Podcast: Loss of Control: How to Steer When Change Takes the Helm

One moment you are in charge of a department—tasked with driving up quality, meeting deadlines and giving orders to make such improvements happen—and the next moment you’re asked to change. Instead of a command-and-control structure, the organization is introducing lean and its associated focus on team-based continuous improvement.

It can be a huge organizational upheaval, not just for frontline employees but also for the leaders who are used to being in charge. And with that upheaval comes resistance to change.

In this episode of Behind the Curtain: Adventures in Continuous Improvement, podcast co-hosts Dr. Mohamed Saleh and John Dyer discuss elements that drive leader resistance and offer several paths to overcome that resistance.

Among the discussion points:

The failure of improvement initiatives over time can be tied to traditional criteria used to promote leaders. “We tend to reward the people who show that they have the most control over everything,” notes Dyer. In a lean environment, “we want the teams that are closest to the process to feel empowered, to be able to address issues real time. …  that's how you're able to see the significant step function improvements. That's really tough for leaders to do, because, again, they're under the mindset of, is that going to damage my reputation, and maybe I'll never get promoted.”

Coping with loss of identity. If the leader is no longer the hero or firefighter, what are they? “We have to be mindful of, how are we going to substitute that identity,” Saleh says. The co-hosts delve into the idea of framing a leader’s new role to that of coach, with Saleh stressing the importance of defining what a coach looks like.

Uncharted waters are scary. It may be hard for leaders to embrace a path of transformation without a clear destination, which is why “it's so critically important that everyone from the top CEO all the way through is on board with this,” adds Dyer.

Who wants to give up power? “It requires certain disciplines to learn how to be a selfless leader,” Saleh says. “I think that's a journey there all on its own. And then, as you start seeing the nourishment and the success of others, that should fuel you to understand that the power you're giving up is being rewarded by the fulfillment of growing those around you.”