Authenticity for “insiders” acting as change leaders

Have you ever tried to act as a change agent inside your organization in a way that took you out of your assigned role? What kinds of challenges did that present for you when you were trying to work with people who pigeonholed you into a certain role based on your job description?

If you haven’t had to do that, what do you think you might do in that situation in the future to prevent that kind of problem from getting in the way of the change program?

When you are talking about callousness, it reminded me of the importance of authenticity for change leaders. Being too close to the organization and its status quo can work against you in the eyes of the people who are most affected by the change program you are leading or working on. Being seen as a yes man or a company tool is no advantage when trying to lead a significant change program. Establishing authenticity is one of the most important early tasks in my experience.

As an example I have had to leave an organization wide change management program that involves civilians, contractors, uniformed service members and a large unionized workforce and maintaining an air and reputation of impartiality was difficult and turned out to be one of the key elements driving performance results. Maintaining and supporting impartial relationships was probably more important than any single aspect of the recommended changes in fact.

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