In today’s fast-paced and complex operational environments, successful organizations must constantly adapt to both internal and external change. Managing these changes is a multifaceted process, often influenced by a variety of leadership perspectives and organizational dynamics. In hopes of making lasting change, change management alone cannot be relied upon, change leadership must be the driving force. Change management refers to the use of structured approaches and tools to facilitate organizational transitions, emphasizing the technical aspects of planning, organizing, and minimizing disruption. In contrast, change leadership centers on establishing a strategic vision, inspiring commitment, and guiding transformational efforts to achieve sustainable and meaningful organizational change. Change leadership focuses on the people involved, ensuring their understanding, buy-in, and success through change events.
Within the Security Operations Management Team (SOMT) the strategic issue of a consistently low rate of completion of essential daily tasks directly affect operational efficiency, team morale, and overall department performance. Some managers are floundering while others are bearing the weight of completing others’ work, and still others are disengaged, completing the bare minimum as to fly beneath the radar of notice. To create a change leadership strategy for the SOMT that addresses the root causes of managerial under performance, one must look into the human elements of change, evaluate resistance through force-field analysis, and then present a tailored change model to realign managerial behaviors with organizational goals. Through this investigation and presented change model, the SOMT will be further equipped for change necessary to create a culture of camaraderie and fairness, to level out workloads, and to build up underperforming managers into strong leaders.
Change in any organization, large or small, does not occur in a vacuum – it happens through the industrious endeavors of people. The emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses of employees shape the success (or failure) of any change initiative (Deszca et al., 2025). Within the SOMT, many managers cite excessive workloads, unclear responsibilities, and shifting directives as reasons for their task incompletion. These responses point to a deeper issue of disengagement, lack of clarity, and absence of intrinsic motivation. Change leadership will require a focus on clarifying expectations, increasing motivation, and fostering a culture of accountability and support.
As Armenakis and Harris (2009) explain, change leaders must create a sense of urgency among employees and ensure there is a sense of ownership throughout the entire team. To this end, change leaders must ensure alignment of the vision for change with shared values. This involves recognizing the emotional burden of change and engaging individuals through participation, transparency, and most importantly, empathy. In the case of the SOMT, emphasizing how daily task completion reflects professional integrity and increases team functionality could increase buy-in.
Kotter (1996) underscores the need for leaders to be visible and proactive in modeling the desired behaviors they expect from others. However, modeling senior leader actions is not a viable means of creating change among the SOMT managers, as senior leaders’ tasks and responsibilities vary too greatly from those of operational managers. Senior leadership must set out desired tasks and objectives, those items each SOMT manager is accountable for, and create a means of consistent accountability for those items. Clarity of duties is the cornerstone to effective change. Further, senior SOMT leaders must demonstrate consistency, prioritize clear expectations, and inspire a culture where task completion is the norm and not the exception. Above all, the members of the SOMT must understand the purpose behind changes, feel motivated to improve their performance, and be supported throughout the process.
Resistance to change is natural and, in most cases, inevitable – especially when the change threatens comfort zones, introduces scrutiny, or lacks clear communication. Already overwhelmed managers may feel that more is being expected of them or that additional responsibilities are being unfairly added through the change. In the SOMT, resistance is evident in the recurring avoidance of responsibilities, rationalizations, and the “someone else will handle it” mindset.
Using Lewin’s Force-Field Analysis (1951) allows for gaining an understanding of the forces driving and resisting change within the SOMT. Identifying these forces offers a tool to diagnosing the dynamics at play in the SOMT’s resistance to change. By identifying these forces, a strategy can be designed to maximize support for change and minimize resistance. Additionally, understanding these forces is key to designing effective strategies to manage change.
Identifiers for change
1. Increased pressure to improve operational performance
2. Visible consequences of incomplete tasks (e.g. payroll errors, team dissatisfaction)
3. Leadership commitment to reform
4. Peer frustration and desire for consistency
Speed bumps (obstacles) to change
1. Task ambiguity
2. Overloaded schedules and shifting priorities
3. Absence of accountability mechanisms
4. Cultural resistance to change (“we’ve always done it this way”)
To shift the balance, leaders must reduce the restraining forces, primarily by clarifying expectations and streamlining priorities. Dealing with the restraining forces head on, though minimizing the emphasis members place on objections and arguments against change. Leaders must simultaneously overshadow restraining forces by amplifying the driving forces. This can be done by reinforcing commitment to the change (firmly, though not rigidly, or demandingly) and celebrating incremental progress (Deszca et al., 2025). Additionally, as suggested by Oreg et al. (2011), addressing both emotional and cognitive resistance by validating concerns while offering solutions, strengthens trust and compliance.
A robust change model should incorporate elements of change management (e.g. setting clear goals, monitoring progress) and leadership principles (e.g. inspiring a vision, fostering commitment). Heavily leaning into the change leadership side, a change model should be grounded in leadership principles. Creating a compelling vision for what the SOMT can become, visionary leadership comes into play, stressing the SOMT can become a high-performing team that meets operational goals consistently. Recognizing change is difficult and requires support, empathy becomes relevant in change initiatives, even in security operations. Offering training, mentorship and ongoing feedback will help managers meet expectations.
Shifting the mindset of many from “someone else will take care of it” to “we all share responsibility for the team’s success” is paramount. Inspiring commitment involves motivating managers by aligning their personal goals with the department and organizational goals. To gain ground toward accountability, accountability itself must become woven through the fabric of each team and the department collectively. Introducing performance metrics that track daily task completion and hold managers responsible for their roles will serve to this end. At the same time, managers must be empowered with the tools and autonomy needed to manage their work effectively.
To drive meaningful and lasting change, the SOMT requires a tailored leadership approach that combines structure with inspiration, one that considers the array of experience among the team and presents as a well-balance approach. The SOMT Performance Realignment Model integrates Kotter’s eight-step process (as cited in Deszca et al., 2025), Appreciative Inquiry (Cooperrider, as cited in Grieten et al., 2018), and Deszca et al.’s Change Path Model (2025).
Create a sense of urgency through diagnosis
· Highlight the risks of continued low performance and incomplete tasks, including financial losses, regulatory issues, and disengagement.
· Make clear that the current state is unsustainable, and improvement is needed for the health of the department and organization.
· Conduct job shadowing, feedback surveys, and workflow analysis.
· Identify common task failure and productivity barriers.
Empower
· Identify and remove obstacles impeding success.
· Identify how to reassign tasks and realign after high call-for-service or emergency heavy days.
· Provide training in time management and task prioritization.
· Assign mentors for underperforming managers.
· Cultivate a culture where asking for help is seen as a learning/teaching opportunity.
· Empower managers by giving them ownership of their roles and responsibilities.
Engage through a guiding coalition
· Engage key leaders, including senior managers to act as change champions.
o This coalition will be responsible for setting the tone, reinforcing accountability, and ensuring the change is communicated consistently.
· Involve the SOMT managers in co-creating solutions.
· Facilitate roundtable discussions to share ideas and concerns.
Reinforce, consolidate gains, and
produce more change
· Implement weekly review, performance recognition, and peer accountability.
· Offer coaching and feedback loops.
· Look for more ways to expand on early improvements.
· Ensure the new accountability system is strengthened to avoid slipping back into old habits.
Develop a clear vision and strategy
· Define what successful completion of daily tasks looks like.
· Standardize and simplify daily task expectations.
· Create checklists, digital tools, and shared dashboards.
· Include clear and measurable outcomes (i.e. consistent attendance checks, timely task completion, and regular check-ins).
· Outline strategies for achievement such as task prioritization, time management training, and clear accountability mechanisms.
· Define a guiding statement: “Every task, every day – building accountability through consistency.”
Recognize
· Celebrate task completion milestones and personal improvements.
· Use public recognition, growth opportunities, and team celebrations.
Communicate the vision
· Communicate to every member of the SOMT through meetings, memos, and one-on-one conversations.
· Ensure every member understands the “why” behind the change.
· Ensure every member is clear to the specific steps they must take to align with the new expectations.
Institutionalize and anchor the change in culture
· Embed expectations into standards of practice and performance evaluations.
· Create a leadership culture rooted in trust and reliability.
· New routines should become part of daily operations, and leadership must consistently reinforce these behaviors.
Accountability equates to neither assigning nor accepting blame – it is about ownership. As Frink and Klimoski (2004) argue, effective accountability systems are those that clearly define responsibilities and provide regular, constructive feedback. The SOMT leaders must introduce clear ownership of daily duties through transparent tools (e.g. task logs) and feedback mechanisms. Empowering managers through autonomy, mentorship, and skill-building initiatives will enhance engagement and long-term commitment to change (Gilley et al., 2009). Moreover, Senge’s (2006) work on creating learning organizations underlines the importance of fostering a culture that encourages continuous improvement. This is essential in establishing long-term accountability and performance throughout the SOMT.
Support structures are equally important to developing accountability. Managers must have access to the resources, clarity, and leadership guidance necessary to succeed. Time management tools, clear escalation paths for overload situations, and frequent communication with senior leadership are vital. Rafferty and Griffin’s (2006) study on the psychological impacts of organizational change give insight to stress and resistance, and suggest coping mechanisms for managers. These measures, proactive and reactive throughout the change, must be set in place to support members of the SOMT and see them through to success in their accountability endeavors.
This strategic issue of persistent failure to complete daily tasks within the SOMT presents an opportunity for visionary and transformational leadership. The above outlines a comprehensive leadership strategy and combines theory with practical application. This strategic intervention will not only resolve the immediate problem but will also foster a culture of continuous improvement and accountability in the long-term. By focusing on the human dimensions of change, addressing resistance, and implementing a customized change model, the leaders of the SOMT can foster a culture of ownership, clarity, and accountability. When leaders commit to clear communication, emotional engagement, and strategic empowerment, they position their teams not just to manage change, but to lead their teams through successful change initiatives. The result is a team, department, or organization that thrives on reliability, collaboration, and excellence!