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.