How can you assess a leader's readiness for change?

Change is prompted predominantly out of conviction. Albeit, It’s always difficult to be a change agent as the tendency for status quo is strong. However,clear vision, perseverance and informed decision making can reign changes.Change invites resistance, criticism and invariably leads to change protagonists finding themselves alone in endeavours! This however can spur the limitless power of solitude. Best of leader’s wisdom is displayed when they are alone, amidst the reverie of their resolve, beliefs and convictions. The transformatory and visionary are unstoppable. Impediments prompted more out of trivia and mundane only strengthen their beliefs. The power of conviction is all that matters to enable people evolve, elevate and excel!

Readiness to change warrants courage, conviction, belief and self assurance as key attributes reflective in missionary zeal to change status quo. 1 clarity of thought and a vision is essential for conditioning the mind and inherent verve to change. 2. The courage to change and live convictions can often be a deterrent. The fear loneliness in can work against the desire to affect change. 3. Change has its own share of naysayers and detractors. For it to be successful, power within has to be unleashed to swim past opposition which is devoid of logic. 4. Change can be exhilarating and supremely satisfying, when the desire is larger good with selflessness as its bedrock. Change signals arrival of creativity, passion and exuberance!

1. Observe their willingness to adapt and adopt new practices. 2. Collect input from peers, subordinates, and superiors about their openness to change (360). 3. Encourage the leader to reflect on their own readiness for change and identify areas of resistance. 4. Review their past experiences with change initiatives and how they handled them. 5. Assess their ability to manage emotions and navigate through uncertainty. 6. Evaluate their capacity to address conflicts and resistance within their team. 7. Determine if their vision aligns with the organization's goals and the intended change. 8. Analyse their ability to communicate a change vision to the team. Determine if they can be effective and set a SMART plan in place to develop.

Change is inevitable. Stagnation is the problem. Determine where you want to be in 5 years. What SMART Personal and Business goals do I need to reset. Do my direct reports Trust me? I may be competent but lack the Character to lead. A 360degree analysis or Engagement Survey can support realignment. Did my Values change unconsciously... affecting my choices? Reset personal values with new behaviors that build team motivation and personal re-engagement. Finally, am I losing the Humility needed to win over my teams and at the same time displaying a Ferocious focus on Results.

Many leaders are driven by a combination of ambition, a sense of purpose, a desire to make a positive impact, and a commitment to their vision and goals. They often exhibit strong determination, resilience, and a capacity to inspire and motivate others towards a common objective. #deepakthoughts

In my experience, you always have obstacles that hold you back. The question I often ask then: "how honest are you with the things you want to achieve?" "you can keep everything as it is and we can stop here. Or you face the uncomfortable feelings that you currently have and take the little step forward. Your choice" Important for us as Executive Coach to be patient, listen, and give space to clients.

Willingness to Invest Time and Effort: Leaders ready for change understand that transformation requires time, effort, and often discomfort. They're willing to allocate time for introspection, learning, and implementing new behaviors.

The change curve works really well in my experience, particularly as you can also track the business impact with data recording to. Change will most likely impact business performance and initially it may not all be positive. But as the people settle so will business performance. Important to remember though ……not everyone or every part of the business will be at the same point of the curve at the same time.

During a leadership training workshop, my team and I used the Resilience Scale to assess a client's mindset towards change. This leader, although seasoned, had a fixed mindset, viewing change as a threat rather than an opportunity. The real eye-opener was the Change Curve tool, which allowed her to visualize the phases of change and her own resistance. After confronting her limiting beliefs, she took steps to adapt a growth mindset. This shift in perspective didn't just change her approach to leadership, it transformed the entire team dynamic.

It is indeed very important to assess the mindset of the leader. A leader with a fixed mindset will find it very difficult to accept change and will stay in denial for a long time. Ultimately the leader will have to accept the change but precious time is lost by staying long in denial. In addition, they will also experience a lot of anxiety and stress during the process. As it is possible to help leaders change their mindset, for effective change management, we need to support them in doing so. This mindset change marks the beginning of successful change management

The ADKAR model indicates clearly that after awareness, desire and knowledge comes helping the leader develop the ability to manage change. Here it is mainly about skill development which will empower the leader to go through the change process in a smooth manner, without experiencing stress. Whenever the change is known beforehand, Skill development increases the leaders preparedness to handle change proactively.

In one project, we used the 360-Degree Feedback tool to give a holistic view of a leader's change management capabilities. The results showed that while the leader excelled in strategic thinking, there was room for improvement in communication skills. Based on these insights, we focused on enhancing her storytelling ability to better convey change initiatives. The change was palpable—team members felt more included in the process and were more motivated to contribute to the change journey.

Assessing a leader's readiness for change involves examining their attitudes, beliefs, actions, and the context in which they operate. Here's a concise way to assess a leader's readiness for change: 1. **Openness to New Ideas**: Does the leader demonstrate a willingness to explore new ways of doing things? 2. **Awareness**: Does the leader acknowledge the need for change? Are they aware of industry trends, competitor actions, and internal challenges? 3. **Learning Agility**: Does the leader invest in their own learning and development? Are they comfortable admitting what they don't know? 4. **Risk Tolerance**: How does the leader respond to risks? Are they overly cautious, or do they take calculated

Change should be looked at with a process point of view and a people point of view. Many change initiatives fail as they do not give adequate importance to the people point of view. While looking at both sides, it is then important to create a powerful change story ie why the change. Once everyone buys into the change story, the rest of the steps becomes easier as then there is a lot of openness towards the change that is going to happen.

Assessing the progress helps the leader understand if the plan is working or if any course correction is required. If these corrections are not identified at the right time, the change implementation will be unsuccessful and objectives not achieved. The efforts put in go waste, anxiety and stress persist and the leader is back to square one. Determine the periodicity and continue to assess the progress.

To evaluate the progress and performance of a female leader, it is important to closely monitor specific key indicators that reflect her growth. Enhanced self-awareness, adeptness in balancing professional and personal roles, and a receptive attitude towards feedback are pivotal markers. Her ability to quickly adapt to new situations and embrace change is clearly showcased by the strength of her professional relationships, her adeptness in flexibly adjusting her leadership style, and her unwavering commitment towards achieving set objectives. These facets serve as indicators of her growth and preparedness to wholeheartedly embrace transformative shifts in her leadership journey.

Effective sponsors/leaders understand the need for behavior changes early and determines how behaviors must be altered, models the new behaviors to the organization, and speaks openly about the changes

In a recent project, I introduced the Global DISC model to assess a leader's readiness for change, especially in a multicultural environment. This tool goes beyond traditional DISC assessments by integrating intercultural elements, essential for leaders in global settings. We found that the leader was very adaptable in his own cultural context but struggled with changes that had global implications. Using Global DISC, we adjusted our coaching strategy to foster not just adaptability but also cultural intelligence. This nuanced approach made a world of difference, both to the leader and the globally diverse team he managed.

One thing I've found helpful during the coaching process, is to pause for a few seconds before responding. Being in silent for a few seconds, or even more, for a longer period, is very powerful. Use that space for the client to reflect, for you to observe any non-verbal behaviours, to listen to the things that not spoken. All that are good data for you to adjust the speed of the conversation and help client to connect with their deep self.

Adjusting one's coaching approach is paramount to effectively guiding leaders, especially when considering the unique experiences and challenges faced by women in leadership roles. Recognizing a leader's readiness for change and their specific needs is crucial. For women, who often navigate complex professional landscapes shaped by gender dynamics, a women-centered coaching methodology can be particularly beneficial. This approach focuses on understanding and addressing the unique challenges women face, like balancing societal expectations with professional goals or confronting gender biases.

In my experience, many leaders lead transformation or change initiatives in organization without being aware of their own capacity to transform. I have used Leadership Agility framework proposed by Bill Joiner to assess readiness of the leaders to transform. Business transformation requires leaders to lead at the catalyst level and invest their time to develop capacities for these.

Assess the organizational culture: Sometimes, the organizational culture can be a barrier or a facilitator to a leader's change readiness. Assessing the culture can help understand if it supports or hinders the leader's change journey. Readiness for change can be cultivated, so even if a leader isn't ready now, with the right interventions and support, they can be prepared in the future.