Defining Change Leadership

Welcome to Learning Segment #2 in the Change Leadership Learning Series.

At the end of this segment you will be able to:

• Define Change Leadership and when it is needed
• Differentiate change leadership from other concepts like change management or technology adoption.
• Describe how the Change Leadership process can help you and others achieve their goals.
• Start learning and leveraging the Change Leadership mindset.

Introduction

Looking at the world through the lens of change leadership will give you better ways to: learn, prioritize, execute, empower others, and above all: demonstrate top-tier effectiveness and maximize your impact.

So what exactly is change leadership and what do we mean by it? Why is this phrase so important and how is it different from other similar-sounding concepts - like change management?

In this segment you will learn the definition of change leadership, as well as how to measure the success of a change leadership initiative.

Let's dig in.

Change Leadership Definition

Because it's vital to understand the core skills you will be developing, we're going to go through the Change Leadership definition piece by piece and explain each one.

Change leadership is a process of:

1. Noticing: Recognizing flaws in the status quo.
2. Innovating: Initiating solutions to address those flaws.
3. Mobilizing: Mobilizing and empowering people.
4. Navigating: Navigating and overcoming challenges.

If you think about urgently needed changes that aren't happening, or initiatives that failed to achieve their impact, you can use these 4 steps to diagnose. What didn't happen? Either people aren't recognizing, aren't initiating solutions, aren't mobilizing others, or aren't navigating the challenges.

Likewise if you look at each of these as skill areas to develop, you will increase your chances of success.

Let's unpack this a little more:

Effective change leadership is also not just a process but a mindset, a kind of awareness that gives you more relevant ways to lead:

• A way of seeing: Noticing flaws in the status quo and recognizing that change is needed.
• A way of innovating: Designing and developing solutions to those flaws. Harnessing new approaches: these solutions may take the form of new technologies, scientific breakthroughs, or modified platforms or tools, processes, organizational structures, or other new approaches.
• A way of connecting: Mobilizing and empowering people to understand, adopt and successfully use these new solutions, and move toward that better outcome.
• A way of executing: Driving change in a way that effectively overcomes obstacles, increases understanding and just in time learning, resolves conflicts and misalignments and ultimately achieves the better outcome.

Key point: being a change leader does not require a top down command and control approach. Change Leadership allows anyone to be an impactful leader.

What change leadership is NOT:

• Not "change for change's sake," and it's not about being a cool futurist. Change leadership is about seeing what kind of change is needed, and making that change happen. It's about making something better that otherwise isn't going to get better.
• Not careless innovation with unforeseen side effects. Instead change leadership is Carefully crafted change that brings beneficial needed change.
• Not change management. Change management is a set of approaches used by management to minimize objections or resistance to a planned organizational change.

Effective change leadership is also not just a process but a mindset, a kind of awareness that gives you new and better ways to lead.

What is a change leadership initiative?

Let's take the definition we've constructed so far, and see what it looks like when it's put into action, specifically, when it takes the form of an initiative.

A change leadership initiative is a set of activities:

• Understand a problem or flawed status quo that falls short of or prevents a desired outcome.
• Gain buy in and required commitment and investment for the needed change,
• Innovate a new approaches or solutions to enable that needed change,
• Influence and drive adoption of the new change,
• Continue to follow through with the necessary support and calibration until the desired outcome is reached.

When is change leadership needed?

Change leadership isn't needed for routine or trivial things, or things where there are no disagreements or challenges. Flat tires, spilled milk, dirty laundry, the average project - these aren't change initiatives. Those are just tasks or procedures. They have known go-to step by step processes that have been proven over time.

Change leadership isn't needed for top-down management decisions about org structures or product lines - getting people to accept organizational decisions made without their involvement (that's change management).

Change leadership is needed when something is preventing necessary change from happening

Change leadership becomes necessary when change is needed AND when that change isn't happening. Have you been in scenarios described by the following phrases?

• There is debate about whether the change is needed or not, or what exact change is needed
• There are multiple parties and they are not aligned about the best approach
• There is an asymmetry between the comfortable vs the uncomfortable, the haves and the have-nots, and this asymmetry is going to prevent or delay necessary change
• There's a lack of clarity that is allowing an unacceptable status quo to continue to imposes unjust impacts on individuals, communities, or even future generations.

In other words, intervention is required. The situation won't simply "work itself out" via status quo, business-as-usual processes and tactics. Change is required.

Change leadership is needed when facing new uncharted territory

Most if not all of the key challenges faced by conscientious businesses, communities, and entrepreneurs in the 21st century are change leadership opportunities.

Think about the challenges frequently faced by customers and stakeholders:

• rapidly accelerating technology landscape
• evolving global economic and political structures
• climate impacts
• changing customer needs and demographics

These are not situations that "off the shelf" consulting frameworks or software apps can solve. They represent new uncharted territory. A change leader is needed.

Otherwise, everyone follows a status quo approach, laced with false tradeoffs and misguided beliefs that this is as good as things can be.

What Successful Change Leadership Looks Like: 5 Ways to Measure Success

To have a fully workable definition of change leadership we also must define what change leadership looks like when it is successful. Here are 5 options you can use to measure the success of a change leadership initiative.

Notice that some of these are qualitative - observational, gut check items to notice, or items to ask others about - while others are more quantitative and may require more rigorous measurement.

1. Achievement of the Desired Outcome:

Success in change leadership can be gauged by whether the desired change was successfully implemented and whether it led to the intended improvement. Did the change initiative move from zero to 1 (ie from concept to reality), and did it solve the issue that existed in the original status quo?

Metrics could include:

• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that align with the goals of the change (e.g., improved efficiency, customer satisfaction, cost reductions).
• Outcome-specific metrics such as revenue growth, process improvements, or increased market share after implementing the change.

2. Stakeholder Buy-in and Engagement:

A core component of change leadership is mobilizing and empowering people. Success could be measured by:

• Level of engagement from key stakeholders (employees, customers, partners). Are they actively supporting and adopting the change?
• Surveys or feedback indicating whether stakeholders feel heard, aligned with the vision, and adequately supported during the transition.
• Adoption rates of new tools, platforms, or processes that were introduced as part of the change.

3. Overcoming Obstacles and Adaptability:

The ability to persist and adapt in the face of challenges is key to successful change leadership. Measuring success here includes:

• Catching and resolving issues: How many challenges, roadblocks or critical issues were identified, and how effectively were they addressed?
• Speed of course correction: How quickly and decisively did the team adapt to unexpected developments or feedback?
• Reduction in resistance: Metrics could track the reduction in active or passive resistance over time. Are we spending less or more time addressing resistance?

4. Sustainable Change:

True success in change leadership involves long-term sustainability, not just a short-term fix. Indicators of this include:

• Behavioral change: Are the behaviors and attitudes that support the change embedded in the culture of the organization? This can be measured through ongoing surveys or behavioral assessments.
• Continuous improvement: Is the organization able to build on the change to make further improvements or innovate in other areas?
• Consistency in performance: Post-change stability and continued achievement of the expected benefits over time.

5. Equity and Fairness:

Change leadership involves addressing asymmetries and ensuring that the change doesn't disproportionately benefit one group over another. Success could be measured by:

• Equitable distribution of benefits: Is the impact of the change felt across all levels of the organization or community, rather than just by the "haves"?
• Reduction in negative impacts: Are there fewer negative consequences for vulnerable stakeholders, and have systemic issues been resolved?

By assessing these factors, leaders can measure not just the immediate results but the depth and sustainability of the change leadership effort.

Summing it up

Reflecting on What You Learned

Key Takeaways:

1. Definition of Change Leadership: You learned that change leadership involves recognizing flaws in the status quo, innovating solutions, mobilizing people, and navigating challenges to achieve meaningful change.
2. Mindset and Process: Effective change leadership is not just about following steps, but also adopting a mindset of awareness, innovation, and empowerment to lead others effectively.
3. Distinction from Change Management: You now understand that change leadership focuses on driving necessary, impactful change, while change management deals with minimizing resistance to pre-decided organizational changes.
4. When Change Leadership is Needed: You can identify when change leadership is required—specifically in complex situations where there's misalignment, debate, or systemic injustices that prevent progress.
5. Measuring Success: You can measure success in change leadership by achieving desired outcomes, stakeholder buy-in, overcoming obstacles, ensuring sustainable change, and maintaining fairness and equity.

Reflection Questions:

1. How can I apply the four key steps of change leadership (noticing, innovating, mobilizing, navigating) to current challenges within my team or organization?
2. What specific metrics can I use to assess the success of my change leadership efforts? How will I track both short-term and long-term impacts?
3. In what ways can I shift from a mindset of change management to change leadership in my role, especially when facing complex or uncharted challenges?
4. How can I incorporate change leadership into my quarterly or annual goals to foster continuous improvement and innovation?

🏆 Bonus Learning Segment! Incorporating Change Leadership into your annual goals and annual reviews.

Click here to go to the next learning segment: Change Leadership Mindset: Contentment

Counterintuitive reasons why contentment is key to success.