Today's IT executives are at the forefront of change in their organizations. They implement new technologies, lead process improvement efforts, reduce business costs and enable innovation. All of these activities have significant change-management components to them. Yet only 7 percent of IT leaders are confident in their change-management skills, according to CIO's 2007 State of the CIO research. That stat is surprising given the transformational nature of work in IT management.

Dismal project success rates further prove that IT leaders may lack the change-management skills required in their roles. According to a 2004 survey conducted by the Standish Group, only 29 percent of projects are successful—that is, are completed on time, on budget and with the required specifications. Similarly disappointing news comes from The McKinsey Quarterly, which reported in June 2006 that only 38 percent of organizations believed their recent organizational transformation effort was more than somewhat successful.

It's no wonder most organizational change efforts are dogged with so many challenges and that IT leaders are less than confident in their abilities. Changing work habits and getting workers to adopt new processes and technologies is one of the hardest things IT managers have to do. Nevertheless, leading change successfully is possible. If you want to lead your organization to achieve its goals—and stand out from the pack when competing for jobs—you need to learn how to lead change effectively. The success of your organization, and your career as an IT executive, depends on it.