7.2 Scale and pace of change
Managers are distinguished by their capacity to achieve operational outcomes while leaders must also initiate and sustain change. In effect, the manager-leader can take a perspective of the current operations while leading others towards a vision for the future. Their ability to lead will depend on the scale of the change process. Is it incremental, slow and conducted on a scale able to be easily managed? Or is it at the other end of the spectrum, as represented below, and profoundly transforming the current situation?
Figure 5 - Time and Change Dimensions
The scale and pace of change will affect how an operational manager leads change. It will especially affect how staff and relationships with suppliers and customers are sustained through the change process. This revolves around maintaining a focus not just on goal attainment, but also on the overall vision.
Figure 6 - Time and Change Dimensions
Another aspect to how managers can lead change is the need to focus on internal or external considerations. The situational variables impacting the leader's activities may be predominantly either internal or external to the organisation. Change may be driven by factors outside the organisations domain of control. In such cases managing these factors is often impossible.
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