Looking to manage change successfully? It is dependent on alignment at every level

Purpose To become a great agent of change, you need to diagnose impediments and create remedies. However, to implement change successfully, you must take an inside-out and outside-in approach and focus on and align individual behavior, the functions of teams, and the organization as a whole. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws from 10 years of research and work with individuals, teams, and organizations. Findings Accelerating change in an organization requires leaders to define and align those activities that set the organization apart and give it a competitive advantage at the individual, team, and organizational levels. Originality/value As change leaders or L&D/OD professionals, this paper helps you recognize the need to develop your capabilities in five key roles: focus, align, engage, lead, and sustain.