The Leader Lab

14Leading Change

Of all the difficult things a manager has to manage, change is one of the hardest. Increasingly, it is also one of the most common. So it makes sense that in our research, we found that great managers are unusually skilled at leading change. Some of these changes are massive – like helping a team handle a merger, a culture transformation, or a transition to remote work. Some changes are relatively small (but still challenging) – like rolling out a new technology, hiring or parting ways with a team member, or switching priorities. Some changes, like introducing a new process, are initiated by managers. And some changes, like a shift in company strategy, are determined by senior leaders, then executed by managers and their teams. All of these changes can result in meaningful success if led well, or turn out to be disasters when led poorly.

Consider a change initiative managed by Bernardo, one of the great managers we interviewed. When he was hired as a manager, he was one of the least tenured people at his company. Many people on his team had been there throughout half of their careers. They were comfortable in their roles and used to doing things a certain way. The company had enjoyed a long streak of success, but not long after Bernardo joined, it was suddenly at risk of being pushed out by a disruptive competitor. In an attempt to survive, corporate headquarters rolled out a new initiative, focused on fast and friendly customer service. Bernardo's team had ...