LaMarsh - The Leader as Sponsor of Change

Better, faster, cheaper is becoming a standard operating principle among organizations that want to remain competitive. While leaders try to stay focused on building a clear vision for the future and making sure it happens, they are confronted with increasing pressure to become more involved in change initiatives. Leaders can t just articulate a vision and then rely on their staff to deliver the changes required. The staff, as change agents, cannot succeed on their own. Even the most skilled and experienced change agents are at great risk without strong sponsorship from the executive team. Failed changes can severely affect management credibility, corporate reputation in the marketplace, stock price, and shareholder confidence. If sponsors have different levels of understanding and expectations of their role in change, strategic initiatives can under-perform or fail; this results in unplanned losses in dollars, time, functionality and corporate pain.