The document outlines 10 skills that leaders need to lead change: 1) prioritize key priorities and protect thinking time, 2) build a team committed to the shared goals and vision, 3) overcommunicate the vision and goals and check for understanding, 4) have courage to have difficult conversations with facts not feelings, 5) foster an environment where others can impact change, 6) embody the behaviors wanted from others, 7) trust instincts in the second half of one's career, 8) care about employees and demonstrate empathy, 9) gradually build momentum and buy-in for change, and 10) map stakeholders and strategies for influencing them. The skills are presented as scaffolding for leading organizational transformations.

1. Change is constant. And as
humans, we hate uncertainty.
That’s why Richard Jolly says
change leaders need a different
set of skills than your average
‘what makes a good leader’ list
contains.
10 skills to lead
change

2. 2
10 skills to lead change
Focus your time on your key priorities
– don’t get distracted by the thousands
of things competing for your attention.
Analyse how much time you spend on
your top three priorities – don’t allow
yourself to get distracted by trivial
activities that don’t add real value to
the organisation. Protect your thinking
time: don’t fall victim to ‘hurry sickness’.
1
Prioritise

3. 3
10 skills to lead change
Build your team. They need to understand
your ambition and be committed to ensuring
it happens. Research finds that 68%
of employees don’t understand their
company’s vision. How can people work
together towards a shared goal if they don’t
know what it is?
2
Construct

4. 4
10 skills to lead change
Over-communicate – people want to know
where they are going and what, specifically,
you need them to do differently to get
there. People feel valued simply having
information shared with them. It shows that
you trust them, and helps them to do their
job. Most senior executives are terrible
communicators (but think they’re great)
– so ask for feedback to check employees
have understood.
3
Communicate

5. 5
10 skills to lead change
Have the courage to confront difficult
questions – tricky conversations typically
get worse the longer you avoid them. Base
discussions on facts, not feelings. You
need proof of how people aren’t hitting the
mark. Remember that, as a leader, you’re a
teacher. You need to give your employees
the information they need to do well, even
if it’s hard to give.
4
Courage

6. 6
10 skills to lead change
Create an environment where people
believe they can impact the firm – the role
of senior executives is increasingly not to
lead change, but to create the conditions
for others to do so. ‘Command and control’
doesn’t cut it in complex organisations. You
can’t impose change – people need to find
their own ways to solve the challenges. It’s
your job to empower them.
5
Foster

7. 7
10 skills to lead change
Be a role model of the behaviours you want
from others. People aren’t really listening to
what you say, but they are mimicking your
behaviours. Role models have an infectious
passion for their work and live according to
their true beliefs. People have a sixth sense
for integrity in others.
6
Embody

8. 8
10 skills to lead change
Trust your instincts – in the second half
of your career, you are more likely to fail
because you are too careful. You are not in
a china shop. Organisations typically fail
not because they have the wrong strategy,
but because employees don’t do what they
think is right for the firm. Beware of the killer
phrase, “They should…” There is no ‘they’.
7
Believe

9. 9
10 skills to lead change
Ensure people know that you care about
them – demonstrate empathy, as this leads
to them caring about the firm and your
ambitions. How does it feel to be someone
else? Empathy is sometimes called the
deepest form of respect. It shows you
care about people more than rules and
regulations and builds strong links between
employees and teams.
8
Care

10. 10
10 skills to lead change
Get momentum. Change happens gradually,
so build from common ground, where
people already agree, to enable you to
get traction. Change can take its toll on
resources – both human and financial. Some
employees might need to see the longer
term benefits before venturing further down
that path.
9
Drive

11. 11
10 skills to lead change
Map your stakeholders – list the key people
involved in making the change happen:
how do they feel about it? What strategy
do you need for each specific person, to get
them to play their role? Who can you get to
influence them if you can’t do so yourself?
10
Chart

12. 12
10 skills to lead change
Use the 10 principles as scaffolding
for your transformation. It’s hard,
but it’s possible, and the best leaders
make their mark with their flexibility,
bravery and foresight.
10 skills to lead
change

13. 10 skills to lead change
Richard Jolly is an Adjunct Professor
of Organisational Behaviour at London
Business School.
The full blog post was published on
London Business School Review online
Visit the website: www.london.edu/lbsr
@RichardJollyLBS