Introduction

Abstract

In today’s global business world, navigating and working with the complexities of continuous change has become the norm. Fuelled by the advancements in technology, successfully navigating and working with the inherent complexities of organisational change has become an essential leadership requirement. This core leadership task involves working with many interdependent changes and transformation processes, projects and programmes all happening simultaneously, over the short and longer term. The driving force is the need to go faster, to sustain competitive advantage in a continuously evolving environment.

This interdependent approach to organisational change requires multiple transitions. Transitions are often led without insight into the impacts of operational and human functioning. Leaders find themselves grappling with a multitude of facets, within both themselves and the functioning of their organisations that they have to take into account to achieve desired outcomes. This chapter sets the scene for the whole textbook outlining the key principle challenges that leaders are faced with and the importance of taking an integrated approach to organisational change.