Change requires leadership

For many organizations, change is no longer an exceptional situation, but rather part of everyday life. Strategies are adapted, structures rethought, and systems modernized. At the same time, complexity is increasing: more initiatives, more programs, more simultaneous changes. And yet the same pattern emerges time and again: without clear guidance from leadership, change remains vague. Not because there is a lack of projects. But because there is a lack of understanding.

Change only becomes credible when it has a face. Employees are less guided by strategy documents than by the people who stand behind them. When the CEO talks about change, teams listen carefully—often reading between the lines: Does he really stand behind it? Does he exemplify it? Presence is not created by grand speeches alone. It is created through continuity: through clear messages, through consistent language, through visible commitment to the "why" behind the change. Leadership becomes tangible when words and actions match.

During periods of transformation, organizations tend to launch many initiatives simultaneously. New programs, new methods, new initiatives. What is often missing is the connecting vision. How does it all fit together? What is the priority? What should teams focus on in their day-to-day work? This is where leadership through orientation comes into play. When top management makes the "big picture" visible—in strategy meetings, town hall meetings, or through visual mission statements—it creates something that numbers and charts alone rarely achieve: understanding. Change is not achieved through more activity, but through a shared focus.

During periods of transformation, organizations tend to launch many initiatives simultaneously. New programs, new methods, new initiatives. What is often missing is the connecting vision. How does it all fit together? What is the priority? What should teams focus on in their day-to-day work? This is where leadership through orientation comes into play. When top management makes the "big picture" visible—in strategy meetings, town hall meetings, or through visual mission statements—it creates something that numbers and charts alone rarely achieve: understanding. Change is not achieved through more activity, but through a shared focus.

Change is not a project with a start and end date. It is a process that requires guidance – both at the beginning and along the way. The clearer the picture of change, the easier it is to get people involved. People can accept change when they understand it. And they can help shape it when they know what it stands for. Today, leadership from above does not mean providing all the answers. Instead, it means opening up spaces where a common understanding can develop. Because those who provide guidance create movement.