Educational Leadership and Management
Write a 3-5 paragraph essay identify some challenges that can be posed both by an organization and a current state of professional development to become a transformative leader in an organization
Introduction
Organizations can be slightly top heavy and resistant to change especially if they are large ones where bureaucracy and the status quo dominates. In several cases you can have a large organization such as a bank where the top management tends to oversee proceedings in a strict manner and conservative credentials often lend themselves to absolute resistance to change in all quarters. Conversely, some managers may be open to change as a better way of attracting new clients and offering new services which will eventually prove to be lucrative. However most large organizations today rely on top heavy management and are not dynamic at all in the sense that they rule from top down and there is no way that certain decisions can be influenced by people in the middle or at the bottom. This is also the case in point in an educational setup where resistance to change may prove quite obstructive. This paper attempts to address the problems one faces when organized resistance to transformational change is faced.
Resistance to transformational change
Change is an important aspect in any organization as if this does not happen, then the organization will definitely not move forward. However it is true that most organizations face challenges, largely from within when faced with transformational change. One typical case could be the employment of a free thinking executive who comes up with various new ideas and methods to change company policy but meets strong resistance from his bosses. This could result in a stopgap where implementation is left far behind and much needed change will not happen. The same could happen in elementary education where a teacher with new ideas and methods can find himself/herself stifled due to restrictive work practices and resistance to change by superiors. This obviously leads to a situation where the status quo prevails.
One can only look at recent examples of where change and new ideas can be beneficial to an organization. Take Apple with their innovative range of products such as tablets and iPhones which have taken the world by storm in every respect. If Steve Jobs had not been a dynamic entrepreneur in every respect and not constantly evolved with a culture of change, the company would probably have failed. Professional development as such is also a crucial part of things and if this is stifled then there can be no success in managing change. [Again, what does professional development have to do with any of this? You need to better organize your ideas.]
The transformative leader
Transformative leaders in organizations are few and far between as more often than not; these are stifled and are not allowed to flourish with their substantial ideas. A leader who takes over a new role cannot just sit tight and observe the status quo but must also do his/her utmost to transform that organization. This can be done in a variety of ways which range from simplifying the payroll system to testing new educational theories and introducing varied lesson plans especially at an early age in education. Transformational change cannot only be one sided though as there has to be a level of co-operation in what is implemented due to the fact that confrontation will certainly not bring about change but will stifle it still more. This could be the case when change has to be brought about from within but is stifled from without. Transformational change can also be achieved within small organizations if the right approach is carried out. Entrepreneurship is a case in point where those who have an innovative flair can found their own companies and flourish considerably. Transformational change can also be brought about by new and innovative systems such as social media and change is a constant which is obviously apparent in such organizations, this is also true in a primary education setup.
Conclusion – overcoming resistance to transformational change
Change is an important factor in any organization and resistance to it can lead to eventual failure if not disaster. The ability to absorb transformational change remains of crucial importance and if this is resisted, the consequences could be quite grave. First of all an organization should be lean and mean to survive and should also ensure that its pool of talent is trained in the best possible manner. Professional development remains extremely important in every aspect and this has to be taken note of when faced with situations of grave concern. In today’s fast developing world where the media is king and where unnecessary exposure can lead to inevitable tainting of reputation, the importance of managing change remains paramount.
Challenges to transformational change remain many but the one which causes the most obstacles is the linking to the status quo. Often, top managers and other organizational chiefs in education come from privileged or conservative background, which does not enable them to see the clear picture in this respect. Other organizational challenges include top heavy organizations where systems are ingrained and are difficult to change especially if they have been tried and tested for several years. The importance of transformational change and the breaking of resistance to it cannot really be overstated at this stage. One has to understand that not managing change is extremely unhealthy to any organization and can also result in loss of staff morale and a brain drain with the best people leaving the organization in search of better pastures.
References:
Wentz K (1999); Transformational Change; Corporate Performance Systems Inc
