Leaders as change managers
Abstract.
The management of deliberate large-scale changes in libraries requires leaders to act as change managers. This is made possible by adapting the transformational leadership style which is complemented by the transactional leadership style. The five aspects of the transformational leadership style – ‘having a vision’, ‘being a role model’, ‘fostering group goals’, ‘expecting high performances’, ‘providing individual support’ and ‘providing intellectual stimulation’ – help leaders acting as change managers and with this leading their major changes to success.
11.1 Change managers/change agents
‘Perhaps the first step in Change Management is for managers to change themselves’ (Pugh, 2007). As can be seen in the practical cases in Chapters 4 to 8 as well as the new aspects of leadership from the perspective of leaders and change managers in academic and public libraries in Chapter 10, leaders have to become change managers and change agents themselves. They have to show their personal commitment and need to behave in the same way as they ask of their staff. The most important requirement for this is that the leaders are positive about the necessity of the upcoming change (Rigall et al., 2005).
Leaders as change managers need to be able to convince, motivate and inspire their team members through the building of trust, through the support and backing of their team members as well as through frequent interaction with those who are affected by a deliberate large-scale change (Düren, 2009).
The transformational leadership style described in this chapter can support those requirements.
11.2 Transformational leadership
This up-to-date leadership style goes with the modern aspects of leadership specified in Chapter 10. Thus transformational leadership includes the following aspects:
Identifying and articulating a vision. Leaders need to identify new opportunities, develop and articulate a vision and inspire others with this idea. They use inspirational motivation to bring their team members or the entire library to their vision.
Providing an appropriate model. Leaders have to behave as role models, as examples for their team members, and a leader’s behaviour has to be consistent with his or her values. Good role models can be trusted and they are respected by their team members to make good decisions for their team or the entire library.
Fostering the acceptance of group goals. Leaders need to promote cooperation among their team members to encourage team spirit. This can be reached through a common goal for the team.
High performance expectations. Leaders show their team members their expectation for excellence, quality and high performance.
Providing individualised support. Leaders act in a way that shows that they respect their team members and that they are concerned about their personal feelings and needs. They act as coach and advisor for their team members.
Intellectual stimulation. Leaders perform so that their team members are challenged to re-examine some of their assumptions about their work as well as to rethink how their tasks can be performed. Thus leaders encourage motivation and creativity, while promoting critical thinking and problem-solving.
(Podsakoff et al., 1990; Hall et al., 2008)
These six key behaviours that are connected with transformational leaders can be specifically used in change projects. ‘In other words, transformational leadership is the ability to get people to want to change, to improve, and to be led’ (Hall et al., 2008).
In the first phase ‘Unfreezing’ (see Figure 11.1) where the leader has to make all team members aware of the need to change something, it helps to have a vision. It is especially helpful to be able to inspire the team members and others affected by this change project with these new ideas.
Figure 11.1 Aspects of transformational leadership in relation to the three phases of a change process
During the second phase ‘Changing/Moving’ the team members realise that change activities are required. Helpful during this phase is the ability of a leader to promote cooperation between the team members and the others that are affected by the required alterations, so that they work together rather than everyone working for his or her own benefit.
To reach every goal of the change project leaders should show their expectation for excellence and quality. They should ask everybody to perform as well as possible.
To enable everybody affected by this change to reach their goals and to fulfil their tasks as required leaders should always show that they respect their team members and that they are concerned about their personal feelings and needs, especially their anxieties, concerns and fears as well as their resistance to new tasks. They should act as coach and advisor for every team member.
This can be complemented through intellectual stimulation which includes the possibility of the team members attending training courses, trying out new tasks and being part of one of the change project working groups.
Phase three ‘Refreezing’ is the time at which the new methods, structures and processes are stabilised.
During all three phases a leader should always act as a role model who can be trusted and who then is respected by his or her team members.
Another important aspect of managing deliberate large- scale changes is that ‘Leaders must include views and opinions of people across all sectors of the organisation, across all disciplines, and preferably across all points of view’ (Beerel, 2009).
11.3 Transactional leadership
Transformational leadership augments transactional leadership (Bass, 1985). Transactional leadership is the foundation, the base frame, for transformational leadership (Steinle et al., 2008). Even if transformational and transformational leadership are separate leadership dimensions, the transactional contingent reward1 behaviour correlates with transformational leadership (Avolio et al., 1999). A relatively strong relationship between these two leadership dimensions has actually been found (Pillai et al., 1999).
In particular during phases 2 ‘Changing/Moving’ and 3 ‘Refreezing’ it is important to give the team members as well as others affected by the change project positive feedback about small alterations in fulfilling their tasks, but also about the beneficial result of the entire change project.
1.A contingent reward means the reward which a leader provides in exchange for a team member’s effort (Podsakoff et al., 1990).