Change leadership is a change of lifestyle
Leadership at times of change can be challenging. Through a combination of structured activities and individual support, we are empowering our leaders to lead our transformation.
Learn about change leadership at Intrum in this interview with Intrum’s Chief Human Resources Officer, Chantal Verbeek, conducted for the Annual and Sustainability Report 2022.
What is change leadership?
“I see change leadership as about winning the hearts and minds of our people to support the organisational direction. It is about empowering our people to achieve our organisational goals. Sharing the “why” in a compelling story is key to success, galvanising people behind the change narrative and empowering them with the right skills and tools to execute the “what”. Managing and leading are two different things. To make something really happen, you need to lead and empower people, and build trust.”
Intrum, like many other companies, is going through a transformation journey. What are the biggest challenges to leadership in this kind of environment?
“For our leaders, the biggest challenge is probably exercising the right judgement in the new context of continuous change. To manage ambiguity and be able to make decisions despite uncertainty. The transformation journey will continue and evolve, but we will never reach the end-state. In this environment, it is important to keep winning the hearts and minds of our people, to celebrate milestones, to be realistic about timelines, and to manage the work-life balance. We need to be fast enough to make progress, but slow enough to keep people on board.”
What kind of leadership skills are needed?
“The most important is human skills. For one thing, you need to be able to adjust your leadership style to different individuals and the different needs of teams. There is no one size fits all. This is a people business, and we need to keep investing in our people and understand what is relevant to them. In addition, you need to be a good communicator, act as a role model and be the change you want to see. Resilience is a third skill, and one that should not be overlooked. Lastly, you have to be a true collaborator. Ultimately, this is a team effort.”
The Change Leadership Program was launched to support the ONE Intrum transition. What are the key elements of the program?
“The program has been run in a relatively technical and structured manner for the past two years and will now move to a more empowered approach where people lead change. One of the key activities planned for 2023 is the creation of a change ambassadors’ network to ensure continued commitment to our transformation. We will also arrange targeted change leadership trainings to equip the ambassadors with the skills to act as positive promotors. These are just two examples.”
What role do the change leadership activities play for Intrum as a company?
“The Change Leadership Program has played a key role in enabling our transformation. It is a strategic activity. To achieve sustainable change it is vital to embed the change in daily routines and shift the culture in the company. Change leadership is about our culture, our behaviours and making the intangible tangible. You can have a great process or innovative technology, but if you don’t equip your people with the right tools and win hearts and minds, you won’t maximise the benefits that flow from that process or technology.”
Intrum’s Annual and Sustainability Report 2022
This content is taken from our Annual and Sustainability Report 2022. You can read the entire report today.
