Leading change in a rapidly evolving government environment means initiating, sponsoring and implementing innovative solutions. As a leader, help others succeed at managing change at an individual and organizational level. The five subcompetencies to leading change include:
Vision
Formulate, communicate and forge the path forward to carry out your vision.
“A vision is not just a picture of what could be; it is an appeal to our better selves, a call to become something more.”
– Rosabeth Moss Kanter, Professor and Chair of the Harvard University Advanced Leadership Initiative
PUBLIC SERVICE LEADERSHIP IN ACTION
Combatting Veteran Homelessness
By aiming to find shelter for all veterans by 2015, Susan Angell and Mark Johnston used a collaborative approach to help combat veteran homelessness in the United States.
Leading Response Efforts for Disease Crises
Sammies winner Daniel Jernigan combats diseases like Ebola, West Nile virus and SARS. One of his colleagues described him as “able to see very far ahead and where we need to go and find innovative ways to get there.”
REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS
- What is possible for my career? If all barriers were removed, what would I like to see for myself in 5 years?
- What is possible for my team/organization? If all barriers were removed, what would I like to see for my team/organization in 5 years?
- How might I communicate my vision to others?
Additional Resources
READ: Four Steps to High-Impact Strategic Planning in Government – Matt Boland, Troy Thomas and Danny Werfel, Current BCG consultants and former government civil servants
READ: How Agency Leaders Can Turn Vision Into Action – Richard Aragon, Andrew Miklos and Claire Schulkey, Contributors at GovExec.com
WATCH: How Great Leaders Inspire Action – Simon Sinek, Author of Start with Why
Influence
Persuade others by establishing credibility and using evidence for your ideas.
“Example, whether it be good or bad, has a powerful influence.”
– George Washington, first President of the United States
PUBLIC SERVICE LEADERSHIP IN ACTION
The Five Levels of Organizational Influence: Where Are You?
Determining where you fit in the organizational power continuum can be a critical component of actively managing your career trajectory.
Restoring a broken health care center
Discover how 2019 Federal Employee of the Year, Victoria Braham, used her unwavering determination to influence change and bolster morale at the Tomah VA Medical Center.
Transforming the Kennedy Space Center
Sammies winner Robert Cabana transformed the Kennedy Space Center into a multiuser, cross-sector launch site, using influence to change the mindset of many and accomplish this impressive result.
REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS
- What impression do I want to make on others to establish credibility? What information might I need to give to others?
- What is my default style of influencing others? What other styles might I try?
- When I have a new idea, how might I build buy-in?
Additional Resources
READ: In Leadership, Influence is not a Given – Michelle Braden, Forbes Councils Member and CEO of MSBCoach
READ: Situational Leadership: Relevant Then, Relevant Now – The Center for Leadership Studies
WATCH: How to Start a Movement – Derek Sivers, Author, speaker and entrepreneur
Innovation
Encourage improvement, adaptation and freedom to experiment.
“If you want something new, you have to stop doing something old.”
– Peter F. Drucker, management expert and author
PUBLIC SERVICE LEADERSHIP IN ACTION
Unimagined Vision
Think about innovation and creativity as short-term goals. How might teams make, create, implement the next best product or service and iterate from there versus having a full long-term plan in place.
Designing a traffic management system
Find out how Parimal Kopardekar and his team designed an innovative traffic management system for unmanned aerial vehicles to make way for the large-scale use of commercial drones.
Leading Innovation in Government
In this report, the Partnership for Public Service and the Hay Group set out to understand what leaders have in common that allow them to drive innovation.
REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS
- What systems or processes are in place to encourage new ideas and creative thinking on my team?
- When changes or setbacks occur, how do we adapt? Is this approach working?
- What could I address in our office culture that would encourage new, creative ideas and approaches?
Additional Resources
READ: Creativity is Not Innovation (But You Need Both) – Business News Daily Editor, Sites: G. Shawn Hunter, Science Times and more
WATCH: What is Design Thinking? – Daylight Design
WATCH: The First Secret of Design is…Noticing – Tony Fadell, Product Designer and Ted Talk Speaker
Embracing Risk and Uncertainty
Make it safe to take risks; support the team regardless of the outcome.
“Be bold, push yourself and get comfortable being uncomfortable.”
– Angie Gels, Chief People Officer at Everything But The House
PUBLIC SERVICE LEADERSHIP IN ACTION
Advice For Dealing With Uncertainty — From People Who’ve Been There
Read this article, or listen to the podcast, to understand the 7 keys for dealing with uncertainty in the workplace.
Risk and Reward: A Framework for Federal Innovation
From curing diseases to helping launch the internet, the federal government has a history of innovation that has improved the lives of Americans.
Trusting Yourself and Taking Chances
Sally Jewell, former CEO of REI and former Secretary of the Department of Interior, describe how she and her team took a risk in negotiating with numerous parties to keep a species from being classified as endangered.
REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS
- How comfortable am I with change? How comfortable are my team members with change?
- When someone on the team makes a mistake, how is that handled?
- How do we learn from failure together?
Additional Resources
READ: How to Grow Your Career by Embracing Risk – Arlene S. Hirsch, Career counselor and author
READ: Strategies for Learning from Failure – Amy C. Edmondson, Author and Novartis Professor of Leadership at Harvard Business School
WATCH: Government – investor, risk-taker, innovator – Mariana Mazzucato, Economist and Ted Talk Speaker
Adaptability
Learn new ways to accomplish goals in ever-changing situations.
“The art of life is a constant readjustment to our surroundings.”
– Kakuzo Okakaura, Author and scholar
PUBLIC SERVICE LEADERSHIP IN ACTION
Resilient: Keeping Your Wits – Workforce, Innovation, Technology, Security – About You
More so than any crisis in a generation, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for a resilient government.
Bright Spots: Federal Success Stories from the COVID-19 Pandemic
Amid a global pandemic, federal agencies have continued to deliver critical services to the American public.
Sally Jewell on Adaptability
Sally Jewell, former CEO of REI and former Secretary of the Department of Interior, speaks about adaptability.
REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS
- What makes adaptability difficult in my work environment? What enables or supports adaptability?
- How might I quickly recognize when an approach is not working?
- What aspects of my leadership style feel least flexible? How might I practice flexing?
Additional Resources
READ: Train Your Brain for Change – Daniel Goleman, Author and behavioral scientist
READ: Learn to Adapt – CCL, Center for Creative Leadership
WATCH: 3 Ways to Measure Your Adaptability – Natalie Fratto, Investor and Ted Talk Speaker