Leading Change with Emotional Intelligence

At Ki ThoughtBridge, in addition to giving attention to the technical aspects of change management, we focus our client's attention on the adaptive processes in leading change. Our integrated model for leadership formation encourages leaders toward a deeper understanding of the emotional impacts of transition and change. With this knowledge leaders can choose ways to influence the culture in which change takes place, and modify individual and group behavior.

When leaders encounter change there are a series of individual, emotional responses to be considered and addressed in order for the change process to be successful. Lynn Fossum identifies seven stages that individuals experience as they transition from old ways of being into new behaviors and attitudes. These stages are:

1. Denial
2. Resistance
3. Confusion
4. Release
5. Envisioning
6. Enactment
7. Commitment

Ki ThoughtBridge has integrated Lynn Fossum's work with the three critical stages of a change process.

Joseph Campbell's research and William Bridge's work in transition conclude that there are three stages that organization experience when change is introduced.

1. Stage I: Ending
   
   For most individuals, Stage One of the change process evokes feelings of anxiety, fear and perhaps loss, as people realize that to move to the new vision they will need to let go of old patterns of behavior, which are often comfortable and, for some, seem successful. These strong emotions drive behaviors such as: avoidance and resistance to the change.
   
   
2. Stage II: The Gap
   
   In Stage Two, which we define as The Gap, change agents should anticipate the emotional responses associated with confusion as individuals move away from the old patterns but have not yet established new behaviors or certainty of their next steps.
   
   Questions abound in Stage Two as people ask how, why and when the new vision will emerge. Stress may increase and the organization may seem almost paralyzed to either let go or begin anew. To move toward the desired goal, it may be necessary for individuals to develop new skills and enhance their technical capacities. The organization as a whole may need to define new policies and structures to achieve the vision. 
   
   As individuals begin to release and envision the positive results of the proposed change, new practices emerge. In this important second stage, the focus begins to shift toward possibility thinking and creative visioning. 
   
   Here, people begin to ask questions such as what if, and how about, and start to openly invent options and collectively define new possibilities. The emotional responses may include increased energy and excitement. Some may withdraw until more clarity emerges, while others feel stimulated toward new potential. Emotions in this stage vary from deep fear to great enthusiasm, leaving the change agent to manage a wide range of corresponding behaviors.
   
   
3. Stage III: New Beginning
   
   Finally, in Stage Three, individuals begin to enact the first tentative steps toward the new way of being, and eventually, through trial and error, establish a sense of confidence in new behaviors and a commitment to the new vision emerges. A renewed sense of hope and excitement can be felt across the team as positive energy expands. 

Managing the diverse emotions and behaviors that result at each stage is a significant challenge. Author Peter Senge writes that most organizational change initiatives will fail.² Our belief is that the failure results, in part, from the leader's inability to first recognize and understand the emotional impact of change, and also the failure to adapt one's leadership style to what's needed at each juncture of the change process.

Emotional Intelligence, Leadership and Change Management

Drawing on the work of Daniel Goleman and his research on Emotional Intelligence³ (EQ), we believe it is critical for leaders to employ a range of leadership styles as they support and monitor the progress of their organization through each stage of transition and change.

Goleman has identified six leadership styles, each of which is based on a different aspect of EQ. These styles include:

1. Coercive
2. Authoritative
3. Affiliative
4. Democratic
5. Pacesetting
6. Coaching

Choosing between these styles requires a deep knowledge of both self and the change process. Recognizing which leadership style will evoke the best results at each stage of transition is a critical factor in leading change successfully.

For example, in Stage One as individuals are experiencing denial, resistance and anxiety, the Authoritative style mobilizes people toward a new vision as the leader displays strong self-confidence and has empathy for the feelings of loss and resistance team members may display. The Authoritative leader invites others along on the journey and leaves the door open for input and wisdom from team members.

In Stage Two, thoughtful change agents read the landscape of their organizations carefully and may employ several leadership styles including the Affiliative, Coaching and Democratic styles. The Affiliative style creates harmony, builds emotional bonds, and recognizes that people come first. The Affiliative style places the change agent in the role of building relationships and providing significantly increased communication and dialogue. It helps motivate and guide people through the gap while healing rifts and renewing relationships.

As people release the old behaviors and start to envision new possibilities, the Coaching Style allows the leader to present options, offer support, and encourage team members to try new behaviors without incrimination if first attempts are unsuccessful. Good coaches present a plan and revise it as team members bring individual skills and talents to the table.

As the team begins to coalesce around the new vision, the Democratic Style helps the leader to build buy in, gain consensus, and solicit valuable input in shaping the new vision. Ownership of the vision shifts from the change agent to the team members.

Finally, as the organization moves into Stage Three, the style of the leader may shift once again depending on the need. In Stage Three, a return to the Affiliative style and leading by example gives the team confidence in the new reality. The Pacesetting style can be useful to evoke early results from those team members who are eager to move toward commitment.

Knowing which style to incorporate at each stage of the change process comes from both the capacity to read reality truthfully and a deep sense of self-understanding and awareness.

Often, leaders exhibit frustration early in their attempts to implement change when team members are non-responsive to new ideas. Too quickly, leaders resort to the Coercive style, demanding immediate compliance when what is needed is a style that evokes vision, patience and empathy. 

In crisis situations coercion can jump start a change initiative and move individuals from Stage One to Stage Two, but we caution leaders in the employment of this style because over time it has a strongly negative impact on the culture. 

Successful change management requires a wide range of skills. Change exacerbates conflict and how the leader responds to it determines how well followers can risk and adapt. Emotional intelligence, empathy for those we lead, and curiosity about the dynamics of change leaders can inspire and coach others through the process more artfully, and ultimately, negotiate the conflicts along the way with greater success.

References

1. Bridges, W. Transitions, Transitions, Addison-Wesley, 1980

2. Senge, P. The Fifth Discipline, Currency Double Day, 1990

3. Goleman, D. Leadership That Gets Results, Harvard Business Review, Reprint #R00204, Mar-Apr 2000

1. Campbell, Joseph, The Power of Myth, Doubleday, 1988
2. Fossum, Lynn, Understanding Organizational Change, 1989

About the Author

Joanna Murray is a Partner with Ki ThoughtBridge. With Joanna's assistance, Ki ThoughtBridge has integrated its impressive reputation in the fields of negotiation, conflict resolution, and mediation with the expertise and intellectual property she helped to develop while leading Trustee Leadership Development, Inc. (TLD), a nationally recognized leadership education and consultation center with offices in Indianapolis and Denver. Joanna has helped us develop new models allowing us to integrate the latest research and theory in leadership development into our work. Read more about Joanna.