Change Management Lessons From The Wilderness

Staying with the biblical mood for a moment. I don’t know the source for this one, if you do please let me know so I can acknowledge it accurately.

Even a great leader like Moses faced a trying test of his leadership when managing change. But he was up to the test, so take note of some of his methods:

Magnify the plagues
To make the old system (i.e. Pharaoh) ‘let go’ of his people, Moses called down plagues – and didn’t stop until the old system gave way. During change, problems are your friend. Don’t solve them, because they convince people that they need to let go of the old way.

Mark the ending
What a symbolic ‘ending event’ Moses had! After his people crossed the Red Sea, there was no turning back!

Deal with the ‘murmuring’
Don’t be surprised when people lose confidence in your leadership during change: Where are we going? Does he/she know the way? What was wrong with Egypt anyway? In periods of transition, look for opportunities to have contact with the people in transition, distance will be interpreted as abandonment. Show your concern for them by engaging them in conversation about the issues most on their minds, you may think there are more important things to talk about, but they don’t think so.

Give people access to the decision makers
Moses (aided by his OD specialist, Jethro) appointed a new cadre of judges in the wilderness to narrow the gap between the people and the decision makers.

Capitalize on the creative opportunity provided by change
It was in the wilderness, not the Promised Land, that the big innovation took place: the Ten Commandments were handed down. It will be in the change that many of your biggest breakthroughs will occur.

Resist the urge to rush ahead
It can seem at times as though little is happening or changes are not happening quickly enough, but transformation is taking place. Don’t jeopardize it by hurrying.

Understand that change leadership is special.

Moses did not enter the Promised Land. His kind of leadership matched the time of change, where things are uncertain, confusing and fluid. But it was Joshua who could lead in the more steady state of the Promised Land. A literal new leader isn’t needed, but a new style of leadership is. Establishment of a new beginning requires a much more logical approach with an appeal to people’s understanding, while the fluidity and ambiguity of the change zone makes an emotional connection between the leader and the people more critical.