What is change leadership? Often confused with change management, change leadership focuses on motivating the members of a team to be the change. It encourages team members to bring about change through collaboration, creativity, and motivation. 

That said, not everyone can be a change leader. Let’s take a look at the qualities of a change leader and how they empower team members and guide them to become the instruments of change. 

Finding a Balance 

Change leaders are often confronted with paradoxical situations. For instance, you may strive for innovation but too much of it can inhibit organizational productivity and make employees weary of change. Many businesses also rely on low-novelty solutions and commodity products to generate revenues. Failing to acknowledge the importance of such operations in your pursuit of revitalization can be a mistake. 

Thus, one of the most important qualities of a change leader is finding a balance between innovating and ensuring normalcy. A change leader must be able to carefully analyze such paradoxes and understand when a change initiative can harm an organization. 

Providing Resources for Driving Change 

Talk comes cheap. Most leaders will stick to inspiring their team with thoughts and ideas regarding change and innovation. They will make little effort toward converting these ideas into something tangible. 

Change leadership goes beyond planning new initiatives. A change leader will not limit themselves to building castles in the air. Instead, they will provide their team with the resources (financial, human, or technological) required for converting these ideas into reality. They are willing to step up and invest in process improvements and new product development that can propel their organization to the top. 

Ensuring Collective Efforts 

The philosophy of change management is rooted in uplifting members of a team and guiding them toward becoming the agents of change. This requires an organizational-wide effort involving everyone, from the top management to low-level players. 

A change leader will task every individual involved with a certain amount of responsibility and make sure they play their part in an initiative. They will also hold every member of the organization accountable for their actions. 

Additionally, a change leader must be able to monitor collective progress, identify roadblocks, and encourage their team to come up with satisfactory resolutions. This can enable continued innovation and implementation of change initiatives. 

Setting Realistic Expectations 

Change leaders establish realistic goals and objectives. They understand that new ideas and initiatives cannot be implemented overnight. Instead, these implementations are the product of an extensive learning process. 

A leader that is not willing to undergo the pain and struggle involved in offering something new to the world will meet little success. That’s why change leaders are willing to invest in a culture of continuous learning that keeps their team engaged and focused toward achieving a particular goal.  

The Bottom Line 

The qualities of a change leader can help them capitalize on new ideas and redefine the future of their organization. A true change leader will be able to assess risks, invest in their team, and ensure collective effort that leads to long-term transformation.