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Leadership Styles for the Five Stages of Radical Change
Article

Leadership Styles for the Five Stages of Radical Change


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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Applicable
  • Inspiring

Recommendation

To be a great leader, you must be able to execute radical change in a team setting. In this position, you can't have a fixed persona, but must constantly change to accommodate a project’s phase. This tutorial from management professors Kathleen K. Reardon, Kevin J. Reardon and Alan J. Rowe outlines the stages of radical change and the type of leadership style most effective for each phase of a project or transition. getAbstract recommends their excellent primer to CEOs, executives, managers and anyone leading a team through a phase of radical change.

Summary

If you want to lead people today, you must be both a “visionary and motivator.” You should respond to change, question tradition, be open to innovative ideas and be unafraid to take risks.

To prepare yourself, be aware where you fall in the “Leadership Style Inventory.” Developed in 1995, the inventory sets out four personality types: 1) “Commanding” leaders focus on short-term progress and goals; 2) “logical” leaders direct their attention toward future goals and try to cover all the bases; 3) “inspirational” leaders ignite a team through visionary ideas; and 4) “...

About the Authors

Kathleen K. Reardon, PhD, is professor of management and organization at the University of Southern California, where Alan J. Rowe, PhD, is emeritus professor. Kevin J. Reardon, PhD, currently serves as director of business strategy for the Inter-National Research Institute in Reston, VA.


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    C. C. 7 years ago
    Responding to change, unafraid of taking a risk... things that must happen to be successful that I feel many of us do not do enough.