Events blog: The role of good leadership in making change work

With more than two thirds of change initiatives failing, how significant is leadership to success? Professor Malcolm Higgs analysed several leadership models in the latest Southampton Business School evening seminar ‘Making Change Stick’.

He amused his audience by outlining the history of global leadership assessment, right back to the days when height was thought to be a key factor, before going on to examine how leaders of companies and organisations are tackling the challenges of today’s turbulent business world.

Malcolm has been researching global leadership and change for more than 20 years. “These days, change can also be described as ‘business as usual’ – leaders need to adapt to new circumstances, demonstrate agility and show resilience,” he said. “However, success in modern change management comes from building relationships with colleagues, developing a learning culture, giving colleagues the opportunity to confront issues and say difficult things in a non-judgemental way.”

A former Director of Southampton Business School, Malcolm has also worked as a consultant in leadership, change and assessment. He is a member of the British Psychological Society and a chartered occupational psychologist.