Processes of Change Leadership Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discussions of organizational change focus upon the procedures and problems of change management' when the focus should be on the skills and processes of change leadership Discuss? Answer: Introduction Organizational change deals with the review and modification ofmanagement structure and processes of business. Change is driven by competition, new technology, consumer needs, economic factors and new government policies (Hayes 2014). Companies who do not embrace change may go into obsolesce. Change faces many challenges as the behavior of people has to be affected, and this often leads to resistance. This can only be tackled by great leadership. Many times, organizations focus on the issues that arise from changemanagement processes rather than emphasizing on change leadership (Goetsch Davis 2014). When change direction is efficient, the changemanagement processes occur smoothly. Organizational change takes place in three processes, need establishment, implementation, and monitoring. The need for change can come about due to different issues. Implementation happens when structures or processes are modified to enable the organization to achieve its goals and monitoring involves looking at the results from the changes that have been made and making necessary adjustments (Worley Mohrman 2014). Change efforts sometimes fail due to different reasons. The main reason, however, is the lack of focus and inefficient communication. Leadership is therefore essential in ensuring that change processes succeed. Change Leadership is the ability of a leader to influence others through advocacy, personal drive, and vision. Theories of Leadership Organizational changemanagement processes can only occur through great leadership. Researchers have proposed several theories that explain to us how successful leaders are made (Miner 2015). Some leadership principles are the trait, behavioral, contingency, and full-range. The Trait Theory of Leadership This research assumes that leadership capabilities are rooted in an individuals characteristics. There is a positive relationship between effective leadership and ones personality traits (Lussia Achua 2015). People also come out as leaders when given a particular situation or task. This theory was one of the earliest investigations into factors that lead to effective leadership. It is tied to the great man theory of leadership which was founded by Thomas Carlyle in the 1800s.Carlyle explains that history is shaped by extraordinary leaders. This only means that organizational change can also be influenced by exceptional leadership (Nahavandi 2016). Carlyles ideas inspired other researchers to carry out studies on the direction and came up with the conclusion that some traits lead to certain behavior types, patterns are consistent in various situations, and human beings are born with leadership traits. Early studies focused on the dissimilarities between leaders and their followers and assumed that leaders would automatically display more leadership qualities than their direct reports would. Studies, however, found that very few traits could be used to differentiate between a leader and a direct report (Daft 2014). In the 1980s, Kouzes and Posner did a survey of more than 1500 managers and concluded that the four traits associated with good leadership are being honest, forward-looking, inspiring and competent (DuBrin 2015). They refer to these characteristics as being credible. The theory was, however, criticized as not everyone who exhibited certain traits was a great leader and not all leaders possessed features that had been linked to leadership. The Contingency Theory of Leadership Stodgill and Mann did a study and realized that as much as some traits were shared across many studies; overall evidence suggested that someone who is a leader in one situation might not be a leader in another situation (Miner 2015). This approach is called contingency theory, and there is no set of specific traits that are directly linked to effective leadership. The interaction between an individual's characteristics and prevailing circumstances leads to effective leadership. This theory predicts that effective leaders have personal traits, which match the needs of the situations in which they find themselves. Gill (2011) elaborates that contingency theory suggests that there is no single best style of leadership and successful leaders use different styles depending on the situation at hand and employee behavior. Fielder's Contingency theory explains that leaders are either task-oriented or people-oriented. The effectiveness of a manager is determined by how well defined a task is, how much authority the person possesses and the relationship between leader and direct reports. The path-goal contingency theory of leadership was proposed by Martin Evans in the 1970s and gives a focus on how a leaders behavior can assist direct reports to achieve their objectives. It identifies directive, supportive, achievement-oriented and participative practices, which should be applied depending on the situation or task (Van Wart 2014). Paul Hershey and Kenneth Blanchard also suggested a situational theory ofleadershipwith four leadership styles that are used depending on the maturity level of the direct reports. Gill (2011) explains that the key criticisms of contingency theories are that they do not account for the leaders position and how the leadership styles change depending on different situations. This method can be applied to the daily situations that leaders face when dealing with organizational change. Change Leadership and Change Management Change management is a combination of tools and structures, which keep an organizations change efforts under control. They are intended to keep change efforts under control by minimizing distractions (Tam 2014). Change leadership dealt with driving forces, visions and processed that lead to transformation, through an organization's leaders. Change leadership emphasizes on putting a monitor to the whole change process hence enabling it to happen faster and in a more efficient manner. Change management focuses on keeping things under control so that the organization stays within budget (Dinwoodie et al. 2015). Change leadership empowers employees to ensure that change management processes happen. There is an increasing need for change leadership as there are very many changes that are occurring in todays organizations. Change leadership empowers action that enables the change process to happen. Through leadership, employees are guided on how to use the tools and structures that have been set up for change management, and they can seek advice if not anything goes well (Beck Cowan 2014). Employees are allowed to give feedback, and they are given authority to steer some change processes hence leading to motivation that enables high productivity. Change management focuses solely on efficiency while change leadership is more collaborative and aims to inspire (Goodwin 2016). Change management is considered successful when processes become efficient. Change leadership will, however, lead to this efficiency by ensuring that employees are inspired and that there is teamwork, which leads to processes being carried out efficiently. Change management focuses on controlling change efforts and ensuring that everything is done carefully so that change processes take place. Change leadership is, however, bolder and requires risk toleration. Through change leadership, organizations are willing to take higher risks that will lead to effective change management. Change management implements change in small steps until the bigger picture is achieved. The aim is to ensure that there is control over the change process. Change leadership will initiate organizational change on a large scale (Komives Wagner 2016). Leaders have a vision, and they inspire the whole organization to believe that they can implement change on a large scale without having to fear. Change management mostly focuses on customer orders, timelines, and set budgets. The aim is to ensure that orders are delivered on time and that the organization does not exceed its resources. Change leadership responds to urgent needs for change and ensures that everything is done promptly but under the great leadership (Kotter Cohen 2014). This leads to change being implemented in a fast manner. Change management includes a shift in the conventional organizational process that everyone is used to. Change leadership brings innovation to these processes and sets a vision that leads to new processes and products for an organization. Change management is about encouraging staff to embrace the change processes that an organization is implementing. Change Leadership empowers staff to create change by bringing in new ideas that can make the team succeed even more (Carter 2014). Due to change leadership, feel that they are free to share their thoughts and can innovate on behalf of the organization (McVinel-Viney 2013). Overall, change leadership takes the time to develop, and it involves knowing the business deeply, building trust among employees, communicating freely, having an inspiring vision and establishing an innovation culture. Change Leader Characteristics Change leadership is essential for effective change implementation. Leaders need to play certain roles to make sure that change is a success. Leaders should act as the sponsor. This is a person who will not let any change initiative die due to lack of attention and will do anything to make sure change takes place (Noha Michaelis 2016). Leaders should therefore always act as advocates for change in their organization and should influence their peers and direct reports accordingly. Leaders should also act as the role models in change processes. They must be willing to demonstrate all the behaviors and attitudes that are expected of all the organizations staff. Employees will only believe in change efforts if they do not see consistency in their leaders. Leaders should be decision-makers (Herrmann Nadkami 2014). They have the control over people, budgets, and machinery and can make decisions, which will affect change initiatives in a positive manner. During the change, a leader must influence their authority on decision-making and make a choice of options, which will support the change processes. The leader also has to set priorities for change, and these have to be followed by all employees. Leaders should be the voice of change. They have to communicate as often as possible to the employees and share the necessary information and offer encouragement to the whole organization. They also have to ensure that everyone is updated on progress (Ferraro 2014). During change processes, employees are likely to get multiple messages from different sources, but the leader should act as the ultimate voice of change by interpreting the relevant messages. Leaders have to be transparent and consistent with the whole organization. Leaders are also motivators. They give the motivation to change by creating a sense of urgency and importance to all employees about the change process. Leaders must show passion and commitment to change processes and recognize employees who are doing well. They are empathetic and understand that change processes may not be easy for employees hence should offer constant support (Baker et al. 2014). Leaders are also enforcers who hold their people accountable for change. They uphold their responsibilities and ensure that the employees do the same and they make an effort to remove any obstacles hindering the change process. Leaders also enforce the necessary disciplinary measures when employees do not do their part. They are firm but fair. Applying Change Leadership to organizations Change Leadership can be applied to groups if the leaders lead with culture. Culture is everything and is critical to the success of change management efforts. The existing culture must be taken into consideration when designing transformation packages. Leaders should not try to change the culture but should tap into it (Aarons et al. 2015). They should draw emotional energy from the way employees think, behave and work to provide a boost to the change process. Leaders must look for the elements of culture that are aligned to the change process. By looking at underlying company culture, leaders can focus on strengths to energize change. Leaders must start at the top by ensuring that all executives are committed to the change efforts. Work must be done earlier on so that everyone agrees on the case for change and how it will be implemented. Leadership team effectiveness surveys can be carried out to ensure that leaders agree on the details of the change process. This will lead to a collaborative and committed team, and employees will be motivated if they see that leaders are working as one team. Change leadership must also involve every department in the organization. Frontline people are of particular importance as they interact directly with customers hence can give critical feedback that is needed for the change process (Rothaermel 2015). Frontline employees also tend to have information on where bottlenecks occur and the technical issues that need to be addressed. Employees are more involved in change efforts where they feel that they have been given a chance to air their views or contribute in one way or another . Change leadership will be a success if leaders engage the rational and emotional side of employees. The manager must ensure that employees have a strong emotional connection with the company. This will make a big difference, as the environment will be full of positivity for a change. Leaders have a mandate to communicate to employees about change strategy clearly. They should not make assumptions that employees will just shift behavior once directives and incentives are put in place or that they will work together because chart lines show that they should. Leaders should, therefore, communicate the king of behaviors, which they would like to see from employees. They should be the first to demonstrate these behaviors. The leaders can make clear decisions concerning change strategy every day (Daft 2014). They should also spend time with employees and engage them in discussions concerning the modification initiatives and should also ensure that there is interaction with customers so as to get feedback. The right kinds of behaviors lead to accelerated and fruitful change initiatives. Change Leadership becomes successful when leaders focus on engaging their employees. Communication must continually be done throughout the shift implementation process. Different kinds of communication should be used to emphasize the change processes and requirements (Klenke 2016). Meetings should be frequent, and this will assist the whole organization to get integrated into change efforts. Change leadership efforts should use natural leaders to influence the change process. These can be employees who have been with the firm for long or those viewed as role models by other employees. These people should be used as change champions. Pride builders are employees who are good at motivating others and inspiring them. Trusted nodes are employees who are rich of organizational culture and have a lot of information about what goes on in the company; therefore, all other employees look up to them. Change ambassadors live by example and quickly embrace the change (Ferraro 2014). They communi cate the importance of change to fellow colleagues. Change leaders should use these types of employees to implement change processes successfully. Change leaders should use formal elements like rewards, training and documented ways of working to ensure change is successful. Employees will feel supported and secure with such systems in place and will, therefore, be comfortable to proceed with the roles and responsibilities expected of them in the change process (Rothaermel 2015). Employees at all levels should also be asked to take responsibility for their roles. Change leaders must also measure success. They need to find out what is working and what is not to adjust accordingly. Following through results helps organizations to apply the necessary changes that will lead to better success. Conclusion Change leadership is an important aspect that must be taken into consideration by organizations who want to implement change. Change management is no longer just about processes but positivity and engagement of employees. This can only be achieved by having strong leadership as the head of change processes. Change leadership will lead to organizations accelerating change processes and ensuring a smooth process. Reflective Statement It is when the last organization that I worked for almost went under is when I realized the importance of leadership in a change management process. The company dealt with mobile telephony services and therefore heavily relied on excellent customer service to ensure the bottom-line grew. As the years drifted by, technology changed and the company was to upgrade to a more efficient system. I was a departmental head in administration then. The change process was abruptly announced to us, and no one took us through the process well. We were expected to act as per set rules and regulations. Due to this, employees were not happy, and many resisted change, failing to come for training sessions that would enable them to use the new system. As a departmental head, my leadership style was based on the trait theory, and I tried to force my team to follow the rules, which had been set. The company eventually launched the system, and it was a total failure as employees had not received adequate training and policy loopholes had not been paid attention to. We lost a large percentage of customers, and it took a new strategy and leader to put the company back on the competitive map. The incidents in my former company have led me to reflect on my leadership skills and on how change processes should be implemented in organizations. I have learned that I should try to change my leadership according to circumstances. Some situations call for authoritative leadership, others for democratic leadership. During a change process, I should ensure that there is clear communication to my team and that they embrace the process through my leadership. I should also apply the necessary disciplinary measures if employees are disobedient. Another fundamental issue is that I should give feedback to my leaders. If I feel that things are not working, it is important to provide feedback. If all of us as departmental heads had worked as a team and given feedback to the leadership, the change would have been implemented in a better manner, and the company would not have deteriorated into a sorry state. At my current workplace, I have changed my view on leadership, especially during change implementation. I lead by example to my employees and display the behaviors that I would want them to emulate. I know the importance of change leadership, and as a Human Resource Manager, I have engaged my fellow leaders and executives into understanding the importance of change leadership and why we should not only look at processes. I have assisted into instilling an organizational culture of communication, openness, and teamwork and this has gone a long way whenever we want to change anything in the organization. I strive to be an inspirational and visionary leader of change and to impart this to my direct-reports. This has led to motivation, and it makes me happy to know that I have influenced someone positively and in turn, they will one day lead in a positive manner. 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