Final answer:
The first step a leader should take to influence change in attitudes within an organization is to clearly outline the desired change. This sets the foundation for further steps such as modeling the behavior, providing incentives, and establishing consequences for non-compliance.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a leader wants to influence others in an organization to change attitudes, the first step is to outline the desired change. This involves clearly defining the new attitudes and behaviors that are expected. Leaders can then begin to model the desired change, demonstrating through their own actions the behavior they expect from others. Incrementally, they can introduce incentives to change and outline disciplinary actions for failure to change as additional steps once the change has been clearly communicated and exemplified.
Strategic political leaders may utilize a combination of raising the costs of defection, the rewards for fidelity, and the importance of expressive values such as solidarity and patriotism to encourage followership. Cognitive dissonance plays a role internally as individuals seek to align their attitudes and behaviors with new organizational norms to alleviate tension. Externally, the use of factual information or associations with positive cues aids in influencing attitudes through persuasion. It is crucial that the leader's articulation of the change is the initial and foundational step.