Employee engagement for control freaks

Purpose – This paper aims to claim that most people are control freaks and explain how they can be encouraged to accept change. Design/methodology/approach – The paper puts forward a five‐step plan to help to create genuine change in an organization. Findings – The paper describes the five stages as: uncertainty; denial; negotiation; reflection; and action. Practical implications – The paper advances the view that the job of the leader is to move people through these five stages as fast as possible; arguably the definition of leadership is to get people through these stages quicker than on their own. Social implications – This paper highlights, at a time when organizational change is the norm, a way in which managers can encourage their people to accept and embrace this change. Originality/value – The paper reveals that authentic leadership means creating an emotional journey towards an inspirational vision of the future – creating a compelling mission or purpose – and then communicating this effectively.