(Linkages between social and organisational change cont. 2)

Leadership vs Management

In change, there is a need for more leadership from more people, ie need to create bridges within organisations (between management and shop floor, silos, regions, etc) and communities (between different ethnic groups, interest groups, social groups, sporting groups, etc)

Need to realise that leadership and management are different, ie traditionally leadership reflects
"...a few people at the top of the hierarchy provide leadership and a much larger group in the middle of the hierarchy provide management..."
John Kotter et al, 2021

(for more details, see elsewhere in the knowledge base)

However, in the turbulent and ever-changing world, leadership is more about
"...Establishing a direction and vision for the future, aligning people along that vision, and then motivating and inspiring them to take action. Leadership mobilises people to overcome significant barriers, create difficult change, and, in extreme cases, achieve truly astonishing results..."
John Kotter et al, 2021

In contrast management usually is defined as the set of structures, policies, actions, behaviours, technologies, etc that enable people to operate reliably, efficiently, effectively, etc.

At times people think that management is leadership, especially when management is driven by people near the top of the hierarchy.

Historically, there are some clear characteristics that describe great leaders, ie
"...These men and women either lived in tumultuous times and were central figures in motivating and inspiring others to adapt and win, they actually created tumultuous times themselves with a vision for a better future and then motivated others to adapt to achieve the vision and prosper greatly..."
John Kotter et al, 2021

An example, Nelson Mandela becoming the first non-white president of South Africa after spending around 3 decades in prison. When he became president, South Africa was a country filled with hate and fear. Yet his actions provided a highly visible beacon of joy, hope and determination to build a new South Africa, post-apartheid. His positive emotional attitude was infectious and it was able to replace both the anger and anxiety in the nation. He took hundreds of actions, some large like the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, others seemingly marginal like developing a friendship with a white captain of the country's rugby team, his lunch with the widows of former apartheid leaders, wearing the South African football jumper at the rugby final between New Zealand and South Africa, etc
"...so much of what he did created urgency around joint opportunity, a growing diverse coalition driving the work, a vision of a whole new nation, communication for a broad-based buy-in, the empowerment of more people, and the planning for, accomplishment of, and celebrating wins. As a result, people of all races were mobilised to build, not destroy..."
John Kotter et al, 2021

It is interesting to note that many experts predicted, after Mandela's release from jail, there would be a horrific civil war with enormous loss of life. This did not happen.
"...through an intuitive understanding of human nature, leadership, and the social/organisational barriers to change, Mandela inspired a group to lift itself up and lead itself away from what many saw as an inevitable crash landing. The results were amazingly positive change, amid incredibly challenging circumstances, in a remarkably short period of time, with significantly superior results..."
John Kotter et al, 2021

Furthermore, there are numerous examples of informal leaders, who hold minimal or no hierarchical organisational authority, stepping up to have a maximum positive impact on change. For these informal leaders to demonstrate leadership behaviours in traditional organisations takes courage as the system discourages it, ie traditionally, leadership is regarded as hierarchical. To handle this hierarchical barrier, develop organic, dynamic networks that sit alongside the traditional hierarchy, last creating creating a dual system. This provides a balance
"...between agile, adaptive entrepreneurial way of working, similar to start-ups, and more reliable, efficient processes to keep the day-to-day on track, similar to what we usually find in mature enterprises..."
John Kotter et al, 2021

Middle Management ('the rock in the middle')

Middle management refers to those who are between senior management and the front line staff. They can filter information up and down the organisation. If they are feeling threatened by change, they can easily hijack the process and usually are satisfied with maintaining the status quo, ie keeping things the way they are. Change leaders need to understand their trigger points.