The latest McKinsey online quarterly summarises results of their research and experience into what successful, large scale transformations have in common:

“setting clear aspirational targets,  creating a clear structure, maintaining energy and involvement throughout the organization, and exercising strong leadership.”

The theme of  building capabilities, particularly leadership capabilities,  came out as a strong driver of success. The success factors were closely interrelated:

• strong leadership enabled collaboration and engagement of people throughout the process;
• the ability to break the the change program down into manageable smaller initiatives that people could understand;
• getting employees involved at planning stage was highly engaging,
• identifying the critical mindset shifts very early on assisted with planning and change activities

The critical role of leaders in change is reinforced:

“strong leadership and maintining energy for change among employees are two principles of success that reinforce each other when executed well.”

I am gathering my thoughts around what change leadership is…..

Being a change leader means understanding how to create this energy for change, sometimes in environments where people are tired or experiencing change fatigue. 

Being a change leader means understanding shifts required in mindsets and attitudes, and focusing on this early on.

Being a change leader means understanding that behaviour and mindset changes are considered inputs to change planning, not outcomes of process change

Being a change leader means  finding ways for people to take ownership of parts of the change through delivery, rather than have them feeling things are being “done to them” and are not within their control

Change leaders find ways to achieve these things regardless of their role,  level, or leadership status. It’s an approach - a value set – that underpins how they think and plan.

I believe that supporting people (leaders or otherwise) to become strong change leaders must be a component of successful change.

What are your thoughts on capabilities of change leaders?

(The full McKinsey article from March 2010  ”What Successful Transformations have in Common” – is found here (www.mckinseyquarterly.com,  but it requires premium membership to view)