I recently learned more about the story of an incredible leader. He was born in the mid-1800s and quit school in 4th grade in order to go to work. He learned different trades and eventually borrowed $150 from his aunt to start his first business. That business didn’t go very well, so he started a second business, which also did not go well. But he tried again, and his third business was successful - by 1900 it was worth $1 million, or over $30 million today. He could have stopped there, but he sold that business and invested the $1 million into another company. This was a big risk to take, but he had a vision - a vision to make chocolate.

This leader was Milton Hershey, and I’m sure you have heard of the Hershey’s Kiss. Hershey’s now makes 70 million Kisses a day. Milton Hershey had a vision, and he led the change to get to that vision. He not only created the Hershy’s Kiss but also a town, Zoo, amusement park, top medical institution, and even one of the world-renowned orphanages called the Hershey School.

He was able to create all of that simply by changing from making caramel to making chocolate. Milton Hershey understood what it meant to lead change. As leaders, we are also responsible for leading change. Here are six principles of what it takes to be an effective leader for change.

1. Vision is powerful – share it.

I love this quote:

“Change is hard because people overestimate the value of what they have and underestimate the value of what they may gain by giving that up.” – James Belasco & Ralph Stayer

To move people from what they have to what “could be” requires a compelling vision.

2. Resistance is normal – expect it.

“If you want to create enemies, change something.” – Woodrow Wilson

People process change differently. Some people embrace change quickly. They love it and thrive on it. For other people, change is difficult and stressful, and they will resist it. You have to know your people and how they are going to process change before you institute a change. But resistance to change is normal, so you have to be prepared for it.

How People Process Change

3. Trust is essential – earn it.

Trust is what allows people to follow you, buy into your vision, and take their cues from you. But trust is hard to earn and very easy to lose. To earn trust, you have to be dependable, predictable, transparent, and follow through on what you say - not overselling and under-delivering.

4. Communication is vital – use it.

Our consulting team here at The Center has over 300 years of combined leadership and consulting experience. In all of that experience, we have never once had someone say to us, “Our leadership overcommunicates to us.”

John Kotter, one of the world-renowned researchers in the change process, conducted a study to observe what happens with communication in an organization. He found that in a 3-month period, an average employee heard 2,300,000 words or numbers. But when it came to the change that the leader was trying to sell, they only heard about 14,000 words. So obviously, change requires an enormous amount of communication, and just when you think you have communicated it, you have to communicate it again.

5. Execution is critical – do it.

There are times when leaders cast a grandiose vision for change, but nothing ever happens. The primary reasons for this are they don’t know how to manage the resistance, they don’t like the conflict and the tension that comes with it, they don’t delegate and empower people to do it, or they don’t have an accountability system to make sure it gets done. Effective change requires good execution.

6. Risk is not optional – accept it.

Patricia Miranda was an unathletic, overweight, teenage girl. When she was in 8th grade, she decided to join the boy’s wrestling team. What a courageous and crazy decision! But during that time, she grew in her confidence, and she took risks. She ultimately ended up becoming the captain of her team and went on to wrestle for Standford University. She was also the first woman to beat a man in NCAA wrestling history and became a bronze medal winner on the first woman’s Olympic wrestling team! Miranda was a risk-taker. Later, she went on to Yale Law School for her law degree. This quote from her reminded me of the importance of what you have to do when you are leading change.

“Sometimes I’d go home and say, ‘Well, I was a coward today. But I get to change that tomorrow!’” – Patricia Miranda

There are times in leading change that you will feel like quitting, but don’t quit. Accept that you will need to take risks.

If you are a leader, you are responsible for leading change. I challenge you to apply these six principles to the change that you are leading. Contact us to learn how our experienced coaches can help you to develop your leadership toolbox and be an effective leader for change.

Jay Desko is the CEO of The Center Consulting Group and brings experience in the areas of organizational assessment, leadership coaching, decision-making, and strategic questioning. Jay’s degrees include an M.Ed. in Instructional Systems Design from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior and Leadership from The Union Institute.