Notwithstanding the fact that change is a slow and difficult process, leaders play a great role in creating a supportive organizational climate to ensure that organizations are successfully led through the change process, especially in the wake of the diverse challenges faced by the organizations during the recent years. This article discusses the learning approach model of change and reviews the need for change-oriented leaders in organizations to develop skills for various leadership styles that fits best for the various stages of change.

Way back in 1978, Allen reported that organizations must undertake moderate organizational change at least once a year and major change(s) every four or five years. Organizations are facing both external and internal challenges that make change inevitable. Notwithstanding the fact that literature is abundant with information on organizational change and leadership, change remains, yet, an elusive issue for leaders as well as practitioners. Against the background of increasing and accelerating pressures for change, we are faced with the depressing reality that 70% of change initiatives still fail to achieve their goals (Kotter, 1995; Beer and Nohria, 2000). This leads to the fundamental question about change and leadership in organizations. Even though there are many important factors which are required for change in organizations, executive leadership is consistently mentioned as a critical factor for effectively bringing about change in the organization. The role of the leadership, though is important in every stage of the change process, is especially critical during the initial stages when the process is stalled by the resistance shown by the members of the organization. Over half of the organizations undertaking a large, complex change initiative fail during the first phase of the process (Kotter, 1995). It is said that the failure for change during the initial phases is a definite indication of failure of leadership. Only the executive leaders have the position and potential to successfully initiate strategic changes within the organization. It is the responsibility of the leaders to uncover the need to change and enthuse others through the belief that an authentic need exists within the organization (Kotter, 1995). That leadership ability varies widely within and between organizations is well-known and well-documented. In effect, change in organizations would not happen without effective leadership and anything less than good leadership would lead to ineffective change (Browne, 2006). How do leaders approach change and in what way does change need to be affected if we are to increase its success rate, are important questions that need to be addressed by every organization. Change-oriented leadership describes the responsibility of leaders to recognize that any major change initiative contemplated or already in progress will significantly impact the affected divisions and the organization and that they must proactively lead the affected groups through change.

HRM Review Magazine, Organizational Change, Organizational Climate, Recurring Patterns, Change Management Leadership, Strategic Leadership, Conceptual Skills, Emotional Components, People Management, Organizational Productivity, Interpersonal Relationships, Effective Management, Complex Organizations.