Change is a fact of life in the current competitive and dynamic business world. It is a complex process and is prone to high rate of failure. Effective leaders are those who can develop proactive and innovative approaches to succeed in change management. They should understand the drivers of failure in the area of change management, handle both the `people' and `process' sides of change, develop suitable `situational' leadership styles and aim at transforming their organizations from `static' to `learning' organizations so that they can overcome resistance to change effectively.

Change is inevitable in the dynamic business environment in which we currently operate. Change will take place - this is a certainty. We are no longer in the world described by Kurt Levin as the era of unfreezing, changing and refreezing where things happen and settle down. We are currently in a situation where there is no refreezing. This era is aptly described by many management writers as the `permanent whitewater era'—where unseen obstacles suddenly emerge and make you go sideways or upside down.

Managers who aspire to become effective leaders should understand the business realities, the importance of change management and attempt to master the art and science of change management. They should realize the vital importance of change management in the arena of strategy execution and develop proactive and innovative approaches to succeed in change management.

Research indicates that over 60% of organizational changes fail and most of these failures can be attributed to ineffective leadership. The Wharton-Gartner study and Wharton Executive Education surveys have listed inability to manage change as the No.1 strategy execution problem/obstacle. Mega mergers and acquisitions like Chrysler - Daimler Benz merger, Sanofi takeover of Aventis etc., failed mainly due to change management-related issues.

Global CEO Magazine, Change Management, Effective Leaders, Business World, Learning Organizations, Business Environment, System Management, Change Management Strategy, Organization Systems, Business Process Re-engineering, Product Management.