The Irish healthcare system is continually under review and experiences regular change and transformation at every level. The impact of these ongoing changes within health and social care services influences almost every aspect of organizational culture, the way staff work and how each organization plans and delivers services for the benefit of service users and local communities. The aims and objectives of health and social care service provision have changed over the years, policies and reforms have been strongly influenced by rights, advocacy groups and research conducted in the field of intellectual disability. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Halligan (2010) argued that leadership is often thought to be the answer to problems that impede or slow progress. Undoubtedly leadership plays an important role in implementing change and improving services, but responsibility for service delivery cannot stop with the leaders of an organization alone, other factors beyond the control of leaders influence 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 and practical theory of change that explains what changes organizations need to make and how they should make them”. Burnes also argues that many of the available theories are confusing and contradictory and appear detached from reality and practice. Bennis (1969) distinguishes 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 achieved and managed in organizations. Management and leadership are important for the delivery of good health services. While the two are similar in some respects, they can involve different types of perspectives, skills, and behaviors. Good managers should 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 provision of quality healthcare services. It has been said that both leadership and management are similar, both have their own identity. X states that leadership is only one of the roles of the manager, while Y believes that management is the ability to ensure the smooth functioning of an organization and this does not necessarily mean that a manager can be a leader. Over time, researchers have proposed many different leadership styles as there is no one leadership style that can be considered universal (Cox 2016). Despite the many different leadership styles, a good or effective leader inspires, motivates, and directs activities to help achieve group or organizational goals. Conversely, an inadequate leader does not contribute to organizational progress and can, in fact, decrease the achievement of organizational objectives. In the most dominant leadership theories, leadership is considered a process that involves influencing a group of people towards the realization of goals (Wolinski, 2010). According to Naylor (1999), an effective leader must be visionary, passionate, creative, flexible, inspiring, innovative, courageous, imaginative, experimental and capable of initiating change. Management is often presented as a routine activity that allows the organization to function withouthitches. Cox (2016) describes that management involves planning and organizing staff and resources to achieve objectives. There are as many different visions of leadership as there are characteristics that distinguish leaders from non-leaders. While most research today has moved from traditional trait- or personality-based theories to a situational theory, which dictates that the type of leadership used is determined by the leader's leadership skills and characteristics (Avolio, Walumbwa, & Weber , 2009). Charry (2012), observed a growing interest in leadership studies during the early 20th century, identifying eight major leadership theories. While early theories focused on the qualities that distinguish leaders from followers, more recent theories have examined other variables, including situational factors and skill levels. Although new theories continually emerge, Charry identifies eight common leadership concepts: great man theory, trait theory, contingency theory, situational theory, behavioral theory, participatory 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 when needed. Traditionally the term great man was used because, at the time, leadership was considered primarily a masculine quality. The trait theory is closely related to the great man theory; it is assumed that people inherit certain qualities that make them better at leadership. Trait theories identify personality or behavioral characteristics commonly found in leaders. However, research asks whether particular traits are key characteristics of leaders and leadership, yet there are people who possess those qualities but are not leaders (Amanchukwu, Stanley, and Ololube 2015). Inconsistencies in the relationship between leadership traits and leadership effectiveness have ultimately led researchers to search for new explanations for effective leadership. (Wedderburn-Tate, 1999). Contingent leadership theories focus on environmental factors that can determine which leadership style is best suited for 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 fit between a leader's qualities and leadership style and that required by a specific situation (Lamb, 2013). Situational theory proposes that leaders choose the best course of action based on situational conditions or circumstances. Different leadership styles may be more appropriate for different types of decision making. (Amanchukwu, Stanley, and Ololube 2015). Behavioral theories of leadership are based on the belief that great leaders are created, not born. This leadership theory focuses on the actions of leaders and not on intellectual qualities or personality traits. (Amanchukwu, Stanley, and Ololube 2015). According to behavioral theory, it is possible to teach people to become leaders through training and observation. Naylor (1999) noted in the context of behavioral theory that leaders are often described as autocratic or democratic. In a literature review by McAuliffe and Van Vaerenbergh, (2006) it was observed that groups under these types of leadership behave in adifferent. Autocratically led groups will function well as long as the leader is present. Research has shown that group members, however, tend to be dissatisfied with the leadership style and express negativity. Democratic-led groups perform almost as well as the autocratic group. However, group members 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 participatory 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, instead of making all decisions himself, tries to involve other people, improving commitment and increasing teamwork, which leads to better quality decisions and more successful results (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 whose aims and objectives are to move away from the transactional approach to management and towards the of transformational management. (McAuliffe and Van Vaerenbergh, 2006). Transformational theories focus on the interpersonal relationship formed between leaders and followers and incorporate elements of participatory theory. In these theories, leadership is the process through which a leader interacts and communicates with others, which results in increased motivation and morality in both followers and leaders (Amanchukwu, Stanley, and Ololube 2015). The transformational approach is often compared to charismatic leadership theories where leaders with certain qualities, such as confidence, extroversion, and clearly stated values, are better able to motivate followers (Lamb, 2013). These leaders focus on the performance of group members, but also on realizing each person's potential. Leaders of this style often have high ethical and moral standards (Charry, 2012). Change currently being experienced in the Health and Social Care Division includes the creation of new services or the reorganization of current services in order to provide better outcomes for people with intellectual disability. From a staff 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. This involves different ways of doing things, different values ​​and questioning underlying assumptions. Influences from voluntary and government bodies have pushed for change and reform of services for people with intellectual disabilities who now live and experience life very differently than they did twenty years ago. . There are two schools of thought that can 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 beadjusted to match the direction of the lens. Its execution can instill confidence and a sense of pride in employees when a goal is realized. Unplanned negative change can cause distress and distrust. Unplanned changes are usually rapid and staff feel unprepared to deal with the new conditions in which they are expected to operate. A good leader will be able to adapt to changes and also motivate staff to adapt to changes and build on them. Theories of planned change specify ways to manage and control change processes. Theories of unplanned change, on the other hand, imply that change is to some extent a force in its own right, capable of channeling, but not necessarily controlling or managing. Ledwin's (1951) work on change processes supported organizational development and continues to influence modern planned change projects. Ledwin advocated three phases in organizational change processes: unfreezing, shifting, and refreezing. Unfreezing occurs when there is a new idea or direction 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 in a “new” way. Refreezing is the phase in which the new practice becomes part of the organizational culture. Mc Dermott and Conway (2017) state that although Ledwin's stage 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-phase model is limited to small-scale changes in planned, predictable change, and not sustainable for the larger, ongoing nature of change in many current organizations (Garvin 1993 , Dawson 1994). . Burnes (2000) makes a valid case that “regardless of what their advocates claim, we do not currently possess an approach to change that is theoretically holistic, universally applicable and can be applied practically”. McAuliffe (2000) therefore argues that "managers should be prepared to adopt a contingency approach by choosing or developing the model to fit the particular situation". encountered. Implementing change often involves overseeing multiple competing priorities, as well as managing demands from external sources and from employees who are resistant to the proposed changes and see them as a source of stress (Kerber and Buono 2005). Managing change is a challenge that most organizations experience. It can impact people's sense of identity and connection. This can create high levels of anxiety in people, and as a result, people may resist change. Leaders must be adaptable and capable of managing emerging and unpredictable changes. Research has indicated that motivating staff towards change is difficult and leaders communicate the need for change effectively and sustain any improvements the change has achieved over time (Martin et al 2012). Communication is a vital skill that every manager should have. The ability to give and receive feedback is not to be underestimated. Recommendations in the theory of change literature mutually agree that a communications plan is an integral part of implementing change. Address questions about the how, what, when and why of change from the staff and service user perspective. Leaders must implement this to ensure a sense of clarity and openness (Sullivan and Decker 2006). Mc Dermott and Conway (2017) recommend that the., 9(4), 62-83.