The Element of Time in Leadership during a Change Project and its Associated Complexities of Change

I.                    Abstract

In this paper it will be discussed how leadership styles of those that lead and manage and those that follow and collaborate in an organization can manage change projects. In the breath section of this paper, the author shows various leadership styles, both resonant and dissonant, supported by peer reviewed literature from authors such as Goleman, Kotter, Champy, Hammer, Bass, and Machiavelli. In the depth section the complexities of change from multi-variable-angles in multiple change methodologies will be demonstrated, which is based on peer reviewed literature authored by modern change management scientists. And finally, in the application section of this paper, a real-world change project of an international organization will be reviewed.

The objective of this paper is to point out that change occurs naturally with multiple and controllable and uncontrollable variables. It also occurs planned and unplanned. Both, planned and unplanned changes are affected by variables and change. Both are also planned and unplanned.

Planned change is driven by unplanned and planned changes. Complexities occur in both circumstances by multiple variables. As demonstrated, change is complex enough to increase its chances for success in planned situations. It is also complex enough to increase its chances for failure when it is unmanaged.

The depth section introduces a few examples of complexities that occur during change in Information Technology (IT) driven change projects. IT is important to consider because it is in most organizations the main platform for communication. And communication between people, as will be shown in all 3 sections, is one major skill that can make or break a change project. Communication is proposed to be the one key skill that can help manage the project.

And in the application section, the complexities of change are then applied to a literature review and editing project, involving stakeholders placed all over the globe. The most applied communication infrastructure was the Internet. Failure occurred when communication via the Internet was greater than communication in person, face to face, or by telephone. And last but not least, suggestions are made of what to learn from the given complexities and the change project successes and failures.