What is Change Leadership?

 

For many years the most popular definition of Change Leadership that existed was by Higgs and Rowland as “Change leadership is the ability to influence and enthuse others through personal advocacy, vision and drive, and to access resources to build a solid platform for change“.

 

While this is a great definition, in today’s VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complex, Ambiguous) world where change is fast-paced, continuously being disrupted by advancing technology and a complex socio-economic environment, we need a definition that best describes our new paradigm and the much needed role of change leadership that cuts across ‘position’ and ‘title’. The following definition encapsulates this shift in paradigm, as well as the top skills required by change leaders:

 

Change Leadership is the ability to influence and inspire action in others, and respond with vision and agility during periods of growth, disruption or uncertainty to bring about the needed change.

 

Change leadership requires the need to be visionary and forward thinking, and the ability to be agile and responsive to our constantly and rapidly changing business environment.