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_The only constant in life is change._ Heraclitus, Greek Philosopher.

Were all familiar with change: weve seen new technologies emerge and disrupt industries, market trends fluctuate up and down, the rise of [_women in leadership_](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/inspirationalfemaleleaders) - the list goes on.

But if weve understood the fundamentals of change since ancient Greece, then why do [_66% of change initiatives fail_](https://change.walkme.com/change-management-statistics/#:~:text=Key%20Takeaways,-47%25%20of%20organizations&text=Only%2034%25%20of%20change%20initiatives,which%20further%20causes%20transformation%20failure.) today?

Companies must prepare and plan to change in order to remain competitive, but this requires a set of skills that fall outside a leader's technical ability.

[**Free Download** : 10 Leadership Qualities That Will Help Solve Challenges in 2023](https://thegrowthfaculty.ac-page.com/leadershipqualities)

Here, well look at 6 critical skills leaders must instill and discuss why these are imperative to a leader's career development.

**6 Crucial Change Management Skills Leaders Must Develop**

Change is a lot to handle - whether it's planned or unexpected.

Change requires strong, steadfast, adaptable and creative leaders to lead employees through the change while providing support and understanding.

So, having leaders with the skills to lead, execute and communicate change management projects is crucial. With [_almost 80% of people needing to adapt their business every two to five years_](https://change.walkme.com/change-management-statistics/#:~:text=Key%20Takeaways,-47%25%20of%20organizations&text=Only%2034%25%20of%20change%20initiatives,which%20further%20causes%20transformation%20failure.) , its never been more important.

But to start, here are 6 crucial skills leaders need to effectively manage \(and champion\) change.

**1\. Creativity and an Innovative Mindset**

_When you marry operating excellence with innovation, you multiply the value of your creativity._ - Jim Colllins.

According to [_LinkedIn Learning_](https://www.linkedin.com/business/learning/blog/top-skills-and-courses/the-skills-companies-need-most-in-2019-and-how-to-learn-them?trk=lilblog_12-31-18_creativity-most-important-skill_tl&cid=70132000001AyziAAC) , creativity is the most important skill in the workplace. A report by [_World Economic Forum_](https://thecreativeshour.com/creativity-facts-and-stats/) also listed creativity among the top 3 skills needed in 2020.

Strategic planning is sometimes stifled by black-and-white thinking. That is, sticking to what you know, rather than taking a step back and analysing the bigger picture. [_Soft skills_](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/softskillsinworkplace) like creativity and tapping into an innovative mindset is crucial for leaders who need to tackle change head on.

Leaders who are creative and innovative tend to side-step black-and-white approaches and are more equipped to handle the complexities of change. They see the bigger picture, they are open to exploring other options to solve a problem and they encourage collaborative thinking. In other words, they surround themselves with other creatives to help find a solution.

But, as Jim Collins states in his book _Great By Choice,_ to be successful, leaders must rely on their **empirical creativity.** That is, creativity needs to be backed by discipline and experience. While Collins uses this to reflect on high-performing companies, the concept may also be applicable on an individual level.

For example, a leader must be able to think outside the box but draw upon other skills to make the necessary impact.

**2\. Practice Strategic Thinking**

_ The challenge of a leader is looking around the corner and making the change before its too late to make the change_ - Indra Nooyi.

Among the many lessons former PepsiCo CEO [_Indra Nooyi_](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/Indranooyimylifeinfull) has given us, one of her most notable for leaders is to **always focus on the future**. The next step is to capture an analytical mindset to execute strategy.

But according to [_the research_](https://www.clearpointstrategy.com/blog/strategic-planning-statistics) , only 2% of leaders are confident in their ability to fulfill their strategic objectives. Meanwhile, 61% of executive leaders feel unprepared for the strategic challenges that come with senior leadership roles.

Effective change management, especially on an enterprise level, requires leaders who can identify trends, analyse the current state of the company and plan a path for change. This requires strategic thinking.

**Strategic thinking is critical in change management** , but it has to be done intelligently. Leaders must be able to plan and execute change to effectively reflect, support and drive the companys goals.

Change management strategies require foresight, a clear goal and must be able to reflect what the company aspires to be. Strategic thinking skills are imperative to avoid getting lost in the change management planning process.

Dont get us wrong, soft skills are important, but they wont be enough on their own in change management.

**3\. Build Your Leadership Skills**

Employees need leaders to drive, plan and execute change. This means securing a vision, guiding the direction and leading by example.

There's good leadership, and there's _great_ leadership. Jim Collins describes these individuals as [_Level 5 leaders_](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/levelfiveleadership).

The core of level 5 leadership, according to Collins, is the combination of humility and professional will, taking responsibility, asking for help, discipline, passion, and by surrounding yourself with the right people.

Great leaders motivate others, hold everyone accountable \(especially themselves\), admit to their mistakes and listen to their employees. They understand their company, they know how to communicate with their teams and they stay curious and willing to learn.

These are the fundamental skills all leaders need to strive towards before taking a hand in change management.

**4\. An Understanding of Change Management Best Practices**

Change management is a response tactic to competitive pressure, technology advancements, or a crisis. So, no matter what your company is responding to, your leaders should guide the initiative with a set of change management principles.

[_Change management principles_](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/changemanagementprinciples) represent the pillars all leaders should follow to effectively manage change within a company. We know change is complex, so _how_ leaders plan and respond to change will dictate the outcome.

Change management initiatives tend to fail from either:

* Underestimating the impact of the transformation 
  * Lack of communication from upper management 
  * Employee resistance

For example, in March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced many companies into a working-from-home model. Everything was now dealt with from the comfort of one's home. But some failed to account for one thing: _how the pandemic affected employees._

Yes, working from home was able to overcome the challenge of lockdown; but it didn't combat feelings of isolation, financial stress, physical and food insecurity, and emotional fatigue employees were facing. Here, many companies underestimated the impact of the transformation, and the response to change was not handled as effectively as it could have been.

Not all change management principles are uniform across different companies. But, in order to effectively manage change and achieve your organisational goal, leaders must have an understanding of the following:

* Change management models and frameworks 
  * How the change will affect employees during the planning and execution 
  * How the change is going to impact and help reach the companys goals 
  * How the change fits into the company culture 
  * How leaders are going to communicate the change to employees 
  * Who is going to help plan, execute and champion the change

**5\. Communication & Empathy **

_Change cannot be put on people. The best way to instill change is to do it with them._ - Lisa Bodell

Empathy is a crucial skill for leadership. In fact, [_studies_](https://info.businessolver.com/empathy-2019-executive-summary-ty?submissionGuid=7968a6c5-cef5-4a7e-b415-ddd0378af028) show that 82% of employees would leave their workplace for a more empathetic leader. But why is it crucial for change management?

Most people _naturally resist change._ So when change is upon us, employees need a leader who can anticipate how they act, think, and feel about the change in order to get them on board.

Referring back to why change management projects fail, **lack of communication** is a big reflection point. Without the ability to portray authenticity or have the awareness to see the perspective of their employees, how are leaders meant to build engagement, motivation, and commitment to the project?

**6\. AQ, IQ and EQ**

International executive coach and expert on [_adaptability in the workplace_](https://www.thegrowthfaculty.com/blog/improveadaptability) , John Spence says being competent is not enough to lead and succeed in uncertain times. Instead, leaders need to have a grasp of three quotients that are required to effectively navigate change:

**Intelligence quotient \(IQ\):** this reflects leadership qualities and a leaders competency to do their job.

**Emotional intelligence \(EQ\):** this reflects a leaders ability to build and maintain relationships with others, practice self-awareness and understand the motivations of their team.

**Adaptability quotient \(AQ\):** this is how we grasp and navigate change.

When it comes to change, these areas elevate a leader's ability to stay agile, be flexible, and apply innovative thinking to their approach.

**Why Should Leaders Develop Change Management Skills?**

_Far more difficult than implementing change is figuring out what works, understanding why it works, grasping when to change, and knowing when not to._ - Jim Collins.

Leaders must be comfortable with change.

Businesses regularly face instability, uncertainty and risk - and some change is far more rapid than we plan for. Apple smartphones, AfterPay and Zoom are all examples of new technologies that disrupted their respective industries. Some companies adapted to remain competitive, and some didnt.

So what does this tell us?

Leaders who are comfortable with change understand what to do when the time comes. They know what to look out for, understand how to execute, and know how to deal with unforeseen challenges. They can adapt, and they remain agile in their industry.

When recent masterclass speaker Andrea Clarke spoke to a Future Women webinar in 2021, the author of _Future Fit_ and CEO of FutureFitCo said the need for skills that defy disruption has never been so urgent

The future of work is here and its all about talent - your talent, she continued.

Not all leaders require change management skills, **but by the time leaders reach an enterprise level, change management skills are crucial.** Change management is not just about leading change, its knowing what to do, when to do it and, how to communicate to your teams.

Navigating change is invaluable, and its an integral part of leadership. Taking the initiative to develop change management skills at any level will mean greater resilience, greater adaptability and greater success for your change projects.

**Learn How to Effectively Champion Change with Our Growth Faculty Pass**

The skills to navigate through uncertain times has never been more in demand. With our [_Growth Faculty pass_](https://join.thegrowthfaculty.com/growthfacultypass/) , youll have access to the brightest leadership minds like Andrea Clarke, John Spence and Jim Collins to help you build the leadership skills you need to champion change.

The Growth Faculty Pass helps educate your workforce at scale. It creates smarter teams, boosts resilience and helps attract and maintain talent.

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6 Crucial Skills Leaders Need to Champion Change

The importance of change management leadership skills in today's workplace

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6 Crucial Skills Leaders Need to Champion Change

The importance of change management leadership skills in today's workplace

Keep informedStay Inspired

Keep informed
Stay Inspired