The Irish healthcare system is continually under review and experiences regular change and transformation at all levels. The impact of these ongoing changes within health and social care services affects almost every aspect of organizational culture, the way staff work and the way each organization plans and delivers services for the benefit of service users. services and local communities. The goals and objectives of service delivery for the Health and Human Services Division have changed over the years. Policies and reforms have been heavily influenced by advocacy groups and research in the area of ​​intellectual disabilities. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Halligan (2010) argued that leadership is often seen as the answer to problems that hinder or slow progress. There is no doubt that leadership plays a major role in implementing change and improving services, but the responsibility for service delivery cannot rest with the leaders of an organization alone; other factors beyond management's control affect the progress of a goal. Frontline managers are actively seeking advice and guidance on these changes and how to implement them. Burnes (2000) states that “what almost everyone would like is a clear, practical theory of change that explains what changes organizations should make and how they should make them.” Burnes also argues that many of the available theories are confusing and contradictory and seem detached from reality and practice. Bennis (1969) differentiates between theories of change, which focus on how organizations change and the factors that produce change, and theories of change, which focus on how change can be brought about and managed in organizations. Management and leadership are important for achieving goals. good health services. Although the two are similar in some ways, they can involve different types of perspectives, skills, and behaviors. Good managers must strive to be good leaders, and good leaders need management skills to be effective. The literature has discussed the need for management and leadership for the delivery of quality health services. It has been argued that leadership and management are similar and both have their own identity. X claims that leadership is only a role of the manager, and considers that management is the ability to ensure the proper functioning of an organization and that does not necessarily mean that a manager can be a leader. Over time, researchers have proposed many different leadership styles because no single leadership style can be considered universal (Cox 2016). Despite the many leadership styles, a good or effective leader inspires, motivates, and directs activities to help achieve group or organizational goals. Conversely, a bad leader does not contribute to the progress of the organization and may, in fact, diminish the achievement of the organization's goals. In the most dominant theories of leadership, leadership is considered a process that involves influencing a group of people to achieve goals (Wolinski, 2010). According to Naylor (1999), an effective leader must be visionary, passionate, creative, flexible,inspiring, innovative, courageous, imaginative, experimental and initiating change. Management is often presented as a routine activity that ensures the proper functioning of the organization. Cox (2016) describes that management involves planning and organizing staff members and resources to achieve goals. There are as many different visions of leadership as there are characteristics that distinguish leaders from non-leaders. While most current research has moved from traditional trait or personality-based theories to situational theory, which dictates that the type of leadership used is determined by the leadership skills and characteristics of the leader (Avolio, Walumbwa and Weber, 2009).Charry(2012), observed an increased interest in leadership studies in the early 20th century and identified eight major theories of leadership. While earlier theories focused on the qualities that distinguish leaders from followers, more recent theories have looked at other variables, including situational factors and skill levels. Although new theories are constantly emerging, Charry identifies eight common leadership concepts: great man theory, trait theory, contingency theory, situational theory, behavioral theory, participative theory, transactional theory, and transformational theory. Great man theories assume that the ability to be a leader is a personality trait and that leaders are born, not made. These theories often portray leaders as heroic, mythical, and destined to rise to leadership in times of need. Traditionally, the term great man was used because at the time, leadership was seen primarily as a masculine quality. Trait theory is closely related to the great man theory; it assumes that people inherit certain qualities that make them better at leadership. Trait theories identify personality or behavioral characteristics commonly found in leaders. However, research questions whether particular traits are key characteristics of leaders and leadership, but there are people who possess these qualities but are not leaders (Amanchukwu, Stanley, and Ololube 2015). Inconsistencies in the relationship between leadership traits and leadership effectiveness ultimately led researchers to seek new explanations for leadership effectiveness. (Wedderburn-Tate, 1999). Contingent theories of leadership focus on environmental factors that can determine which leadership style is best suited to a work situation. No single leadership style is appropriate in all situations (Amanchukwu, Stanley, and Ololube 2015). Success depends on many variables, including leadership style, follower qualities, and situational characteristics (Charry, 2012). Contingency theory states that effective leadership depends on the degree of match between a leader's leadership qualities and style and that required by a specific situation (Lamb, 2013). Situational theory proposes that leaders select the best course of action based on the conditions or circumstances of the situation. Different leadership styles may be more suited to different types of decision-making. (Amanchukwu, Stanley and Ololube 2015). Behavioral theories of leadership are based on the belief that great leaders are and are not born. This leadership theory focuses on the actions of leaders and not intellectual qualities or personality traits. (Amanchukwu, Stanley and Ololube2015). According to behavioral theory, people can learn to become leaders through training and observation. Naylor (1999) observed in the context of behavioral theory that leaders are often described as either autocratic or democratic. In a literature review by McAuliffe and Van Vaerenbergh (2006), it was observed that groups under these types of leadership function differently. Autocratically led groups will function well as long as the leader is present. Research has shown that group members, however, tend to be unhappy with the leadership style and express negativity. The Democratic-led groups do almost as well as the autocratic group. Group members, however, reported more positive feelings. More importantly, group members' efforts continue even when the leader is not present. (Amanchukwu, Stanley and Ololube 2015). Lamb (2013) determines that participative leaders actively seek participation and contributions from group members and help group members feel relevant and engaged in the decision-making process (Amanchukwu, Stanley, and Ololube 2015). A manager who uses participative leadership, rather than making all decisions alone, seeks to involve other people, thereby improving engagement and increasing teamwork, leading to higher quality decisions and a more successful outcome (Lamb, 2013). Transactional theories, focus on the role of supervision, organization and group performance. These theories base leadership on a system of rewards and punishments (Charry, 2012). When employees succeed, they are rewarded and when they fail, they are reprimanded or punished (Charry, 2012). Transactional theory is often linked to the concept and practice of management and continues to be an extremely common component of many leadership models and organizational structures (Lamb, 2013). This theory has been widely used in healthcare organizations in the past. In recent years, the HSE has implemented a strategy which promotes an increase in training and leadership programs for managers and aspiring leaders within the HSE, the aims and objectives of which are to move away from the transactional approach management and adopt a transformational management method. (McAuliffe and Van Vaerenbergh, 2006). Transformational theories focus on the interpersonal relationships formed between leaders and followers and incorporate elements of participatory theory. In these theories, leadership is the process by which a leader interacts and communicates with others, resulting in increased motivation and morality in both followers and leaders (Amanchukwu, Stanley, and Ololube 2015). The transformational approach is often compared to theories of charismatic leadership in which leaders possessing certain qualities, such as confidence, extroversion, and clearly stated values, are best able to motivate their followers (Lamb, 2013). These leaders focus on the performance of group members, but also on each person to realize their potential. Leaders of this style often have high ethical and moral standards (Charry, 2012). Current change in the health and social services sector includes the creation of new services or the reorganization of current services to provide better outcomes for people with intellectual disabilities. From a staffing perspective, these changes may involve new workplaces, organizational structures, teams, roles,work practices or procedures. They often involve bringing together services, teams and professional groups. It involves different ways of doing things, different values ​​and questioning underlying assumptions. Influences from voluntary and government agencies have driven change and reform in services for people with intellectual disabilities who now live and experience life very differently to twenty years ago. . There are two schools of thought that can both help or hinder the achievement of objective change, planned and unplanned. Planned change, by its very nature, is implemented through a careful process that can be adapted depending on the direction of the goal. Executing it can inspire confidence and a sense of pride in employees when a goal comes to fruition. An unfavorably unexpected change can cause distress and distrust. Unexpected changes are usually rapid and staff do not feel prepared to deal with the new conditions in which they may be expected to operate. A good leader will be able to adapt to changes and motivate staff to also adapt to and build on changes. Theories of planned change specify ways to manage and control change processes. Theories of unplanned change, in contrast, imply that change is to some extent a force in its own right, capable of being channeled, but not necessarily controlled or managed. Ledwin's (1951) work on change processes supported organizational development and continues to influence modern conceptions of planned change. Ledwin advocated three stages in organizational change processes: unfreeze, move, and refreeze. Unfreezing occurs when there is a new idea or directive or when the “old” way of doing something becomes useless or stagnant (Mc Dermott and Conway 2017). Moving is when people change, reform, and start doing things the “new” way. Refreezing is the stage where the new practice becomes part of the organizational culture. Mc Dermott and Conway (2017) argue that although Ledwin's step models are an effective tool for planned change, they do not incorporate context or culture (Fitzgearld et al 2006). Some have criticized Lewdin's work, suggesting that the relevance of his three-stage model is limited to small-scale changes in the context of predictable, planned change, and is not sustainable for the wider nature and continued change in many organizations today (Garvin 1993, Dawson 1994). . Burnes (2000) rightly states that "regardless of what its proponents claim, we do not currently have an approach to change that is theoretically holistic, universally applicable, and can be applied in practice." McAuliffe (2000) therefore argues that “managers should be prepared to adopt a contingency approach in choosing or developing the model suited to the particular situation”. The progress made in the health and social services sector illustrates that the objectives set by the sector are being achieved. encounter. Implementing change often involves overseeing multiple competing priorities, as well as managing demands from external sources and employees who are resistant to proposed changes and view them as a source of stress (Kerber and Buono 2005). Managing change is a challenge that most people face. experience of organizations. This may have an impact on the., 9(4), 62-83.