MIT Sloan Management Review Article on Leading Change Means Changing How You Lead

One of the toughest challenges facing leaders is that the job requirements can change dramatically and unpredictably, as the past two years have amply demonstrated. Of necessity, leaders had to divide their attention between responding to the pandemic and managing a remote workforce and have been even further stretched by issues such as social justice, supply chain disruption, climate change, hybrid work arrangements, and geopolitical instability.

It would be easy to conclude — as many commentators have — that the key requirements of leadership are flexibility and empathy. While these qualities are certainly beneficial, especially at this specific, stressful moment, the enduring requirement of leadership is to be contextually effective. Effective leaders are those who adjust their leadership approach to suit the context and challenges they face.

About the Author

B. Tom Hunsaker is on the strategy and leadership faculty at Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Jonathan Knowles is the founder of the advisory firm Type 2 Consulting.

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