Responding to Change in a Large Organization from a Leadership Angle

Abstract

The reality today is that organizations and leaders are faced with unrelenting demands to change. Globalisation, competitiveness and ever changing business environments have forced organisations to constantly consider innovative changes. The challenge today is for leaders to be able to reduce the resistance to change, and thus allowing for successful change navigation. It is therefore necessary to be mindful of the various approaches to change in order to ensure that change can be successfully implemented. The success of any change intervention depends on the leadership of the organisation. It is therefore important to note that leadership is an enabler of any type of change. In general leadership can be seen as the driving force to ensure effectiveness and efficiency. Effective leaders know that the successful implementation of change begins with attending to the human side in the organisation. Therefore, leadership is about the leader’s ability to influence people and allowing them to change perceptions, behaviours, attitudes and finally action. This paper is an attempt to address specific requirements, referring to relevant leadership competencies and providing more empowering views on the essence of leadership in navigating a successful change intervention.

DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n20p827