Friday’s Change Reflection Quote - Leadership of Change - Change Leadership Commands Benevolence

Mar17

Happy Friday!

On this day, March 17, 461 AD, Saint Patrick, bishop and apostle of Ireland, died in Saul and was buried in nearby Downpatrick, Ireland. Saint Patrick was a bishop in Ireland and is considered to be the founder of Christianity in Ireland. The feast day of Saint Patrick, commemorating the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, is one of the most celebrated days of any saint around the world. The event has been celebrated for over a thousand years and has spread across the world from the “Emerald Isle” to New York and Boston, where some of the biggest parades are held.

St. Patrick was brought to the Emerald Isle when he was kidnapped and enslaved before escaping back to Britain. He forgave his captors and eventually returned to Ireland to advance Christianity throughout the island. Among the legends associated with St. Patrick is that he stood atop an Irish hillside and banished snakes from Ireland. However, he is known for two short works: the Confessio, a spiritual autobiography, and his Letter to Coroticus. In his Confessio, St. Patrick wrote, “Although I am imperfect in many ways, I want my brothers and relations to know what I’m really like, so that they can see what it is that inspires my life.” Irrespective of a person’s religious beliefs, there’s no denying Saint Patrick’s enormous influence as a leader, underscored by his benevolence, a characteristic needed by leaders when implementing organisational change. Change Leadership Commands Benevolence.

“Benevolent leaders show empathy, humility, and respect. These are important traits when you are committed to organisational change and improvement”

Benevolent leaders are committed to making their organisation better and this trait complements change leadership: They are approachable and accessible but are neither wimps nor pushovers. Benevolent leaders are servant leaders, they put the needs of their employees first. They help and empower the employees to develop the new skills and behaviours so they can adopt the new way of working. Leading and implementing organisation change usually means making difficult decisions that will impact employee’s working lives, their families and potentially their livelihoods. These things are never easy, but if a leader can perform these tasks with empathy, humility, and respect, it will make the process much more palatable for everyone involved.

Happy St Patrick’s day. May the Irish hills caress you. May her lakes and rivers bless you. May the luck of the Irish enfold you. May the blessings of St. Patrick behold you.

Further Reading: Change Management Leadership: Leadership of Change Volume 4

Peter consults, speaks, and writes on the Leadership of Change^®. He advises CEOs on how to prepare and align their corporate leadership teams to successfully lead their organisation's change.

For further reading please visit our websites: https://www.a2b.consulting https://www.peterfgallagher.com Amazon.com: Peter F Gallagher: Books, Biography, Blog, Audiobooks, Kindle

Leadership of Change® Body of Knowledge Volumes: Change Management Body of Knowledge (CMBoK) Books: Volumes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, A, B, & C available on both Amazon and Google Play:

~ Leadership of Change® Volume 1 - Change Management Fables

~ Leadership of Change® Volume 2 - Change Management Pocket Guide

~ Leadership of Change® Volume 3 - Change Management Handbook

~ Leadership of Change® Volume 4 - Change Management Leadership

~ Leadership of Change® Volume 5 - Change Management Adoption

~ Leadership of Change® Volume 6 - Change Management Behaviour

~ Leadership of Change® Volume 7 - Change Management Sponsorship

~ Leadership of Change® Volume A - Change Management Gamification - Leadership

~ Leadership of Change® Volume B - Change Management Gamification - Adoption

Coming soon:

~ Leadership of Change® Volume C - Change Management Gamification - Behaviour

~ Leadership of Change® Volume D - Change Management Gamification - Sponsorship