Decades of research confirms that the behavior of leaders influences change outcomes. Correspondingly, leader development has aimed to identify and develop the individual traits and attributes that are precursors to desired behaviors. However, where this approach has traditionally targeted static precursors and, thus, relatively stable sets of behaviors, there is growing evidence that successful change requires leaders to switch behaviors during change. We introduce mindset activation as a leader development approach to aid this switch. We elaborate on two common change processes – top-down and bottom-up – and establish a connection between the desired leader behaviors of these processes and the fixed and growth mindsets, respectively. In doing so, we propose a means of operationalizing the activation of fixed and growth mindsets for leader development during change. This new approach overcomes some of the limitations of the traditional focus on static precursors of behaviors, by providing a more precise account that encompasses the malleable and dynamic nature of personality system processes to enable effective change leadership.

Successful organizational change requires the commitment of those charged with its implementation. We focus on the role that organizational leaders play in the development and maintenance of employees’ commitment to organizational change. We review a recent but growing body of research linking leadership to change commitment, beginning with transformational leadership, new genre leadership, change leadership, and change-specific leader behavior. In each case, we examine the link between leadership style/behavior and followers’ commitment to change, the mediating mechanisms (e.g., climate of trust, change self-efficacy) that help to explain the link, and the moderating conditions (magnitude of the change, impact on employees) that influence the strength or direction of the relationship. Evidence suggests that, although leadership at all levels can have an impact, direct managers play a particularly important role in fostering commitment and behavioral support for the change within their units. Organizations are advised to attend to this role in the planning and implementation of change, particularly when the change is likely to have a wide-ranging impact and require commitment at all levels.