Leadership that is committed is essential in the successful pursuit of change. Without a strong leader to give direction and insist that people must remain committed to the ideals of change, the entire idea could be hijacked and mutilated by the opponents of change.
It has been shown that while change inspires hope in those who believe in it, it evokes equal measure of fear in those who depend on the status quo for their survival (Nixon 2002, p. 22).
Change can only succeed if it is managed by dedicated leaders who also show willingness to make personal sacrifices. Such leaders must, however, not only commit to the idea of change, but also ensure that people they lead understand and accept their ideas.
This calls for a rare combination of bold leadership, good communication skills as well as corporate values. These values must be applied synergistically and should include intellectual, spiritual and emotional involvement of the people (Nixon 2002 p. 12).
Intellectually involving people in the pursuit of change means making them appreciate the need for change and feel that their individual contribution will be appreciated. According to Hastings, many revolutions have failed because their leaders failed to integrate people so they felt united in a common course.
It always starts with competition for space when everyone wants to take credit for the gains made. In the end, the whole process runs into turmoil as none of the competing interests is willing to cede ground for the sake of the movement (Hastings 1993, p. 83).
Leaders need to emotionally and spiritually involve people in order to successfully manage change. This implies showing respect for the shared values and unfettered commitment to the idea of change.
When a leader begins to act as though the much-sought change has little meaning to him or her, people tend to lose confidence and coil back into their comfort zones. The reality is that ideal change requires tremendous sacrifices that very few people are always willing to make.
It takes the courage of an individual to be at the forefront and shoulder any burden that may arise. Thus, if this individual loses focus, the entire group will retreat due to the associated risks (Hastings 1993, p. 13).
From time to time, a leader will be needed to give direction on what should be done. This will ensure that the idea of change remains on course. According to Nixon, those who benefit from the status quo will always try to frustrate the idea of change.
If they get the slightest opportunity, they would completely scatter the idea. This reinstates the fact that strong leaders are needed to motivate people so that they can take the right actions.
They basically align people’s thoughts and coordinate their individual steps to conform to the idea of change (Nixon 2002, p. 61).
In conclusion, change cannot succeed without the help of strong and committed leaders. It requires that leaders show people the way and use their personal influence to sell the idea to the people in a manner that appeals both to the heart and the mind.
There should be an attempt to achieve both emotional alignment and intellectual integration in order to keep people on the track of change. This is the only way that change can become popular and eventually succeed.
List of References
Hastings, C. 1993, The New Organization, IBM/McGraw-Hill, London.
Nixon, B. 2002, ‘Responding Positively to the Big Issues’, Professional Consultancy, 4, April, 24–26.