Leading Change

As has been said, my opinion is that some stakeholders are interested in who initiates and who orchestrates or put another way, the power issue. Their departure will likely be a power issue but don’t dismiss them as insignificant or petty, they are stakeholders for good reason. For the most part they will be substantial people, talented and industrious; people you want on your team. But for those for whom power is a motive, their support can fade once it becomes clear your way to the destination is down a different path. Again, where you’re going isn’t the problem but how you propose to get there. You may see that changing the chairs is necessary to appeal to a diverse population. Power oriented stakeholders want the same thing only they want the population to conform to their offering in a take it or leave it fashion. Something like, “This is the way we do it here and if you want to be with us then you should like doing it that way too.” Not in every case will the resistance of a power-oriented stakeholder be tied to the story of the organization, his or her identity with it, or their identity with the group. Unlike the rank and file they will more often than not see themselves as leaders for whom matters of identity are some distance removed.