startling] discovery was that the workplace is a social system. The Hawthorne researchers came to realise that the workplace is a social system made up of interdependent parts.
In summary 3 further general conclusions were drawn from the Hawthorne studies:
(1) Individual production is strongly influenced by social factors - far more so than individual aptitude.
(2) Informal organisation affects productivity - there is "a group life" among the workers - and the relations that supervisors develop with workers tend to influence the manner in which the workers carry out directives.
(3) Work-group norms affect productivity - work groups tend to arrive at norms of what is "a fair day's work".
So the obvious first change management lesson of this is that people benefit from a leadership style that addresses their need for your supportive attention.
Also the second lesson is that in the practice of change management leaders need to recognise and work with and through the informal social structures of the workplace.
Properly applied, this is exactly what a people-oriented leadership style will deliver when employing the holistic and wide view perspective of a programme based approach to change management.
And, to ensure that you ARE employing successful strategies for managing change - that are appropriate to your organisation - you need to know how to apply: (a) these people oriented leadership skills, AND (b) how to apply the supporting programme management based processes - to ensure that you avoid the catastrophic 70% failure rate of ALL business change initiatives.
Whilst undertaking research for a section of my website I came across a very interesting experiment.
A major business improvement research project was conducted between 1927 and 1932 at the Hawthorne Plant of the Western Electric Company in Cicero, Illinois.
This research project was not about inspirational motivation, or leadership, or change management - but an attempt to examine the physical and environmental influences of the workplace (e.g. brightness of lights, humidity) and later, moved into the psychological aspects (e.g. breaks, group pressure, working hours, managerial leadership).
However, the major finding of the study was a totally unintended and unexpected consequence of the study.
What they found was that almost regardless of the experimental manipulation employed, the production of the workers seemed to improve! This has become known as "The Hawthorne Effect".
Stated simply the discovery was that: people work better together when they are allowed to socially interact with one another and are given supportive attention.
The primary [at the time startling] discovery was that the workplace is a social system. The Hawthorne researchers came to realise that the workplace is a social system made up of interdependent parts.
In summary 3 further general conclusions were drawn from the Hawthorne studies:
(1) Individual production is strongly influenced by social factors - far more so than individual aptitude.
(2) Informal organisation affects productivity - there is "a group life" among the workers - and the relations that supervisors develop with workers tend to influence the manner in which the workers carry out directives.
(3) Work-group norms affect productivity - work groups tend to arrive at norms of what is "a fair day's work".
So the obvious first change management lesson of this is that people benefit from a leadership style that addresses their need for your supportive attention.
Also the second lesson is that in the practice of change management leaders need to recognise and work with and through the informal social structures of the workplace.
Properly applied, this is exactly what a people-oriented leadership style will deliver when employing the holistic and wide view perspective of a programme based approach to change management.
And, to ensure that you ARE employing successful strategies for managing change - that are appropriate to your organisation - you need to know how to apply: (a) these people oriented leadership skills, AND (b) how to apply the supporting programme management based processes - to ensure that you avoid the catastrophic 70% failure rate of ALL business change initiatives.
Toxic Leadership and Change Management - How to Spot It, Deal With it and Avoid It
Toxic leadership as a concept was coined by Marcia Lynn Whicker, in her book: "Toxic Leaders: When Organizations Go Bad". This is all about the abuse of power and its destructiveness.
This is bad enough in every day business, but for an organisation undergoing any form of change initiative it is potentially catastrophic. In change management terms, having anyone in a leadership or a management position in your organisation who displays these characteristics is like a poison that needs to be identified and eradicated at the earliest opportunity.
In my experience and in my view, toxic leadership contaminates and infects an organisation beyond the immediate reach of the person creating it.
Marcia Lynn Whicker describes toxic leaders as "maladjusted, malcontent, and often malevolent, even malicious. They succeed by tearing others down. They glory in turf protection, fighting and controlling rather than uplifting followers."
In "Bad Leadership: What It Is, How It Happens, Why It Matters" [2004] - writer Barbara Kellerman suggests that toxic may manifest in seven different categories:
- Incompetence
- Rigidity
- Intemperance - lack of self-control
- Callousness
- Corruption
- Insularity
- Evil
Personal experience of surviving toxic leadership...
Personally, I have twice in my career had the misfortune of working for a toxic boss. These guys were terrible to work for and made people's lives an absolute misery.
In business terms their "games" were always counter productive as everyone expended far more energy in trying to pacify or avoid them than in undertaking productive useful work. Each time was a nightmare, because:
- These guys were bullies and like all bullies were fundamentally weak and insecure individuals.
- They led by "divide and rule" by setting people against each other.
- They lied and were duplicitous and untrustworthy in their dealings.
- They engendered a culture of fear and mistrust.
- The general atmosphere they created can best be described as evil because of its insidious nastiness and destructiveness.
Here are 3 of my best strategies for dealing with toxic leadership if you have the misfortune of working for a boss like that.
(1) Neutralize their assaults on you
Neutralize their assaults, or to [use a cricketing term] "dead bat" them, by never being seen to react to any of their games. Because, these people feed off of the negative energy they create - it energizes them - so a non-reaction to their games deprives them of energy. Or to put it another way, evil feeds off of evil!
(2) Always wait before responding
These toxic people thrive on the reactions that they create. I have always found it best to never ever respond immediately. I learned to wait until I had calmed down, and then acted from a calm rational position. So, recognise and allow for the fact that it may [depending on your temperament] take you 24-48 hours for your emotional and nervous system to recover and re-stabilize after you have been on the receiving end of one of their assaults.
(3) Respond factually, accurately and supportively.
I have always found that a factual, practical and supportive response makes it easier and [more likely] for them to make the "right" decisions for my areas of business responsibility. It might seem counter-intuitive to act supportively, but the fact is these are fundamentally weak people and responding in this manner addresses their areas of weakness and insecurity and thus goes to the root of their toxic behaviour.
Spotting toxic leadership amongst your subordinates
As a director of your business or organisation you are in the privileged position of being able to identify any areas of your organisation where toxic leadership may be manifesting and to be able to do something about it.
The best defense for a director is to pay close and regular attention to the culture[s] within your organisation. Undertake regular "cultural audits" of the divisions, departments and operating units and subsidiaries in your organisation and as part of that process, take the emotional temperature and assess the energy of the working environment in each operating unit.
This should be an integral part of the preliminary stages of planning any change initiative. The 70% failure rate of all change initiatives would suggest that you are facing enough difficulties without harboring the poisonous complications of toxic leadership within your organisation, and this issue is closely linked to the core reasons for this failure rate.
This is bad enough in every day business, but for an organisation undergoing any form of change initiative it is potentially catastrophic. In change management terms, having anyone in a leadership or a management position in your organisation who displays these characteristics is like a poison that needs to be identified and eradicated at the earliest opportunity.
In my experience and in my view, toxic leadership contaminates and infects an organisation beyond the immediate reach of the person creating it.
Marcia Lynn Whicker describes toxic leaders as "maladjusted, malcontent, and often malevolent, even malicious. They succeed by tearing others down. They glory in turf protection, fighting and controlling rather than uplifting followers."
In "Bad Leadership: What It Is, How It Happens, Why It Matters" [2004] - writer Barbara Kellerman suggests that toxic may manifest in seven different categories:
- Incompetence
- Rigidity
- Intemperance - lack of self-control
- Callousness
- Corruption
- Insularity
- Evil
Personal experience of surviving toxic leadership...
Personally, I have twice in my career had the misfortune of working for a toxic boss. These guys were terrible to work for and made people's lives an absolute misery.
In business terms their "games" were always counter productive as everyone expended far more energy in trying to pacify or avoid them than in undertaking productive useful work. Each time was a nightmare, because:
- These guys were bullies and like all bullies were fundamentally weak and insecure individuals.
- They led by "divide and rule" by setting people against each other.
- They lied and were duplicitous and untrustworthy in their dealings.
- They engendered a culture of fear and mistrust.
- The general atmosphere they created can best be described as evil because of its insidious nastiness and destructiveness.
Here are 3 of my best strategies for dealing with toxic leadership if you have the misfortune of working for a boss like that.
(1) Neutralize their assaults on you
Neutralize their assaults, or to [use a cricketing term] "dead bat" them, by never being seen to react to any of their games. Because, these people feed off of the negative energy they create - it energizes them - so a non-reaction to their games deprives them of energy. Or to put it another way, evil feeds off of evil!
(2) Always wait before responding
These toxic people thrive on the reactions that they create. I have always found it best to never ever respond immediately. I learned to wait until I had calmed down, and then acted from a calm rational position. So, recognise and allow for the fact that it may [depending on your temperament] take you 24-48 hours for your emotional and nervous system to recover and re-stabilize after you have been on the receiving end of one of their assaults.
(3) Respond factually, accurately and supportively.
I have always found that a factual, practical and supportive response makes it easier and [more likely] for them to make the "right" decisions for my areas of business responsibility. It might seem counter-intuitive to act supportively, but the fact is these are fundamentally weak people and responding in this manner addresses their areas of weakness and insecurity and thus goes to the root of their toxic behaviour.
Spotting toxic leadership amongst your subordinates
As a director of your business or organisation you are in the privileged position of being able to identify any areas of your organisation where toxic leadership may be manifesting and to be able to do something about it.
The best defense for a director is to pay close and regular attention to the culture[s] within your organisation. Undertake regular "cultural audits" of the divisions, departments and operating units and subsidiaries in your organisation and as part of that process, take the emotional temperature and assess the energy of the working environment in each operating unit.
This should be an integral part of the preliminary stages of planning any change initiative. The 70% failure rate of all change initiatives would suggest that you are facing enough difficulties without harboring the poisonous complications of toxic leadership within your organisation, and this issue is closely linked to the core reasons for this failure rate.
Leadership Styles - A Lesson From the Frontline in Warzone Afghanistan
How do you exercise a leadership style that will provide inspirational motivation to people living with the constant insecurities engendered by the current economic climate? How do you lead your people through change and identify the most effective strategies for managing change that are appropriate to these conditions?
Making tough decisions, implementing change, and telling people that this is the way it is - really isn't the same as getting them giving them the inspirational motivation to accept how things are and to work well.
As Michael Hammer - former Business Process Re-engineering guru of the last recession - now says: "The human side [of change] is much harder than the technology side and the process side. It's the overwhelming issue."
Daniel Goleman ["Primal Leadership"] has eloquently articulated the principle of a style of leadership that resonates with people - that speaks from the heart and offers a measure of re-assurance and certainty of conviction about the direction in which they are being led.
But how you do you translate that into action? How do you actually provide inspirational motivation for people?
People will do anything if they accept the "emotional logic" - Win the battle for their hearts as well as their minds.
People may rationally understand why you need to implement major change - such as getting rid of people - cutting costs - reviewing and streamlining processes etc - but they won't feel any better about it - they won't automatically buy in to it.
And yet, in tough times people are capable of doing extra-ordinary things and of enduring previously unbearable privations - if their hearts are in it.
Having "their hearts in it" actually means that they are feeling a very deep and powerful emotional connection with some form of "greater good".
It means that they find - or are shown - some element of the mundane, tedious, scary and [in extremity] dangerous situation they find themselves in that transmutes their negative feelings into something positive that is deeply connected with some person, some group, some value or belief -something they hold very dear. This is a big key to understanding inspirational motivation.
A current and poignantly dramatic illustration of this is the serving soldier. At the time of writing, British forces are involved in "Operation Panther's Claw" - the current and to date largest British offensive against the Taliban insurgency near Gereshk in Helmand province Afghanistan.
Having taken heavy losses and in the context of reported current briefings estimating anticipated losses [i.e. deaths] at 10% of troops in the frontline, a young soldier recovering from his injuries at Camp Bastion the British HQ said:
"...We don't care about the future of Afghanistan. We don't care about democracy, clean water, schools for girls or the political overview. All we care about now is each other and making sure that our mates get out of this alive".
I have also personally spoken at length with 2 active serving soldiers in Afghanistan - one a Commando who is a family member - and they both expressed it in very similar terms.
So the first lesson for achieving a leadership style that provides inspirational motivation to leading your people through change and turbulence is to find out what your people really care about.
This simple powerful truth underpins all successful strategies for managing change.
And, to ensure that you ARE employing successful strategies for managing change - that are appropriate to your organisation - you need to know how to apply: (a) an inspirational and motivational leadership style, AND (b) how to apply the supporting programme management based processes - to ensure that you avoid the catastrophic 70% failure rate of ALL business change initiatives.
Making tough decisions, implementing change, and telling people that this is the way it is - really isn't the same as getting them giving them the inspirational motivation to accept how things are and to work well.
As Michael Hammer - former Business Process Re-engineering guru of the last recession - now says: "The human side [of change] is much harder than the technology side and the process side. It's the overwhelming issue."
Daniel Goleman ["Primal Leadership"] has eloquently articulated the principle of a style of leadership that resonates with people - that speaks from the heart and offers a measure of re-assurance and certainty of conviction about the direction in which they are being led.
But how you do you translate that into action? How do you actually provide inspirational motivation for people?
People will do anything if they accept the "emotional logic" - Win the battle for their hearts as well as their minds.
People may rationally understand why you need to implement major change - such as getting rid of people - cutting costs - reviewing and streamlining processes etc - but they won't feel any better about it - they won't automatically buy in to it.
And yet, in tough times people are capable of doing extra-ordinary things and of enduring previously unbearable privations - if their hearts are in it.
Having "their hearts in it" actually means that they are feeling a very deep and powerful emotional connection with some form of "greater good".
It means that they find - or are shown - some element of the mundane, tedious, scary and [in extremity] dangerous situation they find themselves in that transmutes their negative feelings into something positive that is deeply connected with some person, some group, some value or belief -something they hold very dear. This is a big key to understanding inspirational motivation.
A current and poignantly dramatic illustration of this is the serving soldier. At the time of writing, British forces are involved in "Operation Panther's Claw" - the current and to date largest British offensive against the Taliban insurgency near Gereshk in Helmand province Afghanistan.
Having taken heavy losses and in the context of reported current briefings estimating anticipated losses [i.e. deaths] at 10% of troops in the frontline, a young soldier recovering from his injuries at Camp Bastion the British HQ said:
"...We don't care about the future of Afghanistan. We don't care about democracy, clean water, schools for girls or the political overview. All we care about now is each other and making sure that our mates get out of this alive".
I have also personally spoken at length with 2 active serving soldiers in Afghanistan - one a Commando who is a family member - and they both expressed it in very similar terms.
So the first lesson for achieving a leadership style that provides inspirational motivation to leading your people through change and turbulence is to find out what your people really care about.
This simple powerful truth underpins all successful strategies for managing change.
And, to ensure that you ARE employing successful strategies for managing change - that are appropriate to your organisation - you need to know how to apply: (a) an inspirational and motivational leadership style, AND (b) how to apply the supporting programme management based processes - to ensure that you avoid the catastrophic 70% failure rate of ALL business change initiatives.
Leadership Versus Management in Change Management - Does it Matter and If So Why?
Are you a leader or a manager - is there a difference? Do you know what it is? Does it matter?
Whilst there is much emphasis on the management aspect of change, much of the underlying cause of the catastrophic 70% failure rate in ALL change initiatives is directly attributable to a lack of leadership....
To see whether you are a Leader or a Manager, answer True or False to the following statements:
1. I think more about immediate results than I do about mentoring others
2. It's nice to know about people's long-term goals, but not necessary to do the job
3. The greatest pleasure in my job comes from making the work process more effective
4. I spend more of my time and attention on the weaker performers than I do on my top performers, who basically take care of themselves
5. It's my job to know everything that goes on in my area
If you answered mainly "True" to the questions above, then you've given a Manager's response. If you've answered mainly "False", then you've given a Leader's response.
"Those who have changed the universe have never done it by changing officials, but always by inspiring the people." [Napoleon Boneparte]
I define leadership as someone whom others will follow.
In my experience:
- Leaders drive change where as managers deliver it
- Leaders define culture whereas managers are defined by it
- Leaders innovate whereas managers administrate
Whilst the very definitions change management and programme management emphasise the management aspect [and of course this is important] much of the cause of the 70% failure rate in change initiatives is directly attributable to a lack of leadership...
A leadership that sees the bigger picture - that ensures that people will follow - and the discipline of a programme management approach provides the tools and processes to facilitate that.
Any change initiative that is more than incremental change [i.e. it's a step change] needs to led - and it needs to be seen to be led.
Identifying and enlisting the support of leaders [as well as the managers] within your organisation is key to successful culture change and change management.
A balanced perspective
Here is an interesting and balanced perspective on the differing but complementary roles and skills of leaders and managers: characteristics of leadership and management:
"Leadership and Management are two distinct but complementary systems... While managers promote stability, leaders press for change. Only organisations that can embrace both sides of that contradiction can thrive in turbulent times." [John Kotter]
My own personal view and experience of leadership is that:
- Leaders are born not made
- You know if you are a leader
- Others know if you are a leader
And my own personal leadership credo is that "it is better to be decisively wrong that indecisively right"!
So in the context of change the management aspect is important - but in my experience an underlying cause of the catastrophic failure rate in change initiatives is directly attributable to a lack of leadership.
And we are talking about a leadership that knows how to apply (a) the inspirational motivation and leadership insights - that are appropriate to your company, AND (b) the supporting programme management based processes - to ensure that you avoid that catastrophic failure rate that affects ALL business change initiatives.
Whilst there is much emphasis on the management aspect of change, much of the underlying cause of the catastrophic 70% failure rate in ALL change initiatives is directly attributable to a lack of leadership....
To see whether you are a Leader or a Manager, answer True or False to the following statements:
1. I think more about immediate results than I do about mentoring others
2. It's nice to know about people's long-term goals, but not necessary to do the job
3. The greatest pleasure in my job comes from making the work process more effective
4. I spend more of my time and attention on the weaker performers than I do on my top performers, who basically take care of themselves
5. It's my job to know everything that goes on in my area
If you answered mainly "True" to the questions above, then you've given a Manager's response. If you've answered mainly "False", then you've given a Leader's response.
"Those who have changed the universe have never done it by changing officials, but always by inspiring the people." [Napoleon Boneparte]
I define leadership as someone whom others will follow.
In my experience:
- Leaders drive change where as managers deliver it
- Leaders define culture whereas managers are defined by it
- Leaders innovate whereas managers administrate
Whilst the very definitions change management and programme management emphasise the management aspect [and of course this is important] much of the cause of the 70% failure rate in change initiatives is directly attributable to a lack of leadership...
A leadership that sees the bigger picture - that ensures that people will follow - and the discipline of a programme management approach provides the tools and processes to facilitate that.
Any change initiative that is more than incremental change [i.e. it's a step change] needs to led - and it needs to be seen to be led.
Identifying and enlisting the support of leaders [as well as the managers] within your organisation is key to successful culture change and change management.
A balanced perspective
Here is an interesting and balanced perspective on the differing but complementary roles and skills of leaders and managers: characteristics of leadership and management:
"Leadership and Management are two distinct but complementary systems... While managers promote stability, leaders press for change. Only organisations that can embrace both sides of that contradiction can thrive in turbulent times." [John Kotter]
My own personal view and experience of leadership is that:
- Leaders are born not made
- You know if you are a leader
- Others know if you are a leader
And my own personal leadership credo is that "it is better to be decisively wrong that indecisively right"!
So in the context of change the management aspect is important - but in my experience an underlying cause of the catastrophic failure rate in change initiatives is directly attributable to a lack of leadership.
And we are talking about a leadership that knows how to apply (a) the inspirational motivation and leadership insights - that are appropriate to your company, AND (b) the supporting programme management based processes - to ensure that you avoid that catastrophic failure rate that affects ALL business change initiatives.
Leadership Theories - Genghis Khan Or Mother Theresa to Lead Your Change Management Initiative?
There are more leadership theories than you can shake a stick at. Theories have evolved from "Great Man" and "Trait" theories to "Transformational" leadership - each with a different set of dynamics, contexts and focus.
Early theories tend to focus upon the characteristics and behaviours of successful leaders, whereas the later theories consider the role of followers and the contextual nature of leadership.
Here is an overview of leadership theories - but first here are 2 quick questions for you: (1) see if you can spot which applies to Genghis Khan and which applies to Mother Theresa; and (2) try to figure out which of these theories best describes the style you feel would be most appropriate for leading your change initiative?
(1) The Great Man theory - this was based on the belief that leaders are exceptional people, born with leadership qualities and are destined to lead. This theory reflects the male-oriented view of leadership which has predominated until the late 20th century.
(2) Trait Theory - is based around an extensive list of all of the qualities or traits associated with leadership.
(3) Behaviourist Theories - focus on what leaders actually do rather than on their qualities. Their different patterns of behaviour are observed and categorised as leadership styles.
(4) Situational Leadership - sees leadership as situation specific - where the style of leadership is adapted to the requirements of the context in which it is exercised.
(5) Contingency Theory - is a development of the situational theory - focusing on the situational variables which will determine the most appropriate or effective leadership style to fit the specific circumstances at that time.
(6) Transactional Theory - emphasises the importance of the transaction - or relationship - that takes place between the leader and the led. It focuses on the perceived mutual benefits derived from that relationship whereby the leader dispenses favours in the form of tangible and intangible rewards in return for the commitment, loyalty or [at least] compliance of his or her followers.
(7) Transformational Theory - The central concept here is change and the role of leadership in envisioning and implementing the transformation of organisational performance
(8) Servant Leadership - emphasises the leaders' duty to serve his/her followers - leadership thus arises out of a desire to serve rather than a desire to lead. It is a practical philosophy which supports people who choose to serve first, and then lead as a way of expanding service to individuals and institutions. It encourages collaboration, trust, foresight, listening, and the ethical use of power and empowerment.
(9) Dispersed Leadership - an 'informal', 'emergent' or 'dispersed' leadership, this approach argues a less formalised model of leadership where the leaders' role is dissociated from the organisational hierarchy. Individuals at all levels in the organisation and in all roles can exert leadership influence over their colleagues and thus influence the overall leadership of the organisation.
(10) Primal Leadership - refers to the emotional dimension of leadership. The articulation of a message that resonates with their followers' emotional reality, with their sense of purpose-and so to move people in a positive direction.
I know it is now fashionable and politically correct to vote for theories 6 - 10, and that for many years it has been fashionable to assume that inherited traits were far less important than learned and situational factors in those people fulfilling leadership roles. However, the science and study of behavioural genetics is gradually refocusing attention on the fact that far more is to do with our genes and our inherited traits and characteristics than has been assumed or accepted for several decades.
So I have to say that the latest research on genetics does appear to indicate what I have long believed - namely that leaders are born not made - so I would go for an element of theory 1 with Genghis Khan. I am not sure how appropriate the Mother Theresa number 8 style is for a business environment? But maybe elements of this are covered in 7 and 10?
Clearly, there are strengths in all of the types of leadership - but in the present turbulent climate, I personally will nail my colours to the mast and select a combination of type 7 and 10 - because transformational and primal leadership qualities applied in a change management context are ideally suited to the holistic and wide view perspective of a programme based approach to change management and, as such, would form key elements of successful strategies for managing change.
And, to ensure that you are employing successful strategies for managing change - that are appropriate to your organisation - you need to know how to apply: (a) these transformational and primal leadership styles, AND (b) how to apply the supporting programme management based processes - that will ensure that you avoid the catastrophic failure rate of ALL business change initiatives.
Early theories tend to focus upon the characteristics and behaviours of successful leaders, whereas the later theories consider the role of followers and the contextual nature of leadership.
Here is an overview of leadership theories - but first here are 2 quick questions for you: (1) see if you can spot which applies to Genghis Khan and which applies to Mother Theresa; and (2) try to figure out which of these theories best describes the style you feel would be most appropriate for leading your change initiative?
(1) The Great Man theory - this was based on the belief that leaders are exceptional people, born with leadership qualities and are destined to lead. This theory reflects the male-oriented view of leadership which has predominated until the late 20th century.
(2) Trait Theory - is based around an extensive list of all of the qualities or traits associated with leadership.
(3) Behaviourist Theories - focus on what leaders actually do rather than on their qualities. Their different patterns of behaviour are observed and categorised as leadership styles.
(4) Situational Leadership - sees leadership as situation specific - where the style of leadership is adapted to the requirements of the context in which it is exercised.
(5) Contingency Theory - is a development of the situational theory - focusing on the situational variables which will determine the most appropriate or effective leadership style to fit the specific circumstances at that time.
(6) Transactional Theory - emphasises the importance of the transaction - or relationship - that takes place between the leader and the led. It focuses on the perceived mutual benefits derived from that relationship whereby the leader dispenses favours in the form of tangible and intangible rewards in return for the commitment, loyalty or [at least] compliance of his or her followers.
(7) Transformational Theory - The central concept here is change and the role of leadership in envisioning and implementing the transformation of organisational performance
(8) Servant Leadership - emphasises the leaders' duty to serve his/her followers - leadership thus arises out of a desire to serve rather than a desire to lead. It is a practical philosophy which supports people who choose to serve first, and then lead as a way of expanding service to individuals and institutions. It encourages collaboration, trust, foresight, listening, and the ethical use of power and empowerment.
(9) Dispersed Leadership - an 'informal', 'emergent' or 'dispersed' leadership, this approach argues a less formalised model of leadership where the leaders' role is dissociated from the organisational hierarchy. Individuals at all levels in the organisation and in all roles can exert leadership influence over their colleagues and thus influence the overall leadership of the organisation.
(10) Primal Leadership - refers to the emotional dimension of leadership. The articulation of a message that resonates with their followers' emotional reality, with their sense of purpose-and so to move people in a positive direction.
I know it is now fashionable and politically correct to vote for theories 6 - 10, and that for many years it has been fashionable to assume that inherited traits were far less important than learned and situational factors in those people fulfilling leadership roles. However, the science and study of behavioural genetics is gradually refocusing attention on the fact that far more is to do with our genes and our inherited traits and characteristics than has been assumed or accepted for several decades.
So I have to say that the latest research on genetics does appear to indicate what I have long believed - namely that leaders are born not made - so I would go for an element of theory 1 with Genghis Khan. I am not sure how appropriate the Mother Theresa number 8 style is for a business environment? But maybe elements of this are covered in 7 and 10?
Clearly, there are strengths in all of the types of leadership - but in the present turbulent climate, I personally will nail my colours to the mast and select a combination of type 7 and 10 - because transformational and primal leadership qualities applied in a change management context are ideally suited to the holistic and wide view perspective of a programme based approach to change management and, as such, would form key elements of successful strategies for managing change.
And, to ensure that you are employing successful strategies for managing change - that are appropriate to your organisation - you need to know how to apply: (a) these transformational and primal leadership styles, AND (b) how to apply the supporting programme management based processes - that will ensure that you avoid the catastrophic failure rate of ALL business change initiatives.
Leadership Styles - 3 Powerful Lessons in Strategies For Managing Change
From my experience, in my own work with helping companies with strategies for managing change I have found time and time again that the answers to the most challenging business issues, project and programme failures and performance problems always - without exception lies with the front line staff - those directly involved in "doing it".
Also, the creative solutions and innovations are to be found there as well.
All it takes, in my experience is the time, courtesy and empathic listening to the people at the "coal face" to find out what the issues are and also to discover what motivates them individually and from that to derive and provide the inspirational motivation they need.
(1) Recognising different definitions about success - people are motivated by different things
It is important to recognise that every person has a different definition of success - and that's not necessarily about climbing the greasy pole or about money. For a lot of people success and inspirational motivation is tied more to their family or their community or something else in their personal lives. Everyone has a different definition of success.
(2) Finding what has meaning for the individual and linking that to the task in hand
It's all about finding something that is local and meaningful to an employee emotionally and connecting them to that and the task in hand - that is the true source of inspirational motivation.
(3) Work through the "master motivators" in your organisation
Find those people in your organisation whose whole focus is on keeping those who work for them feeling good about their work and what they do.
Understanding what these people do and how they do it is incredibly helpful when you're trying to provide inspirational motivation to your people and extend the emotional connections that can mobilise critical behaviours during difficult times.
In my experience, your front line staff have the answers and the solutions - (a) spend time with them, find out what really matters to them personally and find ways of linking that to the tasks in hand; and (b) find the "informal leaders" - those who intuitively provide inspirational motivation to their people and who connect with their people and work through them.
Properly applied in a change management context, this emphasis on spending time at the front line of the business is exactly what a people-oriented leadership style will deliver when employing the holistic and wide view perspective of a programme based approach to change management.
And, to ensure that you are employing successful strategies for managing change, you need to know how to apply (a) the inspirational motivation and leadership insights, and (b) the supporting programme management based processes - that will ensure that you avoid the catastrophic failure rate of ALL business change initiatives.
Also, the creative solutions and innovations are to be found there as well.
All it takes, in my experience is the time, courtesy and empathic listening to the people at the "coal face" to find out what the issues are and also to discover what motivates them individually and from that to derive and provide the inspirational motivation they need.
(1) Recognising different definitions about success - people are motivated by different things
It is important to recognise that every person has a different definition of success - and that's not necessarily about climbing the greasy pole or about money. For a lot of people success and inspirational motivation is tied more to their family or their community or something else in their personal lives. Everyone has a different definition of success.
(2) Finding what has meaning for the individual and linking that to the task in hand
It's all about finding something that is local and meaningful to an employee emotionally and connecting them to that and the task in hand - that is the true source of inspirational motivation.
(3) Work through the "master motivators" in your organisation
Find those people in your organisation whose whole focus is on keeping those who work for them feeling good about their work and what they do.
Understanding what these people do and how they do it is incredibly helpful when you're trying to provide inspirational motivation to your people and extend the emotional connections that can mobilise critical behaviours during difficult times.
In my experience, your front line staff have the answers and the solutions - (a) spend time with them, find out what really matters to them personally and find ways of linking that to the tasks in hand; and (b) find the "informal leaders" - those who intuitively provide inspirational motivation to their people and who connect with their people and work through them.
Properly applied in a change management context, this emphasis on spending time at the front line of the business is exactly what a people-oriented leadership style will deliver when employing the holistic and wide view perspective of a programme based approach to change management.
And, to ensure that you are employing successful strategies for managing change, you need to know how to apply (a) the inspirational motivation and leadership insights, and (b) the supporting programme management based processes - that will ensure that you avoid the catastrophic failure rate of ALL business change initiatives.
Transformational Leadership Theory - By Attila the Hun - How NOT to Apply It to Change Management
Transformational leadership theory is all 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. James MacGregor Burns first brought the concept of transformational leadership to prominence in his book Leadership [1978]:
"Essentially the leader's task is consciousness-raising on a wide plane. The leader's fundamental act is to induce people to be aware or conscious of what they feel - to feel their true needs so strongly, to define their values so meaningfully, that they can be moved to purposeful action."
In this leadership style, the leader enhances the motivation, moral and performance of his follower group. So according to MacGregor - transformational leadership is all about values and meaning, and a purpose that transcends short-term goals and focuses on higher order needs.
At times of organisational change, and big step change, people do feel insecure, anxious and low in energy - so in these situations and especially in these difficult times, enthusiasm and energy are infectious and inspiring.
And yet so many organisational changes fail because leaders pay attention to the changes they are facing instead of the transitions people must make to accommodate them.
In my view it is the responsibility of the director leading the change to supply an infusion of positive energy.
The transformational approach also depends on winning the trust of people - which is made possible by the unconscious assumption that they too will be changed or transformed in some way by following the leader.
The transformational approach also depends on winning the trust of people - which is made possible by the unconscious assumption that they too will be changed or transformed in some way by following the leader.
This is often seen in military commanders and wartime political leaders. An example of this would be the way in which Lady Thatcher - as Prime Minister of the UK Government during the Falklands War in 1982 - was able to engender an enhanced feeling of British national identity amongst the UK population.
Sounds like this leadership style is ideally suited to change management, doesn't it? However - this approach requires absolute integrity and personal behaviour that is consistent and resonant with your vision and message.
I can recall a ridiculous situation, at one UK company I was involved with, where the directors were attempting to effect a culture change of greater inter-departmental trust and communication yet still retained a separate directors dining room and specially allocated car parking places closest to the office front door!
OK here's the important bit - how NOT to apply transformational leadership theory to change management
- Be preoccupied with power, position, politics and perks
- Stay focused on the short-term
- Be hard data oriented
- Focus on tactical issues
- Work within existing structures and systems
- Concentrate on getting the job done
- Focus processes and activities that guarantee short-term profits
Doesn't all this just sound like a description of a typical good project manager with a task driven mentality?
And hey, I have nothing against this style of leadership and management. There is a time and place for the Attila the Hun school of leadership. I have done it many times myself and very effectively - and with no regrets.
But, this leadership style is not enough in a change management situation and particularly in the current climate.
The four components of the transformational leadership style are:
(1) Charisma or idealised influence - the degree to which the leader behaves in admirable ways and displays convictions and takes stands that cause followers to identify with the leader who has a clear set of values and acts as a role model for the followers.
(2) Inspirational motivation - the degree to which the leader articulates a vision that is appeals to and inspires the followers with optimism about future goals, and offers meaning for the current tasks in hand.
(3) Intellectual stimulation - the degree to which the leader challenges assumptions, stimulates and encourages creativity in the followers - by providing a framework for followers to see how they connect [to the leader, the organisation, each other, and the goal] they can creatively overcome any obstacles in the way of the mission.
(4) Personal and individual attention - the degree to which the leader attends to each individual follower's needs and acts as a mentor or coach and gives respect to and appreciation of the individual's contribution to the team. This fulfils and enhances each individual team members' need for self-fulfilment, and self-worth - and in so doing inspires followers to further achievement and growth.
Transformational leadership applied in a change management context, is ideally suited to the holistic and wide view perspective of a programme based approach to change management and as such is key element of successful strategies for managing change.
"Essentially the leader's task is consciousness-raising on a wide plane. The leader's fundamental act is to induce people to be aware or conscious of what they feel - to feel their true needs so strongly, to define their values so meaningfully, that they can be moved to purposeful action."
In this leadership style, the leader enhances the motivation, moral and performance of his follower group. So according to MacGregor - transformational leadership is all about values and meaning, and a purpose that transcends short-term goals and focuses on higher order needs.
At times of organisational change, and big step change, people do feel insecure, anxious and low in energy - so in these situations and especially in these difficult times, enthusiasm and energy are infectious and inspiring.
And yet so many organisational changes fail because leaders pay attention to the changes they are facing instead of the transitions people must make to accommodate them.
In my view it is the responsibility of the director leading the change to supply an infusion of positive energy.
The transformational approach also depends on winning the trust of people - which is made possible by the unconscious assumption that they too will be changed or transformed in some way by following the leader.
The transformational approach also depends on winning the trust of people - which is made possible by the unconscious assumption that they too will be changed or transformed in some way by following the leader.
This is often seen in military commanders and wartime political leaders. An example of this would be the way in which Lady Thatcher - as Prime Minister of the UK Government during the Falklands War in 1982 - was able to engender an enhanced feeling of British national identity amongst the UK population.
Sounds like this leadership style is ideally suited to change management, doesn't it? However - this approach requires absolute integrity and personal behaviour that is consistent and resonant with your vision and message.
I can recall a ridiculous situation, at one UK company I was involved with, where the directors were attempting to effect a culture change of greater inter-departmental trust and communication yet still retained a separate directors dining room and specially allocated car parking places closest to the office front door!
OK here's the important bit - how NOT to apply transformational leadership theory to change management
- Be preoccupied with power, position, politics and perks
- Stay focused on the short-term
- Be hard data oriented
- Focus on tactical issues
- Work within existing structures and systems
- Concentrate on getting the job done
- Focus processes and activities that guarantee short-term profits
Doesn't all this just sound like a description of a typical good project manager with a task driven mentality?
And hey, I have nothing against this style of leadership and management. There is a time and place for the Attila the Hun school of leadership. I have done it many times myself and very effectively - and with no regrets.
But, this leadership style is not enough in a change management situation and particularly in the current climate.
The four components of the transformational leadership style are:
(1) Charisma or idealised influence - the degree to which the leader behaves in admirable ways and displays convictions and takes stands that cause followers to identify with the leader who has a clear set of values and acts as a role model for the followers.
(2) Inspirational motivation - the degree to which the leader articulates a vision that is appeals to and inspires the followers with optimism about future goals, and offers meaning for the current tasks in hand.
(3) Intellectual stimulation - the degree to which the leader challenges assumptions, stimulates and encourages creativity in the followers - by providing a framework for followers to see how they connect [to the leader, the organisation, each other, and the goal] they can creatively overcome any obstacles in the way of the mission.
(4) Personal and individual attention - the degree to which the leader attends to each individual follower's needs and acts as a mentor or coach and gives respect to and appreciation of the individual's contribution to the team. This fulfils and enhances each individual team members' need for self-fulfilment, and self-worth - and in so doing inspires followers to further achievement and growth.
Transformational leadership applied in a change management context, is ideally suited to the holistic and wide view perspective of a programme based approach to change management and as such is key element of successful strategies for managing change.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)