Leadership and Change
In life and in business, few things are guaranteed; most people have experienced a significant change in their professional or personal lives. Changes in the workplace must not only be managed, but expected. They can come from the acts of individuals within the organization, or from individuals or organizations outside the control of anyone within the organization. The task of managing changes falls to leaders, who must not only expect changes, but embrace them. It is the leaders’ job to lead through change and to manage and adapt changes themselves to benefit the company.
Leaders must approach change with an open mind. Changes can be far-flung and widespread in the corporate world. The leader must be able to look towards change as a positive thing rather than a variable. Change is the way of the future, and an organization cannot move forward unless it accepts and uses change as a tool. Organizations risk becoming stagnant if their leaders fear change, and are doomed to failure by losing their effectiveness and ability to work in a changing world.
Invoking change within a company is a critical element of effective leadership. Without purposeful leadership, change is haphazard and ineffective. Leaders have the responsibility to proactively create positive changes within their company, leading through the changes to benefit all stakeholders. Purposeful leaders view change as an effective tool in the business world rather than as something to be feared.