I quickly realized that the higher a person goes the different skills required to be efficient and skillful at their jobs. Which does make me wonder if there are any benefits to starting at the very bottom and working my way. Regardless, though, being able to lead a system-wide change does require a few select skills in order to pull off successfully. While these aren’t the only things, they most certainly will help. The skills I’m talking about include the ability to articulate a vision, creating consistency with top leadership, and finally a familiarization of available tools and how to use them.
The ability to articulate a shared vision amongst those in the organization is key. It is said that “the success of a major change will depend to a great extent on how well leaders communicate the reasons why proposed change is necessary and beneficial. Success is more likely if leaders articulate a vision of a better future that is attractive enough to justify the sacrifices and hardships the change will require” (Yukl, 2013, p. 89). Without this ability to articulate a vision, members of the organization will be unmotivated to support the change effort. This lack of motivation and willingness to change can be a change effort killer.
Being able to create consistency amongst top leadership is also key. Fractal thinking calls for a unique view on leadership theory in the sense that “leadership behavior breed behavior – the way leaders behave will soon be repeated” (Obolensky, 2010, p. 81). If a leader at the top wants to change and encourages that positive change behavior amongst the next level, then the change effort is much more likely to succeed if those members at the next level take the same mindset and push it to levels below them. This is something that will take time but is important to ensuring success and consistency within the organization.
Finally, a leader needs to be able to recognize what tools they have and know how to properly use them. For example, one of the many tools available to a leader includes survey research and feedback. This is a “widely used process in which the OD practitioner and members of the organization collaboratively collect data and use them as a basis for changing organizational relationships” (Brown, 2011, p. 374). While many leaders find the tool of data collection incredibly valuable in theory, there is the very real threat of low participatory rates if either the survey is too long or if members feel like their input will result in no change/outputs. I have seen leaders ask for information without stating what that information is for or how it will be used to make beneficial changes, which is a direct reflection of their inability to execute the use of these tools properly.
Discussed includes information on how leaders should be able to articulate a vision, how there needs to be consistency between top leaders and the way down, and finally the ability to use and properly execute the tools required to create a change effort. The skills required as leaders rise through the ranks are drastically different than the skills required at the very bottom. As such, we as leaders need to be responsible for the education of those we put in charge or the education of ourselves so that we can be successful.
References
Brown, D. R. (2011). An experiential approach to organization development (Eighth Edition ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Obolensky, N. (2010). Complex adaptive leadership (Second Edition ed.). London, UK: Gower/Ashgate.
Yukl, G. (2013). Leadership in Organizations (Eighth Edition ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, United States of America: Prentice Hall.
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