Strategic Leadership in NatWest Bank

This report discusses the implementation of the Digital and Innovation Apprentice Programme in NatWest Bank and the role of strategic leadership in managing change and overcoming resistance. It also explores the ethical aspects of the leader-follower relationship within the organization.

Strategic Leadership

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Present report is based upon NatWest which is one of the largest banks around the world.
The organisation planned to implement a change which is introducing Digital and Innovation
Apprentice Programme. In order to perform all the activities related to it in systematic manner
the organisation is recommended to use Kurt Lewin's change model. Apart form this, suggestion
for using proper leadership style is also provided to the entity.

Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.............................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
1. Evaluation of different alternative approaches that an organisation can use to introduce the
change..........................................................................................................................................1
2. Analysis and evaluation of contemporary research on the role of leadership in relation to
managing change and overcoming resistance to change.............................................................3
3. Critical exploration and analysis of the way in which ethics shape the relationship between
leaders and followers within an organisation...............................................................................4
Recommendations........................................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................5

INTRODUCTION
Strategic leadership can be defined as the quality of managers which helps them to
express strategic vision for development of organisation. Present report is based upon NatWest
Bank which has brought a significant change in previous years. It is introducing digital and
innovation apprentice programme (Home, 2016). This assignment covers various topics which
are evaluation of alternative approaches for change, analysis of role of leadership in managing
and overcoming resistance to change etc. Apart from this, analysis of the way in which ethics can
shape the relationship between leaders and followed within an organisation are also covered in
this report.
MAIN BODY
1. Evaluation of different alternative approaches that an organisation can use to introduce the
change
NatWest Bank (National Westmister Bank) is one of the main commercial and retail bank
which is established in United Kingdom. It was founded in year 1968 by National Provincial
Bank. It is first banking sector entity to launch Digital and Innovation Apprentice Programme
which is the major change which are undertaken by the organisation (Change introduced by
NatWest, 2019). Main purpose of it is to support such individuals who are highly talented and
belong to socially or economically unfavourable background.
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There are various types of approaches such as Lewin's, McKinsey 7's, Kotter's Change
Management etc. which could be used by the enterprise while introducing change. Description of
major one of them is as follows:
Lewin's Change Model: It is one of the main models of change which should be focused
by organisations that are planning to undertake a change. It was developed by Kurt Lewin in year
1950. It could have been used by managers of NatWest while implementing change or
introducing the Digital and Innovation Apprentice Programme. The stages of it are discussed
below in context of the entity:
Illustration 1: Lewin's change model, 2020
(Source: Lewin's change model, 2020)
 Unfreeze: It is first of implementing change where managers of NatWest are required to
aware all the individuals regarding the new programme which is being introduced by
them. It is essential for all the concerned individuals to make sure that each and every
employee support their decision (Lewin's change model, 2020).
 Change: At this stage change takes place which means managers in NatWest are
required to introduce the Digital and Innovation Apprentice Programme which is being
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planned by them. Main thing should be focused by them at this step is having good
leadership qualities as it can help to alter the “resistant to change” mind set of employees.
 Refreeze: It is last stage of this change approach where all the staff members within the
enterprise accept the change and become habitual to it. At this step, managers in NatWest
will be required to all the activities which are performed within the organisation have
became normal or not (Kunisch, Menz and Ambos, 2015).
In order to carry out all the activities related to the change the managers of NatWest Bank
have used democratic leadership style which has benefited them to implement the new
programme which is Digital and Innovation Apprentice Programme successfully. From the
above discussion it has been determined that the approach and leadership undertaken to
implement change are very effective. With the help of the Lewin's Change Model the managers
within the entity have introduced the program successfully and their qualities of leading group
have benefited to inspire all the workforce.
Leadership input here have been improved because all the leaders within the enterprise
have made efforts to implement Digital and Innovation Apprentice Programme properly by
guiding all the workers.
2. Analysis and evaluation of contemporary research on the role of leadership in relation to
managing change and overcoming resistance to change
For all the organisations it is very important to make sure that effective leadership is used
for the purpose of managing and overcoming resistance to change. With the help of it, leaders
will be able to manage all the potential changes which are going to be imposed by them in future.
Banking is a large industry in which the management implement different types of new policies
and for effective execution of them. Excellent leadership skills for managers are essential
because with the help of it they will be able to overcome the issues related to resistance to
change. By using their qualities of proper supervision leaders can aware all the staff members
regarding benefits of change and alter their behaviour against the policies introduced by entity
(Roe, 2017).
From the above findings it has been analysed that leadership plays vital role in all the
organisations such as NatWest Bank to manage and overcome resistance to change. By using
effective leadership the leaders in the entity have introduced the Digital and Innovation
Apprentice Programme. While planning to impose it leaders communicated with all the staff
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members and provided them information about benefits of it. They also managed the change by
keeping track record of all the activities related to the new programme.
3. Critical exploration and analysis of the way in which ethics shape the relationship between
leaders and followers within an organisation
Ethics are considered as the main part of executing operations properly. It is very
important for leaders to pay attention towards them to shape the relation with followers. When a
supervisor behave ethically with subordinate then it helps to establish good relationship between
them. While implementing change, all the organisations such as NatWest are required to to
design and delivery of change as it is important to reach the desired goals (Skinner, 2014).
NatWest is one of the largest banking organisations and it is facing different types of
issues related to decision making, corporate governance and policy practice because of resistance
of change behaviour of staff.
Recommendations
 In order to make the Digital and Innovation Apprentice Programme successful it is very
important for NatWest to apply effective leadership styles.
 While implementing the change at workplace the management is required to use
appropriate change model so that desired goals could be accomplished.
CONCLUSION
From the above project report it has been concluded that strategic leadership is required
by all the organisations to formulate all the long term strategies for implementing change. While
imposing new policies Kurt Lewin's model could be used. Effective leadership is also required to
manage and overcome resistance to change.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals:
Home, A. Z., 2016. NatWest: Another Global Bank Gone. The Big Four British Banks:
Organisation, Strategy and the Future. p.120.
Kunisch, S., Menz, M. and Ambos, B., 2015. Changes at corporate headquarters: Review,
integration and future research. International Journal of Management Reviews. 17(3).
pp.356-381.
Roe, K., 2017. Leadership: practice and perspectives. Oxford University Press.
Skinner, C., 2014. Digital bank: Strategies to launch or become a digital bank. Marshall
Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd.
Online
Change introduced by NatWest. 2019. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.rbs.com/rbs/news/2019/10/natwest-launches-digital---innovation-
apprentice-programme.html>
Lewin's change model. 2020. [Online]. Available through:
<https://www.ciopages.com/change-management-models/kurt-lewin-change-
management-model/>
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