About Change

Change leadership is a skill and an attitude that anyone can acquire. But discomfort comes with the territory.

Many people don't like change. It creates uncertainty. People may instinctively feel that what's familiar is safe, and that change is risky - even when the opposite is true. Change can make strong people feel insecure.

Change, real change, is not easy to accomplish. At the end of a project or initiative, many people act as if things have changed although real, personal change has not occurred. Such playacting can take us only so far before the organization snaps back to where it was before.

This is why change requires leadership -- at every level of the organization. It starts with recognition of why change is needed. Next, the leader must clearly articulate a vision of the goal and how to reach it. Then it is time to move from theory to action. This always requires making difficult decisions, which highlight the conflict between the way things have been in the past, and the way they must be in the future.

At every point, the change process has a human dimension. Successful change leaders are aware of people's mindsets, which are often unspoken, even unconscious. Defining new mindsets, change leaders intentionally provide their people with experiences that foster a shift from the old way of thinking to the new.

Effective change leaders know how to face reality and adapt - how to learn and keep learning, how to help others learn, and how to build learning organizations. But mastering transitions doesn't happen in a classroom. Change is action. Institutions that have mastered change provide their people with:

• A clear framework to understand the change process
• Access to a robust set of tools, along with skill training as needed
• Structures and systems that reinforce desired mindsets and behaviors
• An action-learning orientation that opportunistically turns tasks and projects into planned learning experiences
• Constant communication, reinforcement, and support in the areas where change is most challenging

People and organizations that master change don't just react to new situations - they intentionally create and shape situations to their advantage. Their ability to change becomes a muscle, a competitive advantage that grows stronger as learning continues.