Exercise 4.2 Myself as Change Leader

1. The following list of change leader attributes and skills represents an amalgam drawn from the previous section. Rate yourself on the following dimensions on the seven-point scale.

Attributes of Change Leaders from Caldwell

Low 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 High

Inspiring vision 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Entrepreneurship 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Integrity and honesty 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Learning from others 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Openness to new ideas 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Risk taking 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Adaptability and flexibility 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Creativity 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Experimentation 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Using power 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Attributes of Change Managers from Caldwell

Empowering others 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Team building 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Learning from others 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Adaptability and flexibility 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Openness to new ideas 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Managing resistance 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Conflict resolution 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Networking skills 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Knowledge of the business 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Problem solving 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Change Leader Attributes Suggested by Others

Interpersonal skills 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Communication skills 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Emotional resilience 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Tolerance for ambiguity 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Tolerance for ethical conflict 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Political skill 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Persistence 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Determination 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Pragmatism 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Dissatisfaction with the status quo 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Openness to information 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Flexibility 1 2 3 4 5 6 7Capacity to build trust 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Intelligence 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Emotional intelligence 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

2. Do you see yourself as scoring high on some items compared to others? If so, you are more likely to be comfortable in a change leader role. Lack of these attributes and skills does not mean you could not be a change agentit just means that it will be more difficult, and it may suggest areas for development.3. Are you more likely to be comfortable in a change leadership role at this time, or does the role of change manager or implementer seem more suited to who you are?4. Ask a mentor or friend to provide you feedback on the same dimensions. Does the feedback confirm your self-assessment? If not, why not?

Exercise 4.3 Your Development as a Change Agent

1. Novice change leaders often picture themselves as being in the right and those that oppose them as somehow wrong. This certainty gives them energy and the will to persist in the face of such opposition. It sets up a dynamic of oppositionthe more they resist, the more I must try to change them, and so I persuade them more, put more pressure on them, and perhaps resort to whatever power I have to force change.
2. Think of a situation in which someone held a different viewpoint than yours. What were your assumptions about that person? Did you believe they just didn't get it, were wrong headed, perhaps a bit stupid?Or did you ask yourself, why would they hold the position they have? If you assume they are as rational and as competent as you are, why would they think as they do? Think back to Table 4.2. Are you at Stage 1, 2, 3, or 4?
3. Are you able to put yourself into the shoes of the resistor? Ask yourself: What forces play on that person? What beliefs does he or she have? What criteria is he or she using to evaluate the situation?
4. What are the implications of your self-assessment with respect to what you need to do to develop yourself as a change agent?