Objectives

The aim of this assignment is introduce learners to the importance of leadership in the context of change management. This assignment seeks to help you understand the answer to a broader concern and that is – what is the role of a leader in the management of change?

Instructor Comments

Do leaders matter? Well three authors of papers tied to this assignment think so. Whether change is forced up an organization or an entity proactively alters itself, someone needs to be in control of an organization’s activities and responses. Rosabeth Moss Kanter is a well known Harvard University business professor. She suggested that possession of a specific set of skills helps to differentiate effective leaders from ineffective leaders. John Kotter is the author of what is probably the most influential model or process of leader driven corporate change. Few business schools fail to make use of his eight step model in their curriculum. Michael Watkins fame is more recent. He researched and has written a compelling article on what leaders need to do during the first 90 days of their tenure as CEO’s. In times of dramatic economic upheaval, CEO turnover typically escalates. In those instances, Watkins ideas serve as a useful guide for key decision.

Assignment

You should base your responses to the following questions on the insight found in the following readings:
•Moss Kanter, R. 2000. Enduring Skills of Change Leaders – Leader To Leader, No.13, Summer 1999. http://www.pfdf.org/knowledgecenter/journal.aspx?ArticleID=50 .
•Kotter J.P. 1996. Successful Change and the Forces that Drive it. The Canadian Manager. 21(3)20 – 24. http://www.12manage.com/methods_kotter_change.html
•Watkins, Michael, 2004. Strategy for the first critical 90 days of Leadership. Strategy and Leadership. 15–20.

Please answer the following questions:

•For each paper, please use one paragraph to summarize the main ideas.
•Please use one half page to summarize the ideas that are similar among all of these papers.
•What is the role of a leader in the management of change?
Please limit your response to this assignment to three single spaced, typed pages. Please cite your sources in the text and please reference them at the end of your assignment. Please end your write-up with one paragraph that summarizes what you think is the importance of this assignment.