With a solid foundation in the complexities of leadership, we transitioned into change and project management, exploring various frameworks, techniques, and the key factors behind the success and failure of change initiatives.

We concluded the course by examining data-driven decision-making and how it can be leveraged within our organizations. As the course comes to a close, it’s essential to take a moment to reflect on everything we’ve learned, how our perspectives on leadership have changed, and how we can apply these insights in our organizations

Subjectivity

As mentioned in a previous reflection post (Munro, 2025) on leadership, I noted that I hadn’t fully realized how subjective and complex leadership truly is. the same can now be said about change management. Initially, I viewed the various change and project management models as essentially the same processes, repackaged under different acronyms to support academic claims of thought leadership. However, this perspective was quickly challenged as I read several articles, notably A Model for Successful Change by Al-Haddad and Kotnour (2015). Their work highlights the contextual differences between frameworks and provides an in-depth review of different types of change and the enablers that support them.

Having been humbled twice by my ignorance, I have opened my mind to the complex world of change management; however, subjectivity is difficult to embrace as someone with a scientific mind. 

More Subjectivity!

One area we explored in change management was the concept of change enablers, mainly whether an organization is truly ready for change. Common sense suggests that the likelihood of success diminishes if individuals or organizations don’t buy into a change initiative, either socially or financially. While Weiner (2009) acknowledges this assumption, he also points out that limited empirical data supports it. This surprised me. With the sheer volume of global change initiatives, it’s hard to believe that such a seemingly obvious factor hasn’t been more thoroughly researched or supported by data. Perhaps it’s not that no one has studied it, but rather that it’s difficult to measure or prove definitively. As someone who values clarity and certainty, I found the subjectivity we encountered throughout this course both challenging and thought-provoking.

Dunning Kruger

If you had asked me to explain leadership and change management at the beginning of this course, I would have confidently shared everything I thought I knew based on my experience as a leader and change manager in my previous two organizations. In hindsight, this confidence was a classic example of the Dunning-Kruger effect (The Decision Lab, n.d.), which suggests that the less we know, the more we believe we know, and vice versa. Today, I would be hesitant to share my knowledge, knowing how little I know. Instead, all I can offer is insights drawn from my experiences and perhaps venture into a thought-provoking reflection on the complexity and subjectivity I’ve come to appreciate over the past two months. it’s not that this is bad, per se, but I value concrete and direct answers to questions, not subjective discussions. This program has been life-changing, helping shape my perspective and expand my understanding in areas where I didn’t even realize growth was needed.

What’s next?

With a deeper understanding of leadership and change management, I’ve started reflecting on how I lead and support change in my organization. Early in the course, we saw that people view leadership differently, which made me curious as to why people are drawn to different leadership traits and styles. I want to explore the psychology behind this to better connect with those I lead.

Based on Khan’s (2017) article, I align most with adaptive leadership because it focuses on flexibility, people, and adjusting to change. At the same time, I see the value in using transactional techniques, like clear goals and rewards, when they suit the team’s team’s needs. I aim to adapt my approach based on who I lead and what they need to succeed. With my broad mindset, I hope to identify subtle changes I may need to make in my day-to-day activities to help better lead those around me.

References

Al-Haddad, S., & Kotnour, T. (2015). Integrating the organizational change literature: A model for successful change. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 28(2), 234-262. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-11-2013-0215

The Decision Lab. (n.d.). Dunning-Kruger effect. https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/dunning-kruger-effect

Khan, N. (2017). Adaptive or transactional leadership in current higher education: A brief comparison. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 18(3), 178–183. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v18i3.3294

Munro. (2025). Leadership reflection. MALAT Webspace, Royal Roads University. https://malat-webspace.royalroads.ca/rru295/leadership-reflection/

OpenAI. (2024). Hidden door glows, revealing wonder beyond a dark, forgotten library. https://chat.openai.com/

Smith, S. (2019, February 20). The more you know, the more you realize you don’t know. Ardalis. https://ardalis.com/the-more-you-know-the-more-you-realize-you-dont-know/

Weiner, B. J. (2009). A theory of organizational readiness for change. Implementation Science, 4(1), 67. https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-4-67