Leadership Competencies for Transformational Change
What does it mean to make a transformational change? The literature is full of references to change, but it is not always clear what sort of change people are talking about. The significance is that different sorts of changes require different approaches and very different competencies.
Transformational change is when you literally change the rules for operation. Culture change such as that represented in mergers and acquisitions is a classic example of this sort of change, often mistakenly approached as an integration project. Errors in approaching this sort of change are also directly attributed to the failure of many mergers.
Another sort of transformational change is when the leader begins a life shift. We often find this when a person is confronted with a life changing circumstance or receives an internal aspiration to become someone completely different. This is the source of the deepest level of transformational change at a personal level. When this leader has a significant following, this is guaranteed to create a corresponding change within their organization or community system. Learning how to work with this is the key to inspiring profound change within larger systems.
People change because they choose to change
No one really knows how to control change in complex human systems, or in individual human beings for that matter. Change in organizations is complex, but still boils down to individuals deciding to change. So, starting from the position that people only change if they choose certainly simplifies the matter for all concerned. The most effective change efforts put vision in the center and work to align people around that direction.
We know that there are five areas of competency that create transformational change in organizations.
- Transformation Leaders
- Envision a Compelling Future (Vision)
- Commit to the Future (Action)
- Set High Performance Goals (Aspiration)
- Enable Inspired Action through Teams (Collaboration)
- Exude Energy & Inspiration (Presence)
People choose their leaders
As it turns out, the real key to successful change is the leader, and the choices that leader makes - the choice to engage, the choice to commit, and the choice to share their perspective with others. Leaders create networks of thought, energy, and commitment that drive organizations.
Creating your own path
Research abounds that supports each of these competencies. Most importantly, they get results. Practice them and you will see them for yourself. You don’t have to be world class in all of them to be a very effective leader, but you do need to have a level of competency in them all. Most importantly, as a leader you need to consciously decide how you will spend your time and energy in these areas.
If you really want to take yourself on with these, go out and ask others how they perceive you. Get your friends, your family, and your co-workers to give you candid feedback on how you are within these areas. Look at what they tell you as the greatest gift to knowing yourself to begin your own force of transformation in the world. One other thing to remember is that leadership starts at home. The first system we need to learn to influence is our own. We are each completely responsible for how we think and how we behave. Our world needs great leaders. Find your inspiration, learn to live it, and then develop the powerful and profoundly important ability to lead others.
