Change Management is an Essential Leadership Skill

Over the years, I’ve noticed that the most effective, influential leaders with resilient teams and team members who support them have one thing in common: They understand and consider the impact of their decisions as they introduce change within the organization. They have a foundational understanding of change management and use it to inform their decision-making. They recognize that the experience of the people they are asking to think and behave differently—not the change itself—determines successful strategy execution and results.

I’ve also noticed that by establishing change management as a practice and a specialized skill for specific individuals, including change practitioners, project managers, and HR teams, organizations have relegated the responsibility of considering the impact of change on people to a subset of individuals. These individuals are often brought into the conversation after the decision to change has already been made. As a result, leaders continue to overlook this critical element when making strategic decisions, and the cycle of being reactive to change continues.

Many business decisions are based on operational drivers, such as financial health, digital transformation opportunities, or process and workflow efficiencies. When leaders make decisions strictly based on operational drivers through a business-focused lens, how the changes will affect people becomes an afterthought or, worse, a missed consideration. And, thanks to decades of research, we know that the impact of operational change on people is one of the most common blind spots in organizations. 

So, how do you bridge the gap and adopt the skills needed to make more strategic and impact-driven decisions as a business leader? Rather than leaving change success to a few change management experts, recognize that change success starts with you as a leader. 

Leaders who plan with the impacted stakeholder in mind and, when possible, with input from those groups will achieve better outcomes and results than those who don’t. In some situations, deciding to change isn’t an option; even so, walking into that transition with a clear understanding of the additional effort and impact on people sets leaders and their teams up for a smoother ride and a higher likelihood for success. 

Apogy can help you become the influential business and change leader you want to be. We know that change is a team sport, which is why we’re excited to introduce mini workshops later this spring, covering:

• Change Management 101 (tailored to an executive team or broader staff looking to develop a change-focused mindset)
• Stakeholder Engagement (tailored to executives making change decisions or people managers leading and navigating change) 
• Change Communication (for any teams communicating change, including internal communications, HR, and other people-focused roles) 

Stay tuned for more information in the coming months! We also offer consulting for leaders who could use tailored guidance and support. Ready to get started? Email me at [email protected] today!

Sincerely, 

Jessica Crow
Founder, Apogy