Leading Through Change Essay

Change is not something to be taken lightly. "This issue of change is one of the greatest challenges in the workplace today" (Fralix, P., 1998). One of the pitfalls of change within an organization is employees' fear of what change will bring. Will implementing new technologies destroy my job? Will I be able to keep up with the changes in my organization? These are some of the questions that bring about employee apprehension to changes in business. This very apprehension can determine the success or the failure of change within that system. Yet change is inevitable. Much like the Darwinian theory of survival, the company that can adapt with changes in emerging technologies will survive in today's society. So how

“The images, metaphors, or frames that we hold, both of managing and of change, influence our ideas of what we think managing change is all about” (Palmer, Dunford, & Akin, 2009). As people we all see through our own eyes, we call see a different perspective and have a different reaction to what is coming next. As human beings we react differently to situations. Situations of change are transitions that some are able to adapt to quickly while others have a hard time. Being the leader of that change can be difficult and helping make a change does not come easily or effectively. Keep and Newcomer (2008)

Leaders change systems, structures and policies that have not yet been confronted. They hire, promote and develop employees who can implement the vision for change. In addition, they revitalise the process with a new round of projects or change agents.(Cengage Learning AUS, 2015)

One of the most important jobs of a change leader is to ensure the correct people are involved in the change, the followers. The followers are such an important part of change. Actually a leader would be pretty inadequate in implementing change without followers. Therefore, communication is utmost important. Open communication between all individuals is imperative to a smooth change. A change leader can have a vision, but they must share the vision with their followers. With change there comes new ways of thinking and

This book presents an array of practical procedures which can assist the prudent practitioner in preparing for change and how to handle all of the up’s and downs which accompany change. The two strengths in this book revolves around asking the right diagnostic questions which pave the way for change and the many characteristic of leaders who lead.

In today’s business world, one of the most important contributing factors to the overall success of an organization is the effectiveness of their leadership. Effective leaders carry with them a strong skill set along with a broad knowledge base gained from experience that allows them to effectively and efficiently manage change initiatives. An organization that possessing an effective leadership team is more likely to experience success, especially it comes to creating effective change. The leaders’ role is crucial during a change

Organizations must respond to their internal and external environment. Therefore, organizational success heavily relies on leaderships ability to manage change. Unfortunately, many leaders struggle to effectively lead change initiatives. In fact, Ashkenas (2013, para. 1) reported 60 – 70% of organizational change initiatives fail to meet their objectives.

When the realization hits of the change are real and will affect denial usually turns to anger. We get angry and look for someone else to blame for the cause, and it’s can be directed

In addition, change is a factor within leadership in which a leader acknowledges the continuous change of the environment around them, and then adapts and develops alongside (Rodd, 2013). When change is taken into consideration by a leader and by the team they are able “develop new knowledge and ways of applying and integrating that knowledge with practice” (Rodd, 2013, p.183). Furthermore, to view change appropriately it must be flexible so it can be questioned and practiced within the team environment, where new knowledge and experiences can be learnt and shared, especially within New Zealand’s context where there are several continuous changes in early childhood services, by the way they are organised to the way they are controlled (Fasoli,

Change management according to many becomes essential for the following reason: external pressure; which can encompass competition, new technology, cost, and regulation changes. Furthermore, economic and social conditions can escalate long-term change necessary. This paper will discuss several aspects of change management models, theories, and application thereof. In addition, it will provide overviews of the drivers of change, factors necessary for to implement change successfully, strategies and expectations of management, and leadership styles needed for influence and effectiveness.

The environment we work in is always changing, our processes and programs are always evolving, which requires us as leaders to be both transformational and transactional. In order to flow with our battle rhythm we must be willing to change and encourage followers to change along with the organizations vision, strategy and culture. You cannot get too comfortable in the way our organization is set up, to be effective you

The second step in the change theory is the transition stage. Once people are unfrozen, the problem now shifts to how to keep them going. This is now the actual change process a stage that is characterized by confusion as people try to change from the old to new ways. This stage is further characterized by fear because people tend to be unsure and is the hardest step in the whole process (Schein, 1995). During transition, new behaviors are developed, values and attitudes. It is achieved through development techniques and change in existing organizational structures. People undergoing this stage need to be given ample time to adapt to new ways. Of uttermost importance during this stage is support. Support is offered in terms of coaching and training as well as acceptance that mistakes will be part of the transition process (Smith, 2001).

One strength good leaders bring is to switch their leadership styles depending on the situation (Darling & Heller, 2012). This is like situational leadership and it is important in organizational change as well. Situational Leadership is a model designed by Dr. Paul Hershey in the 1960s which focuses on how managers can develop competencies to diagnose, adapt, communicate, and advance the situation they are in (The Center for Leadership Studies, n.d.). Hershey stresses the importance of relationship of the approach of the leader and the readiness of the followers for a specific task (The Center for Leadership Studies, n.d.). This is the same as a change manager. Although dominant forces are often the initial go-to for change managers, good change managers must assess the situation and apply the needed ideal change manager to the situation. Because of this, regardless of the dominant change manager, it behooves an effective organizational leader to understand the different images of change and how they can influence a change’s successful

In order to move forward and keep ahead, I believe an organization need change leaders who have capabilities to have their workforce go from change avoidance to change acceptance. “One of the most significant strengths of an effective leader is the ability to create a positive work climate where people are energized to do their best work, free of unnecessary distractions” (Cronkite, n.d.). During this part of the change process I feel the change leader would have better success if he would be tactful and harness the skills of others by working in a collaborative rather than hierarchical way. Leadership in an organization involves instilling motivation and enthusiasm in the employees. An effective leader knows how to manage and tackle difficult situations and people. Many reasons can cause a force of change in organizations but I feel it’s up to change leaders to manage these planned and unexpected changes. (Word count: 548)

The impact of leadership style in the change process of an organization influences the performance; Leadership as stated by Martin, Liao and Campbell (2013) remains one of the most consequential contextual influencers of employee performance. Latson (2014) elucidated that some leaders may have the best intentions, but the impact will not be in alignment with the intension. But leadership trait is the ability to inspire, motivate and engage the followers to make the inspired vision happen beyond their normal capabilities (Mendez, Munoz & Munoz 2013). A change is the most frequent phenomenon of today's reality and a good understanding of how to manage the change process is very essential; Change is translation from one state into