Leader visioning and adaptability: Bridging the gap between research and practice on developing the ability to manage change

Abstract The construction of organizational vision and the ability to manage the change engendered by visions represent core organizational competencies that foster competitive advantage for organizations. However, while a significant body of conceptual and empirical research studies supports these as core competencies, high numbers of HR professionals are either not aware of this research or still dispute the utility of these skills. In this article, we discuss three gaps between leadership research and practice. The first refers to the value of organizational visions. The second reflects beliefs about the importance of change management skills for HR managers. The final gap concerns the utility of training and development programs that target visioning and change management skills. We discuss some reasons for these gaps between leadership research and HR practices. We also describe some components of visioning, adaptability and managing change, and provide some supportive conceptual and empirical research. We suggest the use of developmental work assignments as a leader development strategy that we believe is most appropriate for growing these core competencies. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.