Change must be led, managed, and governed

Organisational change is too important to be left to chance or to be fully delegated to project teams, writes Huw Thomas.

Organisational change is a complex endeavour requiring a strategic blend of leadership, management, and governance to be successful. Yet, in most companies, at least one of these three components is lacking, and this deficiency diminishes the success of change initiatives.

Change isn’t just about implementing new processes or systems; it’s about navigating the human and operational landscape with preparation, motivation, and structure. Failing to balance these elements can lead to costly distractions, cultural disillusionment or even simply project failure.

The 3 pillars of change: leadership, management, and governance

At its core, effective change is a combination of three key aspects: managing, leading, and governing. Each of these plays a vital role in ensuring that change doesn’t just occur, but that it thrives and delivers value.

1. Managing change is about preparation and execution.

The management side of change focuses on preparing the organisation for the new reality. This involves using a proven change management methodology, developing detailed implementation plans, and ensuring that adequate resources and support systems are in place. Effective management ensures people are not just informed but are also prepared and capable of adopting the new processes or systems. It’s about laying the groundwork for success, anticipating obstacles, creating action plans, and ensuring the transition is smooth.

However, management alone won’t inspire employees to embrace change. Without strong leadership, the best-laid plans can fail if they don’t capture hearts and minds.

2. Leading change is about inspiration and motivation.

Leadership in change is about motivating people to commit and apply effort to the discomfort of transition. This goes beyond merely explaining what will change; it involves sharing a compelling vision for why the change is necessary and how it will benefit the organisation in the long run.

Leadership is needed across the organisation at all levels as all managers need to interpret the change for their own people. This means supporting their people to understand how they will be impacted and putting customised plans in place to manage them. They keep their people focused on the benefits of the change to justify the effort, gaining buy-in and commitment from their people.

Leading change requires emotional intelligence, empathy, and clear communication. In short, people focus. Leaders must address concerns, reduce uncertainty, and inspire confidence in the new direction. But leadership can’t stand alone, it needs a strong governance framework to ensure the change stays on track.

3. Governing change is about structure and oversight.

Governance is the often overlooked but critical element of change. It ensures that the change process has structure and operates within clear guardrails. Governance is not about micromanaging the project team but about establishing and maintaining the boundaries within which change occurs. It involves deciding change scope, approving change strategies, allocating adequate budget and resources and mitigating risks. Governance also keeps the initiative aligned with the organisation’s broader strategic objectives and holds project teams and impacted stakeholders accountable.

Senior executives play a pivotal role in governing major changes. They must understand the people-focused lead indicators that signal success, such as stakeholder support, solution adoption and capability shifts, and be vigilant about identifying red flags. While they don’t need to dive into the project’s day-to-day details, they do need to ask the right questions and request the right change management reports to stay informed. Governance is about influence without being hands-on in the details, knowing when to delegate and when to step in without stifling the initiative’s progress.

Why you can’t delegate change leadership and governance

A common mistake many executives make is assuming that once they’ve assigned a project team, they can fully delegate the change process to them. This approach leads to poor outcomes as it neglects the power of executives’ unique influence, authority, and strategic vantage point.

When executives delegate too much, they lose the opportunity to motivate their teams and enforce the structure that keeps projects on track and strategically aligned. As a result, the project may drift, lose focus, or fail to address underlying cultural or operational issues that hinder adoption.

Senior leaders spend much of their time in management mode, focusing on day-to-day operations, ensuring that things run smoothly and efficiently. However, this operational habit can make it challenging for executives to shift into leadership mode, where they need to think big picture, focus on the future, and devote time to shaping major changes, even if it’s not urgent in the moment. The art of balancing immediate operational needs with the long-term strategic vision is critical here.

The unique challenges of governing change

Governance requires yet another mindset – a different skill set that goes beyond traditional management and leadership. It demands an ability to exert control and influence without getting bogged down in the minutiae of the project. This can be difficult for executives who are used to being deeply involved in operational decisions.

To govern change effectively, executives must become adept at asking the right questions, monitoring key metrics, and recognising warning signs early enough to intervene when necessary. They must also trust their project teams, giving them enough autonomy to execute while holding them accountable through regular check-ins and reporting mechanisms. This balancing act – knowing when to step in and when to step back – is essential for ensuring that change efforts remain on course.

Collaboration is key: roles and responsibilities

For change to succeed, all three roles – managing, leading, and governing – must work together seamlessly. An effective division of labour ensures that each role plays to its strengths without overstepping or neglecting its responsibilities.

• Project teams are primarily responsible for managing change: they handle the preparation, the tactical execution, and the day-to-day adjustments that keep the initiative moving forward.
• Business unit and team leaders are the key leaders of change: they inspire and motivate their teams, translating the broader vision into actionable steps and fostering a culture of engagement and commitment.
• Senior executives tend to govern change: they provide strategic oversight, ask critical questions, and ensure that the change initiative aligns with the organisation’s broader goals. They also play in the leadership role by visibly advocating for the change from the top, setting the tone for the entire organisation.

While some overlap is acceptable, when these roles are clearly defined and executed in unison, the result is a change initiative that is not only well-managed but also well-led and well-governed. The synergy between management, leadership, and governance creates a powerful engine for transformation – one that maximises the return on investment and ensures lasting success.

Conclusion

Organisational change is too important to be left to chance or to be fully delegated to project teams. To maximise the success of change initiatives, organisations must strike a balance between leadership, management, and governance. Each plays a crucial role in navigating the challenges of transformation, and when these roles complement one another, the likelihood of success is significantly higher. By embracing this holistic approach, organisations can ensure that change is not only implemented but also embraced and sustained for the long term.

Huw Thomas is a professional speaker, executive mentor, and transformational change expert.