Leading Change reviewed by Julie Robinson in Leadership Lunch and Learn

by Lisa Davis - March 1, 2024

The February Leadership Lunch and Learn book review was presented by Dr. Julie Robinson, an associate professor in leadership at University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. She reviewed what Time magazine listed as one of the 25 most influential books ever written, Leading Change by John Kotter.

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In her review, Robinson said the book outlines eight steps to leading an organization through change. The steps are listed below. 

1. Establish a sense of urgency. She shared a few ways to increase the urgency level. These include eliminating obvious examples of excess, setting targets high enough to break status quo, sharing more data to more employees, insisting people talk to unsatisfied customers, and having honest conversations.
   
   
2. Create a guiding coalition. To do this, leaders should assemble a group with enough power to lead the change effort and encourage the group to work together as a team.
   
   
3. Develop a vision and strategy. The book states a vision says something that clarifies the direction in which an organization needs to move.
   
   
4. Communicate the change vision. The key elements of communicating the vision include simplicity, using a metaphor, analogy, and/or example, use multiple forms, use repetition, and it requires leadership by example.
   
   
5. Empower broad-based action. Robinson shared the organization must get rid of obstacles to change.
   
   
6. Generate short-term wins. Transformation efforts can be successful for a while, but often fail after short term results become erratic. Short-term results are possible, especially through cost cutting or mergers and acquisitions.
   
   
7. Consolidate gains and produce more change. Use increased credibility to change systems, structures and policies that don’t fit the vision. Also, the book suggests to hire, promote, and develop employees who can implement the vision.
   
   
8. Anchor new approaches in the culture. This comes last not first. Most alterations in norms and shared values come at the end of the transformation process. New approaches usually sink into a culture only after it’s very clear that they work and are superior to old methods.

The Leadership Lunch and Learn Book Review series features leadership experts from across the south. Each presenter reviews a leadership development book. The series gives you the opportunity to hear the cliff notes version of many popular leadership development books. Join us for future book reviews.