Strategic Leadership in Organization Change

Introduction

            Strategic leadership applies the strategy in the management of organizations. Therefore, leaders become very instrumental to ensure that organizational change gets established and made permanent. There are various leaders in an organization where some of which can’t see through the change process o while others seem good in initiating change. Consequently, because of specialization, the two types of leaders are critical in organizational in setting change process.

Types of Strategic Leaders

            The charismatic leader- holders of this type of leadership, poses personal quality as well as the ability to mobilizing and sustaining activities in the organization. During the change process, charismatic leaders, through their individual actions as well as perceived individual characteristics, are capable of mobilizing employees to sustain efficient adoption to the dynamics. Charismatic leaders easily change individual’s goals, values, needs as well as aspiration. Despite the fact that they are the popular kind of leaders, their leadership always becomes observable as well as definable since their behavioral attributes are very vivid. Charismatic leaders have three main components that include envisioning, enabling and energizing which are critical in organizational change process (Brumm & Drury, 2013).

            Instrumental leadership- in this type, leaders ensure that all people in the management and employees follow proposed change line to make the process consistent as well as permanent.  They invest in developing competent groups, clarifying lines of action to their group, both management and employees, developing in valuations as well as administrating rewards and reinforcement depending on the way people handle change process. Instrumental leaders ensure the established change process of change never become short-lived but stay permanent. Effective transformation in organizations always needs charismatic as well as instrumental leaders. Charismatic leaders are best in generating force, developing commitment as well as directing people towards new approaches in the organization. Instrumental leaders on the other hand [promote consistency in adoption process the innovated organizational strategy (Brumm & Drury, 2013).

Strategic Leadership in the Organizational Change Management

            As briefly discussed earlier, change in an organization is not often embraced positively in many organizations. Therefore, strategic leadership must be able to introduce news on the change in professional as well as conducive step to make the players receive the change positively. This process may include well designed prior training, seminars, workshops as well as active role models to the people to ensure that the rest get motivated and become eager to know more. This process helps a great deal in adopting change. It is vital to initiate the change process in piecemeal so that one reduces resistance changes (Shirey & Calarco, 2014).

            When the organization becomes aware of the intended initiative, means as well as dynamics of implementing the initiative, it becomes the leaders’ role to ensure all procedures get followed carefully. This process involves regular monitoring as well as evaluating employees, rewarding those performing as a motivational strategy while those who entertain laxity face appropriate repercussions. If leadership becomes consistent in monitoring as well as evaluation processes, adopting new change techniques take root easily. This strategy makes employees forget their old system and follow the new one (Shirey & Calarco, 2014).

 In all organizations, effectiveness in management affects the general change success management greatly. In the primary stages of the change process, leaders seem to envision so that they can develop an outlook of future. From this outlook, people end up identifying with it and strive towards achieving it. This process is vital since people more likely get committed it they work towards one goal.

            Another role of strategic leadership is generating of energy as well as motivating workers in an organization. This approach motivates employees to work to the determined goal. The most common methods that leaders use in the energizing of employees is demonstrating personal excitement by making personal contact with employees of the organization.  As soon as the employees discover the confidence in leaders, they never hesitate to get involved in the change process (Shirey & Calarco, 2014).

            Additionally, strategic leadership becomes responsible for helping employees psychologically to continue performing whenever faced with any challenge. When everything gets done for all employees and gets set work, it becomes important to provide employees with emotional support in all times they need. Good leaders must be able to listen keenly to employees, comprehend their setbacks and participate in devising a solution. Employee always has great confidence in such type of leaders whereby charismatic leaders become better to suit this position.

Strategic Leadership and its Importance in Change Management

            Strategic leadership in the management of change has some great benefits to the whole organization. Some of these benefits to the organization are, provision of staff with direction as well as focus, Formation of the base for objectives as well as strategies and  Inspiring of positive emotions, on the whole, organization (Lahtero & Kuusilehto-Awale, 2013). It also ensures unanimity in purpose as well as assisting in resolving divergent views from employees. It, therefore, becomes the primary core of organizations which dictates the success or challenges in it.

             Contrary, strategic leadership at times becomes biased and fail in the provision of benefits meant for an organization. For example, a strategic vision can become affected by leaders and may end up favoring interests of leaders at the same time forgetting the interests of subordinate as well as ordinary employees. Additionally, top executives may use vulnerable failure practices, can condone the unethical conduct. They may pay less or no attention to the productivity, innovation and quality. They may also allocate time as well as money unwisely. Such bias may also apply much intuition and little practical analysis.

Democracy as a Strategy of Strategic Leadership

             Leaders who give an opportunity for the juniors to give their views and active participation tend to initiate change easily and positively. They eliminate conflicts while developing mutuality in an organization. Exercising of democratic leadership promotes participative nature of leadership. Under this leadership style, it gives employees an active participation in the decision-making process. The approach is critical in strategic leadership in that probability of all employees in an organization to excel and develop skills increases only if feel empowered with involvement in the process of decision making (Jurek & Scime, 2014). The democratic style of leadership becomes suitable when employees become knowledgeable about the process of the organization and the cases in the organization. This style remains a necessity in vibrant as well as fast changing workplaces where nothing is ecstatic. Leaders can impress Democratic leadership in change management in the following ways;

·         Ask members of the organization their views and opinions before making the final decision.

·         Utilizing voting strategy in deciding on the best action that affects the whole organization in the process of change.

·         Motivating employees working with the strength to their abilities while at the same time training them as well as delegating work properly.

·         Allow members to set some of their deadlines of meeting targets based on the demands of the organization.

            Practicing such strategies in leadership is critical I that the decision made will get viewed as involving every person. This process in the end reduces resistance in the change process.

Kotter's Theory and Strategic Leadership in Change

            Kotter's model in change management presents eight step theories where every step takes a certain period. Mistakes occurring in one step affect the success of the general process. The model best suits strategic leadership as well as strategic management. The reason is that the changing of the vision in an organization becomes possible for leaders to alter the vision in an organization.  Therefore, strategic leaders usually follow the steps critically to ensure change gets attained.

Conclusion

            Change management and strategic are close areas but very interdependent. Change management becomes very frustrating and disappointing if accompanied by bad leadership. To initiate proper as well as an effective change in an organization, it remains critical to employ better management whose origin is leaders. This situation reveals why it is critical to know links between the two. The links may include theories describing the two, the economic importance and strategic leadership role in the process of change management. Every organization poses a culture and, in particular, case, organization change needs to get tailored to Arabic culture. The reason is that every community has distinct beliefs which different from others in the whole world. Contrary, since different types of people likely work in an organization who are necessarily Arabs, it remains critical to developing policies as well as changes in an organization open to global as well as technological changes. From this point, it is critical to devising a type of leadership that impresses dynamism so that the organization can remain competitive in the ever-changing environment. Charismatic leaders, as well as instrumental leaders, stands out as the best in promoting change in organizations. We should, therefore, impress strategic leadership in change management. 

References

Brumm, C. A., & Drury, S. (2013). Leadership that Empowers: How Strategic Planning Relates   to Followership, Engineering Management Journal, 25(4), 17-32.

Jurek, S. J., & Scime, A. (2014), Achieving Democratic Leadership: A Data-Mined           Prescription. Social Science Quarterly (Wiley-Blackwell), 95(1), 97-110. 

Lahtero, T. J., & Kuusilehto-Awale, L. (2013), Realization of strategic leadership in leadership     teams' work as experienced by the leadership team members of basic education      schools. School Leadership & Management, 33(5), 457-472.             doi:10.1080/13632434.2013.813464

Shirey, M. R., & Calarco, M. M. (2014): Strategic Leadership for Organizational Change. Whole Scale Change for Real-Time Strategic Application in Complex Health Systems, Journal  of Nursing Administration, 44(11), 564-568. 

Sherry Roberts is the author of this paper. A senior editor at MeldaResearch.Com in cheap term papers if you need a similar paper you can place your order from top research paper writing companies.