Last week on Leaderview, we examined The Essential Competences of System Leaders. What we will be sharing with ourselves today is a follow up on it. So, we want to look at today: The System Leader in Change Management.

 

If there is any aspect of an organization’s life where the leader must step into effectiveness, it is either during a period of crisis within the organization or a period of change. Whether we like it or not, most organizations at some point or the other would experience these two events: a period of crisis or a period of change. But we are focusing today on change management, how the system leader can effectively handle change without creating unnecessary panic or fear in the organization. Change Management in a simple term, is defined as “a process that helps ease any organizational transitions.”

 

It is Albert Einstein that said “insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different result.” At some point or the other within the organization, change must happen. And if a change would be positive or negative, the place of leadership cannot be undermined. System Leaders play a critical role during the organization’s attempt to embrace change. There are a few things I would love to share with us that can help during this period of change management, and these tips are relevant for any organization.

 

Now during the period of change, the starting point is that the system leader must work and lead the employees/followers into this new change so that they can understand the direction of the future. This is the first assignment of the system leader in change management. We saw this play out in the time of Jesus when He spoke about His death to His disciples. In Mark 8:31-33, the Bible says: “And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. ³² He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. ³³ But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

 

Did we see that? Peter needed to call Jesus aside and rebuked him because he didn’t understand what He was saying. Naturally speaking, people are change averse. People love to maintain status quo rather than embrace change. There are a lot of phycological imbalances to change and therefore, people naturally tend to resist it. And this is why the system leader must work hand in hand with the employees or his followers so that he can lead them into this change and douse any tension that may want to ensue from it.

 

The next thing after this is to define the scope of the change! After Jesus spoke about what would happen in the future, his departure from the scene and all of that, He told His disciples what they are to expect in the new change that is coming upon them. He had been with them for three and half years and now, a change is beckoning. Christ must need return to base and they need to carry on with the work. Two things Jesus said to His disciples that defines the scope of their work and I want to quickly point out to us. First, He said to them the works that He did they will do, and greater works than He did. John 14:12 says: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” That means in the new change, the disciples have got more work to do, in other words, the scope of their work have increased.

 

Secondly, in terms of geographical spread, Jesus told them they should get ready to go out more in the new change arrangement. Matthew 28:18-19a, the Bible says: “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations…” Before, they were restricted to Jerusalem and its environs but with the new change, the world is the scope. Acts 1:8 says: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” So, from here, we discover that the system leader must need to define the scope of the new change so that the employees can be prepared for what is ahead of them even as they look towards the future.

 

The next thing after this is to select the change management leader! Somebody among the people or the followers or employees must be selected to manage the change process. Now, in the case, it is not the system leader. It is another person that the system leader could delegate to and hold accountable peradventure the change process isn’t going on as planned. Now, in the case of Christ, Peter became the change management leader. Luke 22:31-32 (AMP), Jesus said to Peter: “Simon, Simon (Peter), listen! Satan has demanded permission to sift [all of] you like grain; ³² but I have prayed [especially] for you [Peter], that your faith [and confidence in Me] may not fail; and you, once you have turned back again [to Me], strengthen and support your brothers [in the faith].”

 

The next thing after this is to implement the change in stages! Most of the time the change wouldn’t happen all at once. As a matter of fact, the best way to effectively transition in change management is to do it in stages. When a stage is done with, then evaluate and move on to other stages. Now, Jesus said to His disciples, don’t rush into the field yet. The first thing is that you must tarry at Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high. Luke 24:49 (AMP) says: “Listen carefully: I am sending the Promise of My Father [the Holy Spirit] upon you; but you are to remain in the city [of Jerusalem] until you are clothed (fully equipped) with power from on high.” So, for the disciples, the first stage of the change is to actually wait until they have been given the power to start implementing the change.

 

The last thing is to evaluate the resistance to change! The system leader must be able to evaluate whatever it is that may want to resist the change. Whether we like it or not, there are people who always would resist change, irrespective of how lofty the change may be. People naturally don’t want to change. They always want to remain at that state of rest or remain within their comfort zones. So, the system leader must be able to foresee these resistances and then act accordingly. See what Jesus said to His disciples in Luke 12:11-12 as regarding this: “Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say. ¹² For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” The resistance in this context is the disciples being brought forward before the magistrates and authorities to defend what they are doing. But Jesus told them: The Holy Spirit would show up for them!

 

So, in summary, the system leader in change management has the following things to do:

 

1. He or she must work with the employees to begin creating a new vision of the future and help employees to understand the direction of the future!
2. He or she must define the scope of the change!
3. He or she must select the change management leader!
4. He or she must implement the change in stages and,
5. He or she must evaluate the resistance to change!

 

I believe you have learnt something in this week’s edition of Leaderview. My name is Abiola Obayomi and until I come your way again next week, stay leading and God bless you!

Thanks for the gift of your time, I am Obayomi Abiola Benjamin!

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