The study we report here builds on extant literature to develop propositions about the impact of leaders and leadership on the ability of individuals to accept change. Change management strategies and the effects of shifts in organizational culture are examined as moderating variables. This is a longitudinal study that addresses a gap in the literature on leadership in merger-evoked change and places emphasis on people, as individuals, as being essential to the outcome of any merger process. Our results suggest that changing an organization boils down to directing energy and effort towards four identifiable aspects of organizational life: (1) the behaviour of institutional leaders; (2) the selection and execution of appropriate management strategies (particularly change management strategies); (3) an understanding of the organization's basic structure, systems, and formal processes (culture); and (4) actions taken by leaders affecting acceptance of change by individuals who play key roles in both formal and informal systems (see also Nadler, Thies and Nadler, 2001).We argue further that there has not yet been sufficient critical analysis of the role of leadership in terms of adoption of change management strategies or, of the consequences that cultural shifts caused during a merger place on individuals and ultimately their acceptance of change. We examine how leaders are perceived during a merger change process and explore the leadership qualities and styles which motivate acceptance of change by individuals. These arguments give rise to the model depicted in Figure 1