When John Kotter, the world’s preeminent thinker on the subject of change, wrote his seminal work he titled it ‘Leading Change’ not ‘Managing Change’. This is because his thesis is that the job of the leader is to bring about change whereas managers are more concerned with operational efficiency – plans, budgets, resources, measurement.
Of course, both are vital but we believe that it is the ability to change that will separate the successful from the also-rans in the increasingly fast-moving and unpredictable markets in which we operate.
Leadership is also a critical component of a firm’s culture; it both shapes and is shaped by the taken-for-granted assumptions about the way things are done, what is acceptable and what is not. Great leaders are able to change cultures rather than be subservient to them.
We work with leaders to develop their approach to change management to deliver strategic goals.