The Change Leader

“The most effective way to manage change successfully is to create it.” These are the words of business management guru Peter Drucker. He added that one cannot manage change. One can only be ahead of it. In a period of upheaval, such as the one we are living in, change is the norm. To be sure, it is painful and risky, and above all it requires a great deal of very hard work. But unless it is seen as the task of the organization to lead change, the organization will not survive. In a period of rapid structural change, the only ones who survive are the change leaders. A change leader sees change as an opportunity. A change leader looks for change, knows how to find the right changes, and knows how to make them effective both outside the organization and inside it.   Creating your future is highly risky. It is less risky, however, than not trying to develop it. According to Drucker, a good proportion of those attempting to excel at change will surely not succeed. But, he says, predictably, then no one else will either. Anticipate what the future holds and step out as a change leader. I think you will be glad you did!   In every financial turnaround situation with which I have been involved, change has been the primary necessity – change in how we manage, change in how we handle their Cash Flow! It can be slow and sometimes painful but when a business gets in financial trouble, it usually occurs over time, and likewise, it probably won’t be corrected overnight either! What does this mean? a)    When there is a lot of change you can’t manage it because it simply happens so fast. You’ll usually feel about as successful as a dog chasing its tail. b)   When we have times of tremendous turmoil – THINK commodity PRICES SINCE early 2007 or our US Economy at present – change is normal! Can you imagine what our economy would be like today if in 2008 our US leadership had said, “Yeah, I know the housing market is tough, but we’re not going to change anything! We’re not going to lower interest rates and hopefully all will be okay.” That would be insane. This demands hard work! Change is a requirement – we can’t manage it but we do need to try and stay ahead of it. Why are change leaders more successful? a)    Instead of running from change, they look for it. b)   They know how to find the right changes, and just as significantly, they know how to make it work for their organization! c)    Will they call them right 100% of the time? No, but that is no excuse for inaction!