Knowledge Resource Centre

Leading Change

John P. Kotter

Despite all the effort, energy and money thrown into leading change in organisations, most fail. As John Kotter, best-selling author and Harvard Professor explains, change critically relies on, and fails through, a lack of strong and focused leadership. Significant change is often successfully implemented, but not adequately sustained.  The result is spectacular failure for countless businesses. Luckily, with Kotter's wealth of experience and insight into the complex roles of both leadership and management of change, the reader is in safe hands.

Drawing on an examination of over 100 companies and an impressive catalogue of personal experience, the book begins by identifying the common mistakes made by both leaders and managers.  Dispelling common assumptions, Kotter claims that transitions are in fact 70-90% reliant on good leaders rather than good managers.  He also investigates why organisations resist change and the multiple stages needed to achieve it.

Kotter discusses the term “change management”, arguing that it is not management but leadership that produces sustained and successful change in any organisation.  His academic analysis looks to historical paradigms of the 20th century to explain the lack of good leadership today.  He contrasts the old styles with what is now required for the 21st century, promoting strong leadership and rejecting incremental change. In an accessible and practical form, Kotter illuminates the needs of and has devised a step-by-step guide to lead change.  Expanding on Lewin’s 3-step model for change which unfreezes, changes and refreezes transforming organisations, Kotter develops 8 steps including:
 

• Establishing a greater sense of urgency
• Creating the guiding coalition
• Developing a vision and strategy
• Communicating the change vision
• Empowering others to act
• Creating short-term wins
• Consolidating gains and producing even more change
• Institutionalising new approaches in the future

This personal and practical resource from one of the world’s foremost business thinkers will be relevant to all future-thinking leaders. It re-frames the process of change and takes a personal approach that promotes learning and leadership skills for both individuals and organisations. Above all, it dismisses the notion that change is a process to be managed, proving instead that it is an everyday reality that requires leadership.