In today’s rapidly evolving business world, what is the most valuable quality any leader can possess? It’s not vision, intelligence, charisma, or integrity, although these are all desirable and important qualities. No, the most important quality a leader can have now is the ability to lead change. Why? Because change is imminent.
Times change, and successful leaders change with them. In 1955, Time Magazine’s “Man of the Year” was Harlow Curtice, the CEO of General Motors (GM). The magazine cited Curtice’s ability to lead America toward “a new economic order.” In 2009, GM’s chief executive was fired by Time Magazine’s current man of the year, President Obama, for his poor leadership and management skills.
Change leaders learn from the past and use the knowledge to make their organizations better. They don’t ignore the present, but they don’t dwell on it either. They know that change, when carefully planned and diligently executed, will move the organization forward.
Change leaders don’t make changes for the sake of it. Nor do they simply adapt to current challenges, letting market winds blow them this way and that. Especially with all the uncertainty businesses face today, change leaders can’t settle for incremental improvement. They must lead the organization through a significant transformation to get on top and stay there.
What exactly should a change leader be doing, and how different is this role than that of the rest of the organization? The first step to is to start with a personal commitment to change. This means becoming a role-model for organizational change efforts by embarking on your own personal change journey. By engaging employees and customers openly and celebrating the success of others, your actions will encourage the rest of the organization to support and practice any change you propose. People will do extraordinary things for leaders whom they respect and can relate to.
The second step is to re-evaluate the organization’s priorities. What was important in the past may or may not be a top priority now. Question everything. If you don’t, you risk leaving systems, processes and people in place that are hurting your business, not helping. Once you determine your new priorities, make a plan for capitalizing on them. This becomes your new strategic plan.
[If you're wondering how to determine what your organization’s new priorities should be, see Business Survival 101: Devising a Transformation Strategy to help you develop a strategy that promotes change.]
After you have led the development of a strategy for change, the third step is to lead the execution of the new strategy. This will most likely require some restructuring. For example, if your new strategy calls for a systematic approach to innovation, you may need to encourage a new level of creativity and employee engagement. You may also need to become more engaged with customers in order to provide them with innovative solutions.
As the strategy progresses, you will need to remain involved. Not to micromanage, but to ensure that old priorities are not creeping back in. Change is difficult for most people, and they will naturally resist. As a change leader, your dedication to the organization’s new priorities and your belief that the changes are for the better must remain visible. Move on, and inspire others to follow your lead.
