LEADERSHIP/MANAGEMENT SPECIAL...A leadership shift

A leadership shift 

A change in leadership could create a ripple effect throughout the organisation. Ways that can be adopted to manage a leadership transition effectively in order to nullify the negative impact

    Changes at the leadership level of organisations are imminent for the successful growth of the entity. A new leader could bring in new ideas, thoughts and perspective, which could widen the horizons and bring in newer dimensions of growth for the organisation. However, a leadership transition is a testing time for most organisations and their employees as it leads to several changes within. As Hemant Behal, senior vice president - Human Resources, CEAT puts it “A change at the leadership level of the organisation entails a change in the management style, communication style, altered approach to decisionmaking, change in priorities and most importantly strategic direction for the business.”
    This leads to several risks and uncertainties within the firm. “A change in leadership, especially in the midst of a process where employees are energised and engaged in working towards specific goals, can come as disillusionment where the leader who was providing the direction is no longer available in the position to continue championing the cause. Many a times, the more influential the role, the leader has played with respect to motivating his/her team members, the greater the disillusionment of the followers due to the change in leadership. A loss of belief in the cause, a feeling of disillusionment and fear of uncertainty could be some of the emotional reactions,” explains Dr. Maria C Nirmala, head, Knowledge Center, SHRM India.
    These emotional fallouts and lingering qualms have to be tackled effectively. How can these be done? “As it is said, the job of management today has become the management of emotions. If you can acknowledge, respect and respond to the emotions generated by the change, you have won more than half the battle. If you can rally people’s passion behind the change, it becomes a smoother transition,” says Dr Tanvi Gautam, managing partner, Global People Tree. “Explicitly communicating the reasons for change in the leadership would go a long way in the employees retaining their trust in the organisation. The impact of the change in leadership and change in priorities or ways of working if any would also need to be communicated,” suggests Nirmala.
    Managing the aspirations and concerns of the employees are very critical in ensuring a smooth shift. Employees must be prepared to handle the change. “Employees must understand that change is inevitable in a dynamic environment. They should value that the intent/purpose of such decisions are for the benefit of the organisation. My advice to employees is to avoid speculation and rumour-mongering and give time to the leader to settle in,” says Behal.
    The new leader coming in must understand the dynamics of the organisation and build a rapport with the employees at the earliest. Experts suggest that the new leader must not criticise the work done by the predecessor. G C Jayaprakash, client partner, Asia Pacific - regional practice leader – technology, Stanton Chase International suggests a few pointers that he/she could adopt. Get the right team in place - identify those with the skills, knowledge and background to help them and their goals succeed; secure early wins – it is important to demonstrate tangible successes to the team as soon as possible following the transition and gain their confidence; effective communication – as a new leader joins a team, everyone is closely watching their actions and listening to their words, so leaders must clearly define and communicate their priorities, values and expectations early in the transition; shape the firm’s vision – the employees need to be excited about the new changes and accept them without resistance. This could be done by constantly engaging the employees during every step of the process in drafting a vision.”
    Changes at leadership levels have to be well-executed, considering all aspects of the organisation and its stakeholders. Also, the new leader coming in must understand the organisational DNA and steer the way forward to success.

Priya C Nair ET121023