BUS643: Leading Organizational Change

1a. Compare various leadership styles

• Why is it important to understand leadership styles?
• What is an example of how a leadership style might be applied to an individual?
• What are two leadership styles that are similar for management leaders?
• How can understanding the various leadership styles help you to lead?

As a manager, understanding leadership styles will help you to be a better manager and leader. It can also help you connect with other leaders as you manage your teams. The three classic leadership styles include autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire styles, and each style is good for a specific type of work or assignment. For example, an autocratic leader can be very stern, and this type of leader may not be open to listening to employee ideas, but they can be great in a crisis when decisions need to be made quickly.

The laissez-faire leader allows their direct reports a great deal of freedom to do their job, and in return, most employees thrive under this type of leadership because they can create their own jobs. One of the downsides to this leadership style is that if the employee does not take this responsibility seriously, the workplace could be chaotic.

A democratic leader will ask for input from employees before making a decision that might affect all employees. This type of leader wants to understand how their team thinks about an issue. There are numerous types of leadership styles, and each one will lead differently. Understanding the leadership styles and your own style will help you to be a better leader.

To review, see Three Classic Leadership Styles.

 

1b. Compare how different leaders may affect change

• How might a leader create change in an organization?
• Can a new leader affect change in an organization?
• What are the best leadership styles to lead in times of change?

In today's business world, change must occur for businesses to move forward and be successful. Good leaders are needed to facilitate this change and help the employees adjust to the change in the business world. Many employees will resist change and should be convinced of the reason and need for the change.

A good leader will recognize this and assist employees with the change process. Transformational leaders are exceptionally good at this, perhaps because they are comfortable with the change process, and their positive attitude may be transmitted to all employees. They work to ensure employees are comfortable with the change process, and they seem to see the good in all employees, which creates a better working relationship.

As mentioned in the last section, another good leader during the change process is the laissez-faire leader. This leader will rely on employees to help create the change and make employees feel comfortable during the process.

To review, see Why Implementing Change Can be Difficult.

 

1c. Describe organizational change in the business setting

• What is organizational change as it relates to business?
• Why is it important to create change in business?
• How can change be created and enforced in a business?
• Who drives change in an organization?

Organizational change is important in business today so that businesses can not only survive but thrive. If a business does not change, then it may not survive. Technology has quickly changed how we do business, but it has also created an environment in which we need to keep up or close. This creates quite a bit of change in business as owners try to keep up with the changing world around them.

Employees drive change when an organization needs to change. If employees are not behind the change, it won't occur. It is important to have leaders show support to employees and show them how they can change or what the company needs. Change can be very scary for employees as they may not completely understand why the company needs to change and how that might affect them. A good leader can recognize this issue and ensure employees understand why change is needed and how to get them through the change process.

To review, see Why Is Organizational Change Necessary?.

 

1d. Analyze why organizational change in a given organization needs to occur for business purposes

• Why is organizational change needed?
• How can an organization create change?
• What can an organization do to ensure change is successful?

As mentioned previously, change is necessary for a business to successfully thrive today. If a business does not change with the world around it, it will not survive or thrive. Change has become a frequent and necessary need in all businesses today. Technology allows us to move quickly, but businesses must respond quickly and move efficiently to remain competitive.

Organizational change is understanding the marketplace. If a business can understand why it needs to change, it can create its own change. This is important to understand and be able to manage. Once the change is understood, it can be easily explained to employees and implemented. Employees are the key to making changes occur in business today. By ensuring they understand why the change is important, the change will be more easily implemented.

To review, see Why Is Organizational Change Necessary?.

 

Unit 1 Vocabulary

This vocabulary list includes terms you will need to know to successfully complete the final exam.

• autocratic leader
• democratic leader
• laissez-faire leader
• organizational change
• transformational leader