Is Change leadership simply good leadership?

The question should be asked, whether Change leadership is just part of good leadership, or whether it is something new. Or perhaps we should hypothesise that due to the increase in the pace and frequency of change that leadership skills related to engaging and leading a team through change well is more important than ever? I can empathise with leaders who may feel they have enough on their plate, but focus should be on how these skills will help them in their leadership role. 

Why change leadership and why now?

The reason why change leadership is in demand more than ever, is due to a triple whammy of a global pandemic, and moving from the information and digital age. In the last couple of years we have witnessed major movements across the world such as #blacklivesmatter #metoo and many other positive, connected, global movements. This has raised the awareness of rights, and raised the good, bad and ugliness of humanity. The world we live in is fast paced, cluttered and challenging personally. Employees are reprioritising and demanding that employers value them. If employers don't respond in turn, 'passive participation' sets in effecting performance. The implicit company loyalty is waning.  This is evident in the recent commentary about 'quiet quitting' (otherwise known as 'I am no longer going the extra mile for an organisation who does not value or support me'), and the employee movements happening more often as part of the great resignation. 

The ability of an organisation to respond fast to market change, employee change and customers changing needs is more critical than ever. Any organisation that isn't flexing will end up with disenfranchised staff, and customers. For some this means revisiting strategies, innovating fast by investing in technology or exploring other industries. All to remain competitive or to simply remain relevant.

There is more scrutiny than ever on Leaders and how the are able to meet the needs of the organisation. And now many organisations are wanting to put their leaders through change leadership training. The pressures on organisations and the need for leaders to lead their teams and many others through change fast and effectively has compounded.

Let's continue to explore the benefits of introducing change leadership learning. Knowing how to lead your team through change effectively is critical. It's benefits are multi-faceted.

Will an organisation get a return on investment from improving change leadership?

The many benefits an organisation will realise are multi-faceted:

The retention of talent: high performers are attracted to leaders are capable of delivering, communicating and engaging others in frequent change. 

Positive staff and team engagement: Engagement results often increase with good change leaders as there is trust built between the leader and their team.

Improved outcomes - fast!  Creation of a culture that creates an environment in which the team can move fast, respond to demands and most importantly achieve outcomes. All based on trust of their leader which is generated and reinforced through strong change leadership skills.

The best news is that all of these can be measured!

But what traits does a good change leader have?

After witnessing good and not so good change leaders, over many, many years, here are the common traits of a good to great change leader:

Empathetic:  The ability of the leader to relate to their team during the time of change and be able to move them along the path to acceptance. Of course this means the leader has very good listening skills. Being able to reflect, relate and support team members who may be struggling with the change are all aspects of empathy that the a good change leader displays. Just to clarify the 'just eat some cement and toughen up' approach is the polar opposite of an empathetic leader and in fact the cement does nothing but ensure the person is stuck! 

Flexible: They don't have to be good at yoga, this is about mental flexibility. A poor change leader has a fixed mindset, a 'this is the way it is' attitude, which does not help when leading change. Empathy creates the safe space in which issues may be raised. A flexible mindset means the leader can listen and adapt and even potentially influence those who may be introducing the change into an approach that works for the team. Without a flexible mindset, the change leader will feel disempowered and this will reflect poorly to the team.

Collaborator: The best change leaders are those who are strong team players. This means they are connected and will be able to influence, manage risk and raise issues. A well connected and respected collaborator gives confidence to their people.

Self-aware: Knowing when they are 'on' and when they are 'off'. They know when to time the critical conversation and when they may not be ready for the reactions that may occur. A good change leader has a level of self-awareness which also results in self-care if great change and much support is needed. For the leaders who are servant leaders, they tend to put others first however from a change leadership perspective if this isn't countered with self-care to be able to maintain a degree of objectivity and being centred will result in a failure to lead change effectively. The better change leaders take care of themselves as much as their people.

Resilient: This is a must for a change leader. Doing something in a different way can yield strong emotions from the team and a change leader defines boundaries and is able to weather the emotional storm which may be thrown at them. Leaders who have a drive to be liked and validated by their people will often have low resilience which can derail their ability to lead change effectively. 

Visionary: A good change leader trusts in what is possible, and challenges status quo thinking. They are able to convey and get buy into a vision and a future that others may doubt. Holding the vision at times will take courage and this interplays with flexibility strongly.

Curious: Being able to ask questions without an agenda, listen and then respond. Those who are naturally curious seek to understand. This also ties in with other traits but the curiosity has a sense of exploration, and in a change sense whether it be exploring what a person means, or what they are trying to explain about how they feel but also to ask the right questions at the right time so as to empower their team members through the change. 

Authentic: This one is really important. Even the biggest jerks earn some respect because they are who they are and there no surprises. That is what authenticity is - consistency and telling it how it is. To contract this, those who are inauthentic have what they say and what they do misaligned. This will result in a lack of trust every day of the week. 

Of course the foundation to good change leadership comes back to TRUST. And how well (or not) a leader can create that with their team.

Consider these traits and reflect on the leaders in your organisation. How many show some or all of these traits? How well do they do when they lead change? This is all about not just understanding change frameworks, but also developing your Change Intelligence. If you are a leader, and I think everyone is a leader regardless of their title, consider registering for our Change Intelligence webinar series.