Nothing stays static for long; people change, markets fluctuate, organisations evolve, technology develops and even our overall expectations of life seem to shift constantly.
As a result, the question for leaders is never really whether change will come. It’s whether they’ll be ready to lead when it does.
Change asks people to move from where they are towards something different and doing that successfully requires influence, direction, confidence and trust. They also happen to be some of the most important parts of leadership.
That’s why leadership and change are inseparable.
Why change cannot happen without clear leadership
Leaders provide direction and clarity
When someone announces a change, it’s a relatively easy thing to do. Creating the conditions where people can successfully adapt to that change, however, is much harder.
Good leaders provide clarity around why change is necessary, where the organisation is heading and, importantly, help people to navigate the uncertainty that sits between where they are now and where they want to be.
Change might be announced from the top, but it has to be led all the way through.
Leadership is influence and change demands influence
John C. Maxwell, a pioneer in leadership development, once famously said in his book ‘The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership’, “leadership is influence – nothing more, nothing less.”
But why is the influence of a leader so important when it comes to change? Well, people rarely change simply because they’ve been told to. If that was the case, we’d only need managers.
Leaders are essential for influencing:
- How people perceive the change
- How people feel about the change
- How people behave because of the change
The greater the change, the more vital this influence becomes in shaping how people respond to it. Not only across the organisation, but depending on the change, outside of the business too.
Leadership and change create movement
As a leader, it’s relatively easy to appear effective when everything is steady and going to plan, but change often creates instability and removes that comfort.
Change exposes all of us, but leaders perhaps even more so.
It highlights how they communicate, make decisions, handle pressure, listen to people, adapt and respond when they might not have all the answers.
It’s within these tricky moments that the truly great leaders are revealed. They’re the ones who remove barriers, maintain focus and ultimately keep people moving when it would be much easier to retreat to the comfort of what they already know..
How do leaders handle and manage change effectively?
They accept that change isn’t optional, but adaptability is
Change is one of the few constraints in leadership.
Leaders are often accustomed to being in control of almost everything. From strategic decisions, to team expectations and organisational priorities. However, as much as they might like to be, they can’t always be in control of what is changing around them.
One way leaders can take back some control in these situations is by focusing on how they respond to the change.
Some of the most effective leaders:
- Adapt their approach
- Adopt new thinking and ideas
- Remain agile when circumstances shift again
In short, adaptability is an essential skill for all leaders, allowing them to stay in control even when everything around them is shifting.
They understand people don’t always resist change, but they do resist loss
Resistance is often interpreted as people being difficult or unwilling to go through a change – be it in life, or business.
But what leaders should really be concerned with is resistance to change born from the fear of losing something. Not only can we relate to this feeling a lot more, but fear of loss can also arise for many different reasons.
For example, people might fear losing control, certainty, confidence, or status. Good leaders always endeavour to understand the true cause of the resistance by identifying what people believe they’re losing.
Instead of trying to fight against this resistance, they understand it and adjust their approach accordingly.
They recognise there’s more than one road to change
Simply knowing change is necessary for the success of an organisation or individual doesn’t automatically tell us how we should achieve it.
Change can happen so quickly, especially in the modern, AI-driven world. And a scary thought is that the accelerated pace we’re experiencing today, may well be the slowest we’ll ever experience again. Change comes in many different forms, it can be directive, collaborative, evolutionary, or revolutionary.
As such, different circumstances require different approaches. The best leaders don’t ask, ‘What needs to change?’ They ask, ‘What is the best way we can change this?’
Choosing the right route can be every bit as important as knowing the destination.
Leadership and change cannot (and should not!) be separated
Leaders don’t just shape change; they’re revealed and exposed by it.
Change creates uncertainty, disruption and new possibilities. Leadership provides direction, influence and the momentum needed to navigate through them.
Change determines that things will be different, but great leadership helps determine whether these changes will improve the way your organisation operates.
And while we can never stop change from arriving, the real challenge for leaders is ensuring they’re ready to lead people when change inevitably comes knocking.
Navigate change with bespoke leadership coaching
Change is inevitable across all industries, affecting organisations of all shapes and sizes.
Whether you’re predicting significant market shifts, scaling your startup, or undergoing a complete team restructure, if you’re eager to improve how you respond to change as a leader, speak to our expert leadership coaches today.
At Drew Povey Consultancy, we work with leaders and teams to help them navigate those moments with greater clarity, confidence and purpose through a variety of tailored leadership coaching services, including:
- 1:1 leadership coaching
- Team leadership coaching
- Keynote delivery
To learn more about the fascinating relationship between leadership and change or our bespoke leadership coaching services, please feel free to reach out using this online contact form.