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OWL BOOK REVIEW
AVIARY
Fullan, Michael.
Leading in a Culture
of Change.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass,
2001
ISBN: 0-7879-5395-4
Basketball players
need to know how to respond quickly in a game that changes dramatically
from second to second. If they don't make the right decision, the worst
thing that happens is that they fail to make 2 points or stop their opponents
from making 2 points. They can make up lost ground.
When leaders fail
to make the right responses to change, they potentially face more than
the loss of 2 points. Their businesses could become extinct. Michael Fullan
offers a solid handle on the dimension of change that everyone faces.
If leaders knew all
the answers to the problems we face, all we would need from leaders is
a cheerleader role. They would tell us what needs to happen, and then cheer
us on to go out and do it.
Today, we need leaders
who can motivate us to find answers that leaders frequently don't have
much of a clue as to the answers. Fullan has identified what he believes
are "five deep theoretical reasons why change occurs as it does." By understanding
these themes, Fullan artuges that leaders can influence the root causes
of change.
The five themes are:
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Moral purpose—acting
to make a positive difference in people's lives. For change to be positive,
it must be guided by moral purpose.
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Understanding change—realizing
that change is complex, but that the more a leader understands it, the
easier it is to manage.
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Developing relationships—improving
relationships. If relationships improve, it is easier to manage the demands
of change.
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Knowledge building—sharing
all that we know with the people to whom it will make a difference. Fullan
relates each theme back to the previous themes. If you don't have a positive
moral purpose and strong relationships, people won't share knowledge and
they will be unable to positively impact change.
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Coherence making—bringing
people and ideas together. If we stay too much on the edge of change, anarchy
can result.
Finally, Fullan
considers a set of emotional attributes he considers essential to leading
people. These include: energy, enthusiasm, and hopefulness.
Fullan discusses a
number of complex ideas, many of which most authors on change write about.
His book is valuable and adds dimensionality in the way he ties these ideas
together thereby deepening one's understanding of the change process and
leadership. It's definitely worth a read, and probably won't take you more
than a couple of hours.
Janelle Barlow, President
TMI US
Janelle Barlow, President
TMI US
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