Leading Change

Rather than use the word “team” in the second stage of the eight-stage process, Kotter chooses to use the term “coalition,” which is specifically an alliance or group dedicated to a specific task or objective. This term is commonly used in reference to political groups and alliances between nations, which adds to the gravity of the term in Kotter’s work. In this case, the guiding coalition is a team of leaders, managers, and employees at varying levels of a firm, all of whom are dedicated to the change process. In the work, the term distinguishes between the leaders of the change process and the employees and managers who may need to be convinced of the coalition’s plan and vision. The term carries connotations of strength and dedication, reflecting the need for clear and focused leadership in the change process.

“Complacency” and “urgency” are used as inversely proportional terms in the text, meaning that when one value increases, the other decreases. If a company has high complacency, then it has low urgency. High urgency, in turn, indicates low complacency. Complacency is a willingness to remain in one location, role, or position without the feeling of a need for change, while urgency is the feeling that change is both necessary and imminent.