Should you lead an organisational change initiative you’re not supportive of?
Leading major organisational change is a career-defining opportunity. But what happens when the changes you’re expected to implement seem at odds with the values or culture of the organisation you care about? It’s a delicate balance between professional ambition and personal ethics – do you see where this new opportunity takes you, or do you walk away? Here’s my advice on how to approach it:
Understand the position you're in
Being the driver of an organisational change is a big responsibility – especially when the changes you’re driving through are likely to have a personal impact on your job and position in the company. If you’re feeling any kind of discomfort about what lies ahead, it’s important to work out where it’s coming from. Are the proposed changes genuinely bad for the company and its employees, or could some of your hesitation stem from personal fears about how the change will affect your role or relationships? Taking the time to reflect on your perspective can help you make clearer decisions.
Pros and cons of stepping away
If you step away from the change process but let others continue with it, you lose out on the career benefits of having led a major change. If you haven’t done this before and it’s successful, it could open doors to other consultancy roles elsewhere, or an internal promotion as a reward for your success.
If you step away, you also miss out on the potential role you could play in making the change better somehow – perhaps more palatable, or more in keeping with the elements of the company and culture which you think should be protected.
Let your ethics guide you
A major component of being a good leader is being guided by your ethics. If you feel that there is something ethically amiss here that you can’t stand by and watch happen, such as colleagues who are going to be very badly treated as a result of the change, or a deleterious effect on clients, then stepping away from the role may be your only recourse.
Ultimately, this decision is about weighing what matters most to you – your career, your values, and your ability to influence the situation. If you stay involved, focus on being a positive force for good within the change programme. If you step away, make sure it’s because your values truly demand it (not just to avoid the challenge!).
3 resources to help with making tough career decisions
A great reminder of why we struggle with decisions, and then 3 techniques to help: https://www.theguardian.com/guardian-masterclasses/guardian-masterclass-blog/2023/mar/10/how-to-find-clarity-when-making-difficult-decisions
6 strategies for making a difficult career decision (Prof. Melody Wilding’s recommendations are great and she’s really worth following on LinkedIn): https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/6-strategies-make-difficult-career-decision-melody-wilding-lmsw/
How to build a career that is ethical: https://hbr.org/2020/01/building-an-ethical-career
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