KK1: Leadership

leadership

• leadership refers to the ability and skills to influence, motivate, and direct others to achieve objectives

• it is essential to managing change because employees require a lot of direction and manipulation to engage and achieve objectives of a change

the importance of leadership

vision building, preparation, planning

• leaders must develop a vision of the change and a plan of action or set of strategies/plans to make the change work

• developing these plans will enable the leader to better communicate required actions and why they are necessary

• if employees are unable to understand the plan + justification for the plan, they are more likely to support and engage in change

communication

• Leaders require a vision of the change, but this has to be communicated clearly, persuasively, and positively to stakeholders

• The extent to which the visions is persuasive will determine the extent t which stakeholders accept, support and promote the change (i.e. buy-in)

• Leaders should also not use one-way communication and use two-way communication to elicit feedback and opinions of stakeholders – this makes stakeholders feel like they are part of the change, increasing the likelihood that they will support it

• If leaders have failed to communicate effectively, there will likely be employee resistance, which is likely to stall the change

support

• Leaders should be in a position to offer assistance to employees during times of change

• They should be able to identify when employees might be struggling to adapt to and engage in change and proactively provide support services such as counselling, mentoring, training etc.

• Employees who feel as if they are being supported are more likely to support the change in addition to being more able to engage in the change

collaboration

• Leaders should be able to work closely with others to bring about change

• This refers to not merely leading, but also being a member of a team, facilitating the work of others through teamwork, delegation and supporting the completion of tasks

• Fostering a sense of collaboration among employees gives them a sense of belonging, thereby improving their motivation to engage in change

conflict resolution

• Conflicts between competing interest is a natural part of change

  • Eg. A change may benefit one employee and disadvantage another

• Leaders should have the capability to consult with staff and facilitate discussion so as to arrive at solutions that are mutually acceptable to conflicting parties

• Effective conflict resolution encourages employees to work cooperatively in change and reduce tension in the workplace

accountability

• “the buck stops with me” – ‘no one to blame but me’

• Leaders should openly hold themselves accountable for both negative and positive outcomes during a time of change

• If there is a failure, leaders should not look to blame others but take responsibility for that failure with a view to improving the situation

• Openly holding themselves accountable is likely to lead to staff who trust and respect leadership resulting in a greater likelihood of following the direction of leaders in times of change