Deming said "Your job as a leader is to manage the change necessary." What does that mean?

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The Answer is Change is rarely easy. Leaders need to understand that resistance to change is a natural human reaction. Effective leaders know that in order for change to occur, resistance to those changes must be expected and planned for. Essentially, they manage change by managing resistance. They may take a preventive approach, meeting resistance head on before it starts. For instance, they may realize that resistance to a change may occur because additional knowledge or skills will be required. An effective leader, managing resistance, will provide the appropriate training and education. Or they may take a wait and see approach, planning to deal with resistance as it arises. In either case, leaders must clearly communicate the new expectations and the reasons behind the changes so that people understand why they are being asked to change. Their employees are looking to them and asking the question: 'What do you want me to do tomorrow that is different from what I am doing today?' Effective leaders provide training and time to make the change. They also structure their reward system to support the change. As Figure 7.1 describes, if an individual can see the reason for the change and has time to make the change, they will usually make the effort to make the change. As a person becomes more comfortable with the new way of doing things, the old way slowly dies out. This change process must be supported by pressure from the reward system, time to adjust to the change, and any necessary training to facilitate the change.

Deming Said "Your Job as a Leader Is to Manage