Reference no: EM133499541

Assignment: Leadership Styles for Radical Transformation Essay

Introduction

"Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability but comes through continuous struggle ." --Martin Luther King, Jr.

Our world is changing fast and organizations must change quickly, too. Over the past twenty years, globalization has changed the business environment in profound ways. Diverse cultures have been brought into contact and this has created new leadership challenges. Trade and commerce are more interconnected than ever; the turbulence of markets has demanded new approaches to leadership and development of a 'Next Generation of Leaders' (Read "Developing the next generation of leaders: trends and truth of the next generation leadership development' by Ian Ziskin.

Change is a common thread that runs through all businesses regardless of size, industry, and age. Organizations that handle change well thrive, whilst those that do not may struggle to survive and eventually perish. The concept of "change management" is a familiar one in most businesses today. But how businesses lead change (and how successful they are at it) varies enormously depending on the nature of the business, the change and the people involved. And a key part of this depends on how well people within it understand the change process (read ‘Lewin's change model; understanding the three stages of change' by the Mind Tools Editorial Team.

It is not easy to change mindsets. As the saying goes "no pain, no gain". Usually, a strong trigger is needed to make people realize that the traditional way of doing things is no longer adequate. Awareness of the need for change is achieved when organizations come under internal and external pressure and this may trigger organizational change processes. The need for change usually comes along with a high degree of stress which is an acknowledgment of serious consequences if the organization carries on ignoring changes in the environment. This stress this is precisely the necessary catalyst, ‘sense of urgency', that is needed for an organizational change.

Leading an organization through a change process requires adept management skills. One of the skills is necessary for the leaders is to learn how to align all parts of the organization strategy. The McKinsey 7-S Framework can be used, regardless of type of change, to understand how they are interrelated, and to ensure that the wider impact of changes made in one area is taken into consideration for the organization at large (read ‘the McKinsey 7-S framework; Ensuring that all parts of your organization work in harmony by the Mind Tools Editorial Team.

In this unit, we will look at five stages of radical organizational change. Different leadership styles, and perhaps different leaders, are needed to navigate the organization through uncharted territory. In this unit we will also consider the case of a large multinational firm as it is buffeted by global forces beyond its control.

Remember "it is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change." --Charles Darwin

I. Discussion Assignment

After reading "Leadership Styles for the Five Stages of Radical Change," consider the stages of change and what is required of a leader at each stage. Using your current industry locate an example of a recent or current disruption and discuss how you (as a leader) or another leader close to you lead through the change. Was it effective or not? Why or why not? What did you learn about leadership from this experience?

II. Written Assignment

Read "BP and the Deepwater Horizon Disaster of 2010" with an eye toward the organizational culture. It's not important to focus on the actual disaster itself or its engineering problems. Instead, consider the corporate attitudes toward change.

Considering the leadership styles from this week's reading, evaluate which one would be the most beneficial to execute radical change within the organization as it is described in the case study.

Then, assume that the organizational culture is still similar today. How would you recommend that the organization implement a radical change process from fossil fuels to renewable energies? In other words, how would you address each of the five stages of organizational change?