There are many different theories as to what makes a perfect leader but everybody can agree that leadership is a vital trait in ensuring process excellence through business transformation. The whole process of change can be complex and overwhelming and a leader is expected to hold a level of responsibility but there are several elements of leadership that are essential to ensuring ease and success. We spoke to Kathryn Payne and Troy Eutsler, two leaders in the employee experience and leadership development space about the essential elements of leadership in business transformation. They share with us their three most important elements of being a leader in the context of business transformation.

1. Recognize yourself as a Leader

Beyond anything, it is firstly important to recognize your position as a leader in transformation. Being a leader means there are expectations on how you should interact with the transformation, you are expected to offer guidance and support and to have a full understanding of the process of the change. If you do not recognize that you are in that position of responsibility, you cannot fulfill the obligations that come with your role. However, when you recognize your position you can offer your team the support and understanding that they need to ensure the transformation is successful.

2. Recognize your Employees as Individuals

Historically, employees have been seen as an expendable resource and taking the individual needs of employees into account is often overlooked. Change has a huge psychological impact on people and failing to acknowledge individual needs will lead to hindrances throughout your process of transformation. If an employee is resistant to change, understanding that the individual has their own unique way of adapting allows you to cater the process to that. Therefore, recognizing your employees as individuals and their unique needs avoids the negative aspects of change and business transformation.

3. Always ensure you Communicate

As a leader you should ensure that the message, the process and the goal of the transformation are communicated clearly to all the people involved. When speaking to Troy Eutsler, he told us that having a robust communication plan for the entire process that explains the key messages and answers all the questions is vital to guaranteeing success.  Communication works both ways and when a leader can communicate the process clearly, the individuals involved can also communicate their concerns to the leader making the whole course of the transformation run far more smoothly. Communicating the change and accepting communication makes the process easier for everyone to understand and adapt to. 

To learn more about how transforming your leadership can drive successful business changes download our exclusive interview with Kathryn Payne and Troy Eutsler.