Report on Leadership and Change Management in Organizations

This report comprehensively examines the critical roles of leadership and change management in contemporary organizations. It begins with an executive summary highlighting the importance of these factors for organizational success, emphasizing the leader's role in introducing and incorporating change. The report delves into the definition of leadership for change, exploring the essential skills required by leaders to manage ambiguity, foster creativity, and ensure open communication. It analyzes the influence of leadership on organizational change, discussing the impact of transformational leadership and the importance of planning, education, communication, support, and employee participation. Furthermore, the report explores the evolving landscape of change management and leadership in the 21st century, emphasizing the need for value-based, network, and systemic resilience. It highlights the application of leadership theories, such as transformational and participative leadership, and provides real-world examples of successful change management. Finally, the report offers recommendations for organizations to improve their practices, including adopting a change management mentality, clarifying vision, and ensuring effective communication to overcome challenges like employee resistance and resource inadequacy. The report emphasizes that effective leadership is vital for organizational growth and long-term success.

Running Head: MANAGEMENT
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Management
4/12/2019

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Executive Summary
To summarise the discussion on Leadership and change management, it can be stated that
these factors contribute to the success in contemporary organisations. In the process of
introducing and incorporating change in the organisations, it has been analysed that leaders
play an important role. The assignment has described all the aspects of leadership, and
leader’s role and their relationship with the change management. Essential skills and abilities
of a leader influence the behaviour of employees, ensure their high commitment towards
managing change, and achieve goals. The report has also mentioned about leadership
theories, as participative or democratic style of leadership contribute to the success of
organisational change and lead to increased profits in the long run.

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Contents
Introduction...........................................................................................................................................3
Change management.............................................................................................................................3
Role of leadership in Organisational change.........................................................................................3
Essential skills required to practice change...........................................................................................4
Influence of leadership on organisational change..................................................................................5
Change management and leadership in the 21st century.........................................................................6
Recommendations.................................................................................................................................7
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................8
References...........................................................................................................................................10

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Introduction
The report brings about the discussion on the concept of leadership and change in context to
contemporary organisations. Organisational leadership is considered as a dual focused
management approach as it aims to achieve best for the employees as individuals, and as
group. It is also referred to a work ethic that enhances or improves the overall performance of
the organisation. The term ‘leadership for change’ or change leadership refers to the ability of
managers to influence others through personal advocacy, vision, and drive towards accessing
resources and attaining goals. Therefore, the report will define the concept of ‘leadership for
change’ stating the importance of leadership in the change management in firms. In the later
part, the discussion will provide recommendations, in terms of management approaches or
practices that will lead to effective change in the organisation. Thus, the discussion of
leadership for change will be illustrated with the help of suitable examples and using
scholarly literature.
Change management
Change management refers to the systematic approach of dealing with the transition or
transformation of an organisation’s goals or processes, or technologies. The purpose of
introducing change in the organisation is implementing strategies for effecting change,
controlling change and assisting people adapt to the change (Doppelt, 2017).
Role of leadership in Organisational change
The concept of organisational change is defined as the process of changing an organisation’s
strategies, procedures, processes, technologies, and culture and the influence on the
organisation. Leaders or managers who facilitate the culture of change within organisation,
ensures some of the change management benefits to the organisation. These benefits include
increased employee engagement, motivation of employees, and the profitability or
sustainability of the organisation. Therefore, it can be stated that leadership exerts a positive
influence on the organisational change and overall performance of the organisations. The
current literature on the change management states the importance of leadership in managing
change, as the ability to respond to the change is crucial in any leadership position.
Furthermore, effective leadership or leader in an organisation attains the capability to cope
with the consequences of change and direct the strategies towards gaining success (Dumas
and Beinecke, 2018). Another aspect that states the importance of leadership is that, it helps

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one to understand challenges, techniques, and other issues associated with the
implementation of change.
Essential skills required to practice change
The above discussion has defined the meaning, need, and importance of the leadership in
initiating and implementing change in the organisation. Now, the report will bring the
assessment of essential skills required by leaders to incorporate change within organisational
settings (Hickman and Silva, 2018).
Manage ambiguity and lead change
Leaders with the ability to successfully lead the organisation, attain the capability to manage
ambiguity or uncertain situations in the organisations. It states the quality of leaders, as who
are flexible in their work and open to the new inputs in their organisation or practices are able
to implement change effectively (Deshler, 2016).
Creative
Being creative in the organisational set-up is another vital skill of the leaders, as it helps in
drawing information from a wide range of sources, and using them to manage change.
Therefore, it states the critical role of creativity of leaders in managing change and other
aspects in the organisation.
Open communicators
It is essential for the leaders in the organisation to ensure open and effective communication
to their employees, managers or other superiors in the organisation. An open and friendly
work environment is the major aspect of employee motivation, which helps in managing
change in the processes. Leaders need to become open communicator, to facilitate easy
transfer of the information to the employees, to resolve issues and problems that affect the
process of change within organisation (Aarons et al., 2015).

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Influence of leadership on organisational change
In context to business organisations, it has been found that leadership can lead to positive or
negative influence on the process of change, depending on the methods of change.
According to the researchers Van der Voet, Kuipers and Groeneveld (2016) it has been
analysed there is a strong relationship between the aspects of transformational leadership and
affirmative change in organisation. This relationship between leadership and organisational
change has observed in relation to the public sector organisations. Through transformational
characteristics; a leader practices and ensures effective planning and successful
implementation of change process. To understand the concept and relevance to the change,
the authors have suggested some aspects or functions of a leader to be performed to achieve
success in the change management. Therefore, it influences change in the organisation
through incorporating or practising effective planning, education, communication, support,
and participation (Dartey-Baah, 2015).
Planning: It is considered that through effective planning techniques, and processes leaders
may overcome the issue of employee resistance to any change within organisation. Therefore,
leaders make plans and help employees work with their maximum potential.
Education is another important aspect, as leaders must ensure that all the employees and other
organisational members understand the need and benefit of incorporating change within
organisation. Managers or leaders provide information to determine strategies to overcome
problems, and training them towards using new systems or process to attain goals (Jaques,
2017).
Communication, it has been analysed through designing effective communication channel or
process that will ensure all the changes are communicated to employees effectively.
Moreover, it will assure that the employees understand their role well in the organisation, to
achieve the mission and goals predetermined (Carnall, 2018).
Participation: The aspect of participation is considered important, as the employee
engagement in the organisation, will lead to creation of better organisational culture. The
culture of acceptance will help in attaining the change, as managers involved employees in
the decision-making process.

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Support: It is another important aspect that is an essential role of the leaders, in incorporating
and managing change in the organisation. Leadership in the organisation ensure important
skills to the employees, and reviewing organisational structure to align with the change.
From the above context, it has understood that leadership for change is an important
phenomenon in modern business organisations. Leadership in an organisation helps in
improving the organisational culture, which further motivates employees to incorporate or
practice change in the organisation. Thus, it can be stated that the aspect or influence of the
leadership has considered vital to the organisational change in the organisations (Schrum and
Levin, 2016).
In reference to the change management literature that applies the concepts of leadership,
behaviour leads to commitment, organisational behaviour and the career development of
employees determines change in the organisation. The aspect of leadership behaviour and
readiness of change in the organisation has studied in context to different types of
organisations, such as healthcare organisations. Therefore, it states that managers must
practice strategic leadership to initiate effective change management in the organisation
(Bratton and Gold, 2017).
Change management and leadership in the 21st century
In the twenty first century, organisations are becoming innovative and focus more on the
aspects of innovation and use of technologies to attain organisational goals and increase
revenue. Therefore, leaders in the 21st century face problems or complexity states the
requirement of developing three fundamental pillars, i.e. value based leadership, network
leadership, and systemic resilience.
Schrum and Levin (2016) stated the aspect of leaders and leadership in the twenty first
century, and gave the idea about change management, as fast-paced change is the norm.
Everyone needs a change management skill, and people are a change management agent, who
is responsible to practice change in their work processes or methods.
Implementing change leadership theories
Leaders in organisations with the ability to influence behaviour of employees towards
working differently and adapt to the changes earn profits, achieve profit, and maintain a
competitive edge. Therefore, leaders need to formulate and implement effective leadership

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theories along with using skills, and abilities to implement new change in the organisation
(Noe et al., 2017).
Holten and Brenner (2015) stated about the leadership styles or theories, which are essential
to be implemented in the organisation towards establishing change. This is essential in the
changing global marketplace to ensure managing or coping with the different situations and
problems. Another reason that states the application of effective leadership is to manage
different type of change in the organisation. Change in experienced in an organisation, in
varied contexts such as introduction of new production systems, and processes, and or
adjusting to the new management or operating models. Therefore, managers need to adopt
effective leadership theories to adjust or manage change in the organisation. Furthermore,
managers or leaders at the higher position must follow the practice of rewarding employees
for adapting to the change in the organisation. The researchers have found through their
survey on the organisations, higher the employee motivation greater will be their willingness
to accept the change (Termeer, Dewulf and Biesbroek, 2017). Thus, transformational or
participative leadership will be effective in the organisation as it involves participation of the
employees in the organisation. Participative leadership ensures attainment of goals as
organisational members focus with their full commitment. It enhances the effectiveness of
process of organisational change, as participative leadership manage the employee resistance
and increase their cooperation in the working of organisation. Example of organisations
which work, and practice effective leadership, and has gained success in organising a change
is Coca Cola. The company has shown effectiveness in terms of acquiring positive feedback
from the employees, just as it accommodates the customers around the world, in terms of
best services (Al-Hussami, Hammad and Alsoleihat, 2018).
Recommendations
From the above discussion, it has been analysed that the leadership and organisational change
has been important concept in organisations towards gaining growth and success in the long-
term. However, organisations face number of issues and challenges while incorporating
change in the organisation, and working with effective leadership. These challenges or
barriers to the organisational change may consist of aspects such as , lack of understanding of
employees towards change, negative employee attitudes, less employee engagement, poor
or inefficient communication. Another barriers major to the organisational change is the
inadequacy of resources, and resistance of employees, which hamper the initiation and

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management of change. Therefore, this section of report will provide some recommendations
as how organisations can improve their practices and ensure effective change. The changes or
recommendations that are essential to be incorporated into management practices are carried
out in certain manner, described in the below steps.
Adopting change management mentality: To incorporate change in the organisation, it is
essential for the managers or leaders to adopt the mentality of change in the organisation.
They need to understand the aspect that change is essential and it will lead to better prospects
and other future benefits to the organisation.
Clarifying the vision and ensuring effective communication: Managers in every organisation
has the responsibility to clarify their vision, mission, and other goals of management. In
addition, to the visions they need to ensure that employees are well informed of their duties,
roles, and responsibilities to be fulfilled. This will help them build trust in organisation, and
accept to any kind of change in the organisation.
Accountability and transparency: During the time of incorporating change in the
organisational practices or processes, it is essential for managers to show their accountability
for their work and strategies. Being accountable in the organisation means fostering the
desire and high commitment towards the problems and issues in the management. Hence,
these steps has demonstrated few necessary steps to be undertaken in the organisation in
order to incorporate change and assure profitability and success in longer period (Schultz et
al., 2018).
Conclusion
To conclude the above discussion on change management, and leadership, it has been
analysed that leaders or managers play an important role in organisation. Leadership for
change is an important aspect as it influences the behaviour of employees, and their values or
beliefs towards accepting change in the organisation. Acquiring and adapting to the change in
any process or strategy requires gaining essential skills and qualities over time to adjust with
the workflow. The discussion above in this report has stated all the aspects of leadership
theories or style, which help in attaining the goals of incorporating change in the practices. A
leader must fulfil the interests and needs of their employees and subordinates along with their
customers in order to attain efficiency in their goal or objectives. Therefore, it can be stated

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that leader’s role is important in motivating employees and other members towards practising
change in the organisation.

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References
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a leadership and organization development intervention for evidence-based practice
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Al-Hussami, M., Hammad, S. and Alsoleihat, F. (2018). The influence of leadership
behavior, organizational commitment, organizational support, subjective career success on
organizational readiness for change in healthcare organizations. Leadership in Health
Services, 31(4), pp. 354-370.
Bratton, J. and Gold, J. (2017) Human resource management: theory and practice. United
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Dumas, C. and Beinecke, R.H. (2018) Change leadership in the 21st century. Journal of
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Holten, A.L. and Brenner, S.O. (2015) Leadership style and the process of organizational
change. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 36(1), pp.2-16.

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Jaques, E. (2017) Requisite organization: A total system for effective managerial
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