The leadership approach that is suitable to overcome resistance to organizational changes is a transformational leadership approach. This type of leadership focuses on inspiring and motivating employees to embrace change and achieve common goals.
Transformational leaders possess several key qualities that make them effective in managing resistance to change. These include:
1. Visionary: Transformational leaders have a clear vision of the desired future state of the organization. They effectively communicate this vision to employees, helping them understand the need for change and how it aligns with the organization's goals.
2. Inspirational: Transformational leaders inspire and motivate employees by fostering a sense of purpose and meaning in their work. They create a positive and supportive work environment, encouraging employees to embrace change and overcome resistance.
3. Communication: Effective communication is crucial in managing resistance to change. Transformational leaders are skilled communicators, actively listening to employee concerns and addressing them transparently. They explain the rationale behind the change and the benefits it will bring to individuals and the organization as a whole.
4. Empowerment: Transformational leaders empower employees by involving them in the change process. They encourage employee participation and contribution, giving them a sense of ownership and influence over the changes being implemented.
5. Supportive: Resistance to change often stems from fear of the unknown or uncertainty. Transformational leaders provide support and reassurance to employees, helping them navigate through the change process and addressing any concerns or challenges along the way.
6. Continuous Learning: Transformational leaders recognize that change is an ongoing process. They foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement, encouraging employees to embrace new ideas and adapt to changing circumstances.
By implementing a transformational leadership approach, leaders can effectively overcome resistance to organizational changes. This approach creates a positive and supportive environment that fosters employee buy-in, motivation, and commitment to the change process.
To be effective, leaders have to overcome resistance to change in order to achieve organisational
growth and development. Implementing organisational changes successfully at financial
institutions in Saudi Arabia requires certain leadership skills to institutionalise the change efforts
and to reduce resistance. When change initiatives were introduced into the workplace with little
positive impact on work performance and operating efficiencies, it results in wasted time and
money. Organisations are still suffering from resistance to organisational changes, which
demonstrate the need for leaders to continue to develop their skills to deal with resistance in
implementing changes in the workplace (Atkinson, 2005). Changes in large institutions are often
difficult when leaders are not able to manage changes well. However, the need to make changes
will not go away. Organisations need to develop an approach to overcome resistance and drive
changes in an effective way. Generating leadership skills to encounter resistance and implement
change efforts successfully will contribute to a better performance, increasing motivation to its
employees, and satisfaction from their clients (Atkinson, 2005). Research indicates that there is a
major challenge in driving organisational changes, which is dealing with resistance that change
agents encounter. It is extraordinary for any organisational change to not face any resistance.
Recognising and welcoming resistance as a healthy response and an opportunity to listen to
different perspectives is what allows leaders to successfully navigate the change process
(Atkinson, 2005). Leadership skills are very essential to overcome resistance to organisational
changes. Wise leaders can achieve the organisational changes by applying leadership qualities
today in the workplace to decrease resistance to organisational changes.
(Source: UNIVERSITY OF LA VERNE, California, Leadership Skills to Overcoming
Resistance to Organizational Change )
b. Discuss the leadership approach that is suitable to overcome resistance to organisational
changes?
1 answer