Leadership and Change: A Reflection
Written by Mariateresa Romeo
“The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.” —John Maxwell.
Among all the characteristics and skills that define a leader, the willingness to change, which is primarily the result of a growth mindset, along with adaptability and resilience in navigating unexpected changes, are the most relevant.
Leadership and change are strictly interrelated. There is no leadership without change, and vice versa.
Leaders stand out in any field for their ability to navigate, embrace, and often generate changes affecting themselves as individuals and the group. In the corporate world, we frequently overlook these aspects and confuse leadership with seniority or authority.
However, let’s delve into the relationship between leadership and change.
Enhancing Leadership Skills During Times of Change
You cannot find someone who is considered a true leader within their team or organization who hasn’t had to go through significant changes and career setbacks at least once in their professional life.
Self-confidence, integrity, and effective decision-making, which some individuals consistently demonstrate in their daily interactions, are the result of the several transitions they have experienced over their careers.
You can see the early signs of a future leader in their curiosity and openness to approaching career changes, in the rapidity of their responses to changing situations, and in their ability to successfully recover from difficult experiences.
Leaders are those who consistently demonstrate a growth mindset at every stage and in various circumstances throughout their careers. They grew by seeing opportunities where others see obstacles. They had learned to navigate their fear of change, especially when unexpected, and became more resourceful through challenges.
Everyone in the organization has the potential to be a leader. Still, only those who cultivate the right mindset and attitude toward change can truly succeed in a leadership role.
The Role of Leaders in Organizational Change
Leadership abilities are tested in multiple ways when changes impact their teams or the organization.
Organizations struggle to remain competitive in the rapidly evolving business environment because they often lack effective strategies and tactics.
One of the most underrated leadership abilities is the capacity to foresee events and establish a direction for the organization’s growth. Often, leaders tend to be reactive, responding to changes that occur both inside and outside the organization, rather than being proactive by critically analyzing trends and implementing effective strategies to navigate or even capitalize on those changes.
Not to mention that those in the organization’s highest positions should generate competitive advantages by driving innovation of products, services, technologies, and operations. Leaders must support the creation of a culture of innovation across the organization, but this becomes hard to implement if they are not willing to suggest and experiment with new ideas in the first place.
When an organization undertakes any changes, whether planned or unexpected, leaders’ readiness to drive and support those changes is key. Through their attitudes and behaviors, they might fuel or prevent change resistance, act as change agents, or create more confusion and uncertainty, thereby determining the success or failure of the change initiative.
Incomplete or poorly defined strategies, a lack of effective communication, and failure to identify and address the disconnection between the change and the culture are some of the most common reasons why organizational change strategies fail. All of them reflect the leadership’s inability to guide teams through transitions and periods of uncertainty.
The attitude toward change is an important yet often overlooked aspect in resumes, professional backgrounds, performance evaluations, and development discussions. However, it is essential for effective leadership.
Understanding how individuals handle change—both at the personal and organizational levels—is crucial for identifying and nurturing potential in current and future leaders.
Leadership assessments and executive coaching programs, when delivered effectively, can be powerful tools for enhancing leaders’ abilities to manage both individual and organizational changes.
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