Communicating and Leading for Change and Innovation

A key function of leadership is to facilitate change that acknowledges the present and embraces the future. Behn (as cited by Van Wart, 2013, p. 558) offers a reminder that environments within organizations are constantly changing, meaning the roles of their leaders must also adjust to ensure changes will be instituted as they become necessary.
After observing and interacting with the Riverbend City: Communicating and Leading for Change and Innovation scenario, and using the unit readings and media, address the following:

• Analyze two leadership models and corresponding communication skills that drive innovation.
• Describe the communication strategies you would use to introduce the proposed changes to your work team.
• Describe the organizational culture and its readiness for team creativity and innovation.
• Explain the causes of resistance to the changes and the corresponding tactics you would use to address each cause.
• Describe the manner in which the changes will be implemented, applying the 8-Step Process for Leading Change (see pages 262-263 in Leading With Communication).

Requirements

The assignment you submit is expected to meet the following requirements:

• Submit this assignment to Turnitin, and include a copy of the report as an attachment in the assignment area.

• Written communication: Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message.

• APA style and formatting: Resources and citations are formatted according to APA (current edition) style and formatting standards.

• Cited resources: Include a minimum of three scholarly sources outside of our course text. All literature cited should be current, with publication dates within the past five years.

• Length of paper: 4-6 pages, double spaced.

Van Wart, M. (2013). Lessons from leadership theory and the contemporary challenges of leaders. Public Administration Review, 73(4), 553-565.

Textbook

From the Leading With Communication: A Practical Approach to Leadership Communication text by Gamble and Gamble, read:

• Chapter 14, "Innovating," pages 259-270.

Capella Library

• Read Lutz Allen, Smith, and Da Silva's 2013 article, "Leadership Style in Relation to Organizational Change and Organizational Creativity: Perceptions From Nonprofit Organizational Members," in Nonprofit Management & Leadership, volume 24, issue 1, pages 23-42.

Multimedia

• Click Riverbend City: Communicating and Leading for Change and Innovation to view the scenario. Your assignment due in this unit will be based on your interactions in and observations of this scenario.

1. Within the Riverbend City: Communicating and Leading for Change and Innovation scenario, click the tab titled John Kotter's 8-Step Process for Leading Change to review the process of change.

• Click Eight Steps for Successful, Large-Scale Change to view a media illustration.
• Click Three Circles of Leadership to view an interactive media piece to enrich your understanding of leader-follower relationships.
Video

• Watch the video Think Bigger: Dave Allan - Leadership in the Age of Innovation | Transcript.