0.1 2. change leadership competencies  (Page 3/4)

Conner also believed that the above leadership styles are related to two different types of organizational change: First-order change and second-order change. First-order change is incremental, piecemeal change that is common in the field of education. According to Conner, second-order change (which is what transformational change is) is “…nonlinear in nature and reflects movement that is fundamentally different from anything seen before within the existing framework” (pp. 148-149).

Conner asserted that the first four leadership styles that he identified are appropriate for managing first-order change. However, he argues that the last two leadership styles are more appropriate for leading second-order change because that kind of change process “…requires shifting context; it represents a substantial variation in substance and form that discontinues whatever stability existed before.” (p. 149) In other words, when an organization is engaging in discontinuous, transformational change, the Integrated and Continuous leadership styles are more appropriate.

Stopper (1999) also identified what he believes are essential traits for change leaders. Those traits are:

Technical competence . Change leaders must have the technical knowledge and skills required to lead change.

Personal resilience . Stopper (1999, pp. 1-6) offered specific behavioral indicators for this characteristic:

• Positive - Resilient people effectively identify opportunities in turbulent environments and have the personal confidence to believe they can succeed.
• Focused - Resilient people have a clear vision of what they want to achieve and use this as a lodestar to guide them when they become disoriented.
• Flexible - Resilient people draw effectively on a wide range of internal and external resources to develop creative, pliable strategies for responding to change.
• Organized - Resilient people use structured approaches to managing ambiguity; they plan and coordinate effectively in implementing their change strategies.
• Proactive - Resilient people act in the face of uncertainty, taking calibrated risks rather than seeking comfort.

Cultural alignment . Change leaders must “fit” the culture, mission, and vision of their organizations.

Leadership approach to change . Change leaders use effective change leadership styles. Five leadership styles identified by Conner (1998) and characterized by Stopper (1999) were presented above. Both Conner and Stopper believed that only the last two styles (i.e., the Integrated Leader and the Continuous Leader) are suited to the challenges of discontinuous, second-order change, which is what systemic transformational change in school districts is.

The National Training Center (2008) identified a set of essential change leadership competencies. In addition to defining each competency, they also offered advice on how leaders can develop each one. The competencies they identified and examples of behavioral indicators for each one are presented below.

Vision

• Taking a long-term view and acting as a catalyst for organizational change.
• Collaborating with others to build a shared vision.
• Influencing others to translate vision into action.