ROLE OF LEADERSHIP IN ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE

     

Role of Leadership in Organizational Change

Most of the organizations agreed now a days that effective leadership is one of the most important contributors to the overall organizational performance and change. Intelligent leaders are those who have a store of skills and knowledge gained from experience that allows them to manage effectively and efficiently the tasks of daily life. Effective leadership is always required to bring effective changes (Kennedy, 2000). Brookfield highlight the importance of culture while addressing the issue of organizational change, he mentions some roadblocks which can affect the change management efforts, which include the secrecy culture, the individualism culture and silence culture (Brookfield, 1995).  The competent leadership can handle and manage such problems. According to Gruban (2003) the competence is an ability to manage knowledge and other skills and capabilities. 

Cognitive competences		Functional competences		Social competences		Successful change
Self Reliance		Communication Skills		Interpersonal Skills		Increasing in relationship Quality
Problem solving Capabilities		Technology/Special knowledge and Skills		Team working Abilities		Increasing  in Relationship Quality
Divergent Thinking		Career Planning Skills		Cross culture abilities		Strong Cooperation
Future Oriented		Managerial Abilities		Flexible to Others		Strengthen Organizational culture and Climate
Good Consultation		Strong decision Making Abilities		Stress Management Capabilities		Employee Satisfaction
Critical Approach		Knowledge Abilities		Motivational Skills		Reduce number of Conflicts
				Ethic Skills
				Integration Skills

(Pagon. M, Banutai .B & Bizjak, 2008, p 4)

 The table above highlights the role of leadership and h/her competencies with successful organizational change. The table also defines that these are the most important capabilities and competences which are helpful and useful for organizational changes. According to the different authors the leadership competences are strongly connected with the successful organizational change, “the leadership competences have a great relation with the organizational success and change” (Gruban 2003).

It is evident from the literature that initiating and coordinating change always requires well developed leadership skills. This is also true that any change process mostly face  the certain level of resistances, the effective leader is one who can manage the resistance and implement successful changes. Recognizing, addressing and overcoming the resistance is always lengthy and not an easy process. People resist changes and especially they resist most to radical changes and it is only the leader’s ability to overcome.  A strong leader is required to solve the problem as the physician is required to solve medical problem (Heifetz 1997). The different types of leadership qualities are required at different level of change. There are basically four types of leadership styles, Commanding leadership style, Logical leadership style, inspirational leadership style and supportive leadership style. These all leadership styles have strong relation with the development of change (Bennis, 1995)

Conclusion

The process of organizational change is very demanding and challenging. The strategic leadership is eagerly needed for organizations, which is well capable to predict the essential alterations and changes, in advance and create required commitment and highly suitable atmosphere for worker and teams to understand and adopt these changes successfully.

Organizational change means that leader is leading the organizations and organizational teams to go somewhere. If the leaders and its people don’t know where to go, then leadership means nothing and h/she may not get the target of successful organizational change. So it is important for leaders to have a clear vision.

Vision of a leader is one of those several characteristics, which a leader can have to initiate and implement successful organizational change. Vision is an ability of a leader to perceive future and future trends in accurate way. Vision of a leader can also prove helpful to motivate the teams and employees within an organization.

References

Brookfield, S. D (1995), Becoming a critically reflective teacher. San Francisco: Jossey- Bass, pp 1-296

Brookfield, S. D (1995), Becoming a critically reflective teacher. San Francisco: Jossey- Bass, pp 1-296

Bennis, W. & Nanus, B. (1985), Leaders: the strategies for taking charge. New York: Haper and Row, Vol 24, No 4, pp 503-508

Gruban, B. (2003). Kompetence: moda, ki traja že štiri desetletja. Finance, No 168 PP 5-19

Heifetz, R. A. & Laurie, D. L (1997) “The work of leadership”, Harvard Business Review, Vol 75, pp 12Pagon. M, Banutai. E & Bizjak. U (2008), Leadership competencies for successful change management, a preliminary study report, University of Maribor, Slovenia, pp 1-254–134

 

 

                                                                                                            

Cognitive competences

 

Functional competences

 

Social competences

 

Successful change

Self Reliance

Communication Skills

Interpersonal Skills

Increasing in relationship Quality

Problem solving Capabilities

Technology/Special knowledge and Skills

Team working Abilities

Increasing  in Relationship Quality

Divergent Thinking

Career Planning Skills

Cross culture abilities

Strong Cooperation

Future Oriented

Managerial Abilities

Flexible to Others

Strengthen Organizational culture and Climate

Good Consultation

Strong decision Making Abilities

Stress Management Capabilities

Employee Satisfaction

Critical Approach

Knowledge Abilities

 

Motivational Skills

Reduce number of Conflicts

 

 

Ethic Skills

 

 

 

Integration Skills