Leaders are everywhere–from multi-million dollar corporations and sports arenas to schools and political parties. By understanding how different leaders handle change and lead in various situations you can learn a lot about how to become a powerful leader and handle change and adversity under any circumstances.
Effective leaders understand that bringing change, reorganizing, and implementing new reforms are things that are necessary for positive transformation. If you’re a smart leader, even though you have an enormous vision and passion for change, what you propose might not be as easily accepted by your team as you might think.
Whether you lead a company, a religious organization or a sports team, if you want to learn how to become a change leader and bring transformational change start by following these five steps:
-
Arouse passion for your cause.
You need to hit people at an emotional level. Without inspiration and motivation to bring change, your team won’t have the drive to roll up their sleeves and get to work. A powerful speech from a change leader can help instill passion and give your people the push they need to implement change.
-
Create and communicate the vision.
Being a change leader comes with many challenges. Communication (and lots of it) is essential to convincing people to adopt change for the better. One enlightening speech might not be enough. You may find you need to coax people using various forms of communication including sharing personal stories, quoting notable texts, using practical examples, and talking to people one-on-one.
-
Don’t make the mistake of going it alone.
Once people start siding with you, you may think you have what it takes to lead solo. Don’t make that mistake. Training a team on how to be change leaders can multiply your efforts ten-fold. Identify members who share your vision for transformation or bring new ideas to the table, and work together to develop a plan of action for change.
-
Emphasize immediate rewards.
You need to keep everyone motivated throughout the change process. If your team can’t see substantial benefits to change, it’s less likely they’ll continue to support it. Showcase any change-led accomplishments, publicly praise those who take extra initiative, provide feedback, and allow people to feel the positive effects of change as it happens.
-
Secure the vision as the new way of life.
Once change starts to take shape, and your team experiences the benefits of change, you’ll see it becoming a movement. Sure, this will take time and effort, but you’ll start to notice that what seemed to be “change” is now the new norm and that your vision is no longer a vision, but has manifested into reality. Lead powerfully to secure this vision in the new team culture you’ve worked so hard to build up.
Want more tips on how to become a change leader? Read this recent blog post I wrote on 5 Ways to Be a More Influential Church Leader for essential tips on building a reputation, cultivating executive presence, and using persuasion to lead a team.
It doesn’t matter if you lead a congregation or a company – all leaders need help. Find a wealth of FREE information on my website, including articles on leadership development to lead change with confidence!
