From Unicorn Change Leaders to Scalable Enterprise Change Leadership

There are exceptional leaders who stand out for their ability to not just survive but thrive amidst transformation. We marvel at their skill in building relationships across the organisation and with stakeholders, their unwavering clarity of goals and long-term vision, their authentic and captivating communication style that inspires others, and their remarkable poise in the face of ambiguity, while consistently achieving constructive outcomes.

While these unicorn change leaders do exist, it would be unrealistic to expect every leader in an organisation to possess these qualities and capabilities from the outset of an enterprise transformation. The truth is, navigating change demands the cultivation of a specific mindset, behaviours, and skills to successfully lead oneself and others through significant organisational transitions.

Irrespective of the nature of the transformation—whether it's a digital program, merger, acquisition, safety initiative, adoption of hybrid work models, or cultural change—the importance of leadership as the primary driver for achieving measurable results cannot be overstated. Yet, organisations often encounter common leadership challenges during such transitions:

1. Misalignment of current leadership capabilities with the future state – what got us here is not the same as what will enable us to thrive in the future.

2. Limited knowledge, skills and tools to navigate the transition effectively – we’re not sure how to move the organisation in the intended direction.

3. Inconsistency in leadership approaches across the organisation – Divergent perspectives on change leadership are leading to incongruent outcomes.

Consequently, companies may experience pockets of success, which should be acknowledged as achievements. However, it is possible to have a more profound and consistent impact across the entire enterprise. This requires a deliberate effort integrated into the transformation strategy to develop the leadership mindset, skills, and behaviours essential for enterprise change. There are several proven methods to bolster this leadership muscle:

1. Bespoke 1:1 executive coaching: Supporting individual transformation because change happens one person at a time, and each leader possesses unique strengths that need to be honed and harnessed.

2. Customised change leadership programs: Incorporating diagnostics, capability development workshops with experiential learning, workplace action learning projects, and success metrics. Importantly, these programs should incorporate individual or group coaching to facilitate and accelerate the transfer of learning into practice, mitigating the risk of 'just another training program'.

3. Tailored leadership team coaching programs: Utilising data insights to identify team strengths and developmental opportunities, informing the development plan, and enabling aligned and consistent change leadership.

By providing leaders with the necessary support and guidance, organisations can cultivate a cohesive leadership coalition that is well-equipped to navigate the dynamic landscape of enterprise change. Executive coaching and targeted leadership development form a critical component of any transformation strategy, unlocking the potential of change leaders and fostering sustainable success.