Changing The World Through Leadership

Changing The World Through Leadership

Connor Wuori
Robert Miranda
5/22/17
Dr. Olawoyin
 Changing The World Through Leadership

Intro: The world is a constantly changing and evolving place. Nothing ever stays the same as
time goes forward. Change is a necessary and natural phenomenon that helps create better
opportunities for the better. This is especially true for people in the workforce. Organizations
need to adapt and overcome as new innovations and technologies are developed. Even though
change can occur frequently and often, many people are still resistant to the idea of change. New
modifications can create adversity which may bring uncomfortableness into the workplace.
Many people like to have jobs that are stable and predictable which means they are safe. If
companies want to rise above the competition their employees should be open and willing to
change. Unfortunately, the fact of the matter is people do not want to embrace change. There
must be a way to get employees to embrace advancement. The answer may be more simple than
most people think. For ages, people made it through dire times because of quality leadership.
Leaders make things happen because they know how to work with people and get them to
understand on a personal level. If anything in a workplace is going to change, it will because
there will be a leader making quality decisions for everyone.

What makes employees resistant to change: Employment comes in all forms with different
levels of importance and stature. Jobs across the world are varied and provided different types of
tasks and expectations. All jobs have employees that are at entry level positions which typically
do work that is more customer centered. Interactions with customers and maintenance of
equipment in the workplace make up the majority of entry level positions. Moving up above the
entry level positions are those who have positions in management. This breaks down further into
lower, middle, and upper level managements. Lower management works closely with customers
and the entry level workers. Middle and upper management are the ones who communicate
between lower management and headquarters of the company. Middle and upper management
essentially form the bridge between the lower level workers and those who are in charge. In
order for an organization to function properly there needs to be proper communication and
understanding. This brings forth the first major problem that are associated with change. If
communication between those at the top and bottom of an organization is poor there may be a
lack of understanding. The reason for change needs to be clear and understandable for the
 Changing The World Through Leadership

employees. Those at the top may implement a new rule or policy that was improperly explained.
As a result the employees in the lower levels may not be willing to embrace the change that is
implemented. Other times upper management may come up with new strategies or plans without
consulting the employees of the company. Employees deserve to know what is going on inside
the company. Without proper instruction or information employers should expect difficulty from
the employees. Studies show that employees who are informed are more relaxed and happy than
employees who are not informed (Rick, 2011.) Employees that are content with a current setup
may have a difficult time embracing change because of improper explanation. This ties into the
root as to why employees are often opposed to change in the workplace. More often than not
employees are afraid of what change can bring. There is usually a good degree of risk associated
with change, which naturally makes people nervous. Uncertainty about the unknown changes to
one's job position would make anyone nervous and against the idea. Another reason that
someone may be against change is of lack of competence. Having self confidence in one's
abilities is a crucial skill for being able to complete tasks. So when someone feels inadequate in
their job ability they definitely will be against the idea of switching things around. Change in the
organization typically means learning a new set of skills, and some people may feel they are not
up to the task (Rick, 2011.) This is a problem that people usually do not admit to their superiors.
No one wants to actively expose their supposed shortcomings. To compensate for their feelings
some employees may give another reason for their opposition to change in the work
environment. This will further complicate things for a number of reasons. If upper management
hears the complaints of the workers and tries to fix them using faulty information, nothing will
actually get fixed. This problem further demonstrates why communication between employee
and manager is so crucial (Rick, 2011.)

Like anything else in their lives, employees can become emotionally connect to certain aspects
of their job. People that are satisfied with a current way of doing things at their job certainly will
not want to change. This rationale can bring forth many issues for the company. The idea that
things should not be changed because they are not broken will not benefit anyone. This mentality
blocks the idea that new and improved methods are being developed all the time. This is not
 Changing The World Through Leadership

uncommon and usually comes when employees become complacent with their working ability.
Employees may also be against change because there is little or no trust between them and the
superiors. Trust is needed between employees and managers to ensure things can move forward
without any complications. Trust ties into other levels such as communication and whether
employees are informed or not. Policies that are put into place without consent of employees will
most likely experience resistance. Upper management should listen to what the employees have
to say, they may have some good ideas that can help the company. Employees may object to a
policy change because they feel it may be a temporary fad. Policy makers may see other
companies implementing changes and try to follow in their footsteps. This may not be the best fit
for the company and may cause problems. The employees will object because the change is
unnecessary and time consuming (Rick, 2011.) Continuing with emotional connection,
employees can become connected to a certain routine. Policies that can interfere with employee
routines will definitely encounter some resistance. Routines and predictability bring stability and
comfort to employees lives. A new policy or change can alter something as simple as check in
time and completely break a person's routine. Time management is essential for an employee's
organizational skills for their day. Everyone has a life outside of work and have other interests
and obligations. Suppose an employee is required to stay later due to a new policy change. This
will take time away from the employee's social life and time away from family. Other
circumstances such as being a single parent or a student can only make issues worse. If the time
schedule does not work well with the employee there will most likely be dissatisfaction with the
job because they feel powerless. The addition of multiple changes to one's job position can bring
fatigue and exhaustion. This it difficult to motivate employees to embrace change and to put
forth their best effort for their job (Ricl, 2011.)

A workplace is a varied and intertwining series of different departments. Some departments are
better off than others. Better pay or job status can bring some jealousy and hostility between
departments. Employees can sometimes have their judgement clouded by this and think a certain
policy is favoring one department over others. Therefore opposition of the new policy will
naturally come in order to make sure one group is not favored over the other. People in
 Changing The World Through Leadership

departments will be against the idea of change if they feel the policies will negatively affect
them. Lastly, employees can be against change because of a lack of reward. Having a job and
getting paid often times is enough motivation for most employees. However, it can be much
deeper than that. if a policy is implemented and increases workload with no change in benefits
there will be some problems. Employees may feel unappreciated or angry with inadequate
rewards and benefits. Which means they will not embrace change or bring forth their best effort
(Rick, 2011.) There are a lot of ways things can go wrong between management and employees.
At the core is a lack of trust and communication between the two parties. This can be remedied
with proper leadership brought on by skilled and courageous leaders. Leadership is the key
component that pushes change forward and ensures everything runs smoothly within an
organization.

This figure shows the classic responses to stress brought on by stress.

What leadership is: On the surface, the definition of a leader is quite a simple one. A leader is
simply one who leads others. For ages that was the simple definition. The leader would be at the
front of a group of followers and would provide some kind of support. The followers look up to
 Changing The World Through Leadership

the leader for guidance and answers. A leader can bring comfort and reason to his/or her
followers when times are tough. Leaders come in all shapes and sizes from across the world.
With all leaders there are a few things in common with each other. Leaders possess many
qualities and traits that make them right for their respective positions as leaders. All leaders have
a goal and a mission in mind. The leaders have a process that will be used to influence, teach,
and inspire groups of people. Leaders who are fair to followers typically have a group of
followers that are willing and excited to complete tasks for the leader. This is the final goal for
any leader, to have a loyal and joyful group of followers right behind them (Winston, Patterson,
2006.)

This process does not happen overnight. A person who has leadership qualities does not
automatically have groups of people flocking to them. This is especially true in a workplace
setting. Positions are constantly switching and being altered. A new manager may take the place
of a current manager that was loved by the staff of the company. This new manager has to prove
to the employees that he/she is going to be there for them. To start off the process, the leader
should display confidence. Displaying confidence in oneself and the others around the workplace
is a great way to establish a connection. People who are uncomfortable or unhappy with their
position will not be willing to put forth the effort to go above and beyond for their coworkers.
The manager should have clear goals and objectives for everyone in the workplace that resonates
well with everyone. A good leader should get to know each person and learn of their strengths
and weaknesses. Once connections have been established the manager can use this information
to put employees to work using their specific abilities. Each person has a set of values that are
important to them. A leader must use proper communication to ensure each person's needs are
met. The basic traits of a leader are ones that should not be that uncommon to find. Basic leaders
are people that are confident, friendly, and utilize communication (Winston, Patterson, 2006.)
Skilled leaders possess these traits and many more, which set them apart from basic leaders.

Skilled leaders first begin by acquiring followers through charismatic, attractive behavior and
shows a clear picture of the future. Leaders that possess a vision for themselves and an
 Changing The World Through Leadership

organization should organize and plan out for the future. This includes making plans for
themselves and their employees. The leader properly displays their plans clearly in an effort to
acquire followers. Self efficacy is an important trait to possess for this position. Being able to
handle the external pressures of the position is crucial in order to make sure the leader does not
cripple under their own weight (Winston, Patterson, 2006.) After a leader has an established
group of followers the leader should then train them. Providing clear instruction and goals along
the way. The followers typically have a similar set of values in common with the leader. This can
be beneficial for the leader. The leader can use this information and positively influence
followers to do work for the greater good. Leaders should possess emotional intelligence skills
such as emotional stability and stress management. Emotional intelligence skills can also be
applied to the employees. Being able to perceive the emotions of employees will be crucial for
leaders to maintain support. Leaders in this positions can demonstrate their listening skills.
Showing the workers that their leader is listening to them will show that they are cared for. All of
these traits and skills intertwine to create a supportive atmosphere. Together the leaders and
followers will work together toward a common goal the benefits everyone Winstone, Patterson,
2006.) It is common for leaders as a whole to possess similar qualities and attributes. However,
not all traits are applicable in order to promote change. There are different styles of leadership
that bring different methods to try and motivate followers and employees. A clear sign of the
right leadership style in place is one that can effectively promote and implement change in the
workplace.
 Changing The World Through Leadership

Types of Leadership styles: Different work environments require different types of leadership
types. The wide varieties of values and personalities can make it difficult to have a cohesive
workplace unit that has the same common goals. This also applies to change in the workplace. If
employees feel they are not being guided or are being listened to they will not be willing to
embrace change brought on by the leader. This is why there are different leadership styles. There
is more than one way to approach a situation in order to influence people and promote change.
The first leadership style is the charismatic leader. The charismatic leader uses their high energy
personalities to create action. Through confidence and positivity the charismatic leader can
energize a crowd to achieve goals. This leadership style is very effective for getting people to
move forward because people gravitate towards confidence and high energy. The only major
downside is that the success of the team will be reflected on the leader alone which may make
the rest of the team feel underappreciated (Blanken, 2013.) The next leadership style is the
innovative leader. This leadership style takes in the big picture of the world and the workplace.
Using this scope the leader can gain new perspectives and methods on how to achieve goals.
This leader is flexible and allows multiple ways for action to take place, as long as the goal is
met at the end of the day. This leader actively learns from successes and failures. In this case
failure is not always a negative. The leader will learn from the failure and will figure out new
ways to work around a problem. This method will increase job satisfaction and will promote
change through trial and error, showing that failure does not stop progress. One complaint is that
there is a good deal of risk associated with this leadership style. With no clear path to a goal
there may be some bumps in the road. Other than that this leadership style benefits everyone
with learning and perseverance (Blanken, 2013.) Option 3 is command and control. This
leadership style is very rule heavy and does not allow traveling off the beaten path. This is good
for situations that need speed to have goals completed or safety is on the line. This style is not
good for a long term commitment. One one person makes the rules and demands quite a bit, this
can make everyone else feel restricted. This is a situational leadership style and should be used
only when necessary (Blanken, 2013.)
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The other end of the spectrum brings the laissez faire style. This style is very team based and
heavy on trust. The leader gives suggestions for goals and does not actually interfere with the
rest of the team. The leader will only intervene if problems arise. This style promotes healthy
teamwork and allows personal growth because the leader is not constantly breathing down necks.
There may be some problems with dishonest team members not keeping their word, but that can
be expected with any job position anyway. This style is great for team building and group
positivity (Blanken, 2013.) Next up is the pace setter. This leadership style sets high goals for the
company and employees. This can create inspiration because it shows the leader believes in the
followers. Common complaints are exhaustion or feeling burned out due to rapid pace.
Sometimes the leader can overestimate ability and set the goal too high. It is not for everyone
unfortunately. This style is best for a large and experienced group that has had time to grow and
prepare for that rapid pace of work (Blanken, 2013.) The next style is the servant leader. The
servant style is exactly what it sounds like. The servant puts others needs in front of their own.
Communication within the whole group is essential, the leader cares deeply about what everyone
has to say. The leader is modest and lets the team take the credit for completed work. This style
is quite popular for a number of reasons. The leader displays humility and emphasises the
importance of teamwork. When everyone's needs are met, productivity can expect to skyrocket.
Overall this leadership style creates a positive work culture and produces high results due to high
work morale (Blanken, 2013.) Following the servant is the situational leader. This leadership
style gauges goals based on employee readiness. The leader will be watching over the group
constantly while coaching and providing support. This style will be implemented after a series of
complications or errors in order to learn from past mistakes. This style can create confusion if the
leader misjudges the group and becomes too lenient or forgiving. Overall this leadership style is
beneficial for workplace growth because it allows flexibility and learning opportunities
(Blanken, 2013.) The final leadership style is the transformational leader. This style puts the
leader as a role model for high goals and achievement. The leader demands everyone's best
effort, even if a task is incredibly difficult. Because of the high demands from the leader the
group naturally will work together to achieve goals. This style should be put in place when a
leader wants to create action and strengthen commitment. There are similar complaints of the
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pace setter style. Employees can feel exhausted from too much work and feel like they have no
say in matters. This style is good for productivity and teamwork, but it can create some tension
between the leader and followers (Blanken, 2013.) There is no wrong leadership style for the
workplace. But in the promotion of change certain styles are more beneficial. This because they
promote cohesiveness between everyone involved and therefore have a lot of trust.

Data: Different leadership styles bring a wide variety of strategies in order to implement change
in the workplace. One problem that surrounds a workplace is figuring out which leadership style
or method is the to promote and embrace change. Organizations understand the importance of
change and are actively trying to find the best ways to get employees to understand the
importance of change. The first step is finding out the things employees want. Currently the most
popular ways of of obtaining this information are very direct and personal. Interviews, surveys,
and focus groups in the workplace have been shown to produce information (Grol, Wensing,
 Changing The World Through Leadership

2004.) Organizations used the gathered information and created a series of linear steps that can
be used to get employees to understand and accept change. Each step is broken down into further
steps that can be helpful with employees understanding the changing process. The steps are:
orientation, insight, acceptance, change, and maintenance Grol, Wensing, 2004.)

*This figure shows the steps in detail for the change process
 Changing The World Through Leadership

The more difficult portion of this process is figuring out which leadership method is the best to
get employees to respond positively to change. Using surveys and interviews organizations
found out the best qualities the employees like to see in their leaders. The most popular trait to
have one who chooses to inspire and motivate others around them. Employees respond well to a
leader that is positive and actively supports the followers (Zenger, Folkman, 2014.) A close
second is integrity and honest. Employees that observe an honest leader will have a lot of trust
and will be willing to work with change that the leader brings (Zenger, Folkman, 2014.) The
third most popular trait was being able to analyze problems and solve issues within the
workplace. A leader that actively seeks to fix problems and take in the whole picture will not
make rash decisions that may hurt the organization (Zenger, Folkman, 2014.) Employees
respond to a leader that is well organized and conscious of problems. While all traits are
important and hold some significance, these top 3 were the ones that were reported as being the
most important. A good leader should possess a variety of all traits gathered from the studies. To
achieve the best result the leader should be inspirational, honest, and a problem solver (Zenger,
Folkman, 2014.)

*This figure shows the most important traits that a leader should display at the workplace.
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Conclusion: Change is an unavoidable fact of life. Change is brought on when new methods and
practices are developed. New methods will benefit an unlimited amount of things across the
world. Efficiency, lowering cost, and saving time are just a few benefits that change can bring.
However, change is not always easily accepted. For many employees in the workplace, change
can be a nuisance. Change can alter their routines or greatly increase workloads which can be
viewed as a negative. These things will naturally make employees resistant to change. It is
crucial that employees understand and embrace change to move forward to the good of the
organization. The best method for employees to embrace change is through leadership. There are
a wide variety of leadership styles for different situations in the workplace. Not all are as popular
or beneficial, and therefore are strictly situational. Through surveys and interviews employees
stated their favorite qualities in a leader. Leaders that are able to promote change effectively are
always honest, supportive, motivating, and selfless. Quality leaders should always be a calm and
collected individual who works toward the greater good and puts the needs of others ahead of
their own. Change can be difficult because it brings adversity. The best thing to have is a leader
that understands and is willing to work to make the steps easier.

References:
Blanken , R. (2013). 8 Common Leadership Styles. Retrieved May 23, 2017, from
https://www.asaecenter.org/resources/articles/an_magazine/2013/january/8-common-lead

Grol, R., & Wensing, M. (2004 ). What drives change? Barriers to and incentives for achieving
evidence-based practice. Retrieved May 26, 2017, from
https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2004/180/6/what-drives-change-barriers-and-incentives-
achieving-evidence-based-practice

Rick, T. (2013, May 23). Top 12 Reasons Why People Are Resistant To Change. Retrieved May
22, 2017, from
https://www.torbenrick.eu/blog/change-management/12-reasons-why-people-resist-chang
e
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Winston, B. E., & Patterson, K. (2006 ). An Integrative Definition of Leadership . Retrieved May
22, 2017 , from
https://www.regent.edu/acad/global/publications/ijls/new/vol1iss2/winston_patterson.doc

Zenger, J., & Folkman, J. (2014, July 30). The Skills Leaders Need at Every Level. Retrieved
May 26, 2017, from https://hbr.org/2014/07/the-skills-leaders-need-at-every-level