International Journal of BIM and Engineering Science IJBES 2571-1075 10.54216/IJBES https://www.americaspg.com/journals/show/4244 2021 2021 School of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, University of Greater Manchester, Bolton, UK Ashraf Ashraf School of Civil Engineering and Built Environment, University of Greater Manchester, Bolton, UK Abdul Salam Darwish Ajman Municipality and Planning Department, Ajman, UAE Khaled Alhosani Purpose – ISO 19650 plays the most important part within the current digital transformation of the construction sector. However, the implementation of this ISO 19650 standard faces major challenges that primarily involve organizational and personal aspects. Based on this context, the current research aims to fill the "digital leadership gap" through exploration of critical factors for effective implementation from the perspective of interrelations between different leadership styles and change management strategies. Design Methodology – This current research used a mixed-methods design that combined quantitative and qualitative research. The case information was collected from 104 participants who answered the questionnaire. Additionally, seven in-depth interviews were conducted with experts from the sector. These were stratified because they targeted two opposing contexts: on one side the United Kingdom (because the motivation is obligatory for the whole organization), while on the other side Saudi Arabia (due to motivational ambitions that fall into the framework of "Vision 2030"). Results – The quantitative results showed that transformational leadership style and effective systematic change management were the most essential factors that influence successful implementation. Furthermore, the results confirmed that the directive style was not significant on the whole. These results were deepened from the quantitative results using the complementary information that showed that leaders who use "behavioral flexibility" have better potential to balance transformational (to create vision), participative (to induce ownership), and directive (as tactics on critical points) approaches. Results demonstrated that the initial context of leadership had significant influence on the initial phase of change management. Practical Implications – Given the findings from this current research, the ILCM (Integration of Leadership and Change Management) framework was proposed. According to the results, it was clear that the key factor to ensure the achievement of change management in any organizational context was the strategic integration of leadership qualities. These findings led to providing specific advice that urged all organizations to improve "leadership flexibility" among their leaders and change management strategies embodied in plan design. These advice urged researchers and designers of change management strategies to incorporate leadership strategies into every stage of change management. Additionally, they considered the specific context depending on the motivations. Originality Value - The originality and value addition of this research work arise from its ability to offer an integrated model that captures the dynamic interplay between the theory of leadership and change management in order to fill the gap that exists between theory and practical applications in the construction industry. The research also adds to the existing knowledge base through its comparison approach that gives an accurate interpretation of how the digital transformation routes are affected by the impact of numerous factors of influence. 2025 2025 32 47 10.54216/IJBES.110203 https://www.americaspg.com/articleinfo/22/show/4244