I still remember the feeling of indignation. I was in a town hall meeting where a senior executive announced a major corporate restructuring. A new strategy, new team structures, new reporting lines. My team, which I had spent years building, was going to be split up. My first thought was not, “How will I lead my team through this?” My first thought was, “This is a terrible idea.”
In the days that followed, I was a terrible leader. In my 1-on-1s, I let my frustration show. When my team members expressed their anxiety, I validated their complaints instead of redirecting their focus. I became the unofficial leader of the resistance. And then, a week into the chaos, my most trusted direct report said something that stopped me in my tracks: “It’s hard to feel optimistic about this when it’s clear you think it’s a disaster.”
It was a gut punch of a reality check. My team was mirroring my own fear and resistance. In my own struggle to cope with the change, I was completely failing to lead through it. I had forgotten the first and most important rule of change management: it is impossible to guide your team through a storm when you are adding to the thunder. That experience taught me that in a world of constant change, a leader’s most critical job is not to love every change, but to get good at leading through it.
The First Rule of Change: Manage Yourself First
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Before you can manage anyone else’s reaction to change, you must manage your own. Your team is a finely tuned instrument that will pick up on your every verbal and non-verbal cue. If you project anxiety, they will feel anxious. If you project cynicism, they will become cynical. If you project calm, focused resilience, they will be more likely to find their own.
This does not mean you have to pretend to be happy about every decision. It means you must process your own frustrations privately, with a peer or a mentor, so that you can show up for your team publicly as a stable, reliable guide.
Also Read: How to Cope with Change
A 3-Part Playbook for Leading Your Team Through Uncertainty
Once you have managed your own reaction, you can begin to lead your team. Instead of a long list of tips, I have found that focusing on three core principles is most effective.
Part 1: Control the Controllables (Focus on Agency)
Change often makes people feel powerless, like they are being swept along by forces outside of their control. This feeling of powerlessness is a major source of stress. The most effective antidote is to immediately refocus the team’s energy onto the things they can control.
- Acknowledge what is out of your control: Be honest. “Yes, the decision to restructure the department is above our pay grade.”
- Ruthlessly focus on what is within your control: “But, how we react is entirely within our control. How we organize ourselves within this new structure is our decision. The quality of the work we produce is our standard to uphold. Let’s focus our energy there.”
- Give them a role: Involve the team in planning the transition. Ask, “Within this new reality, what is the first step we should take to get organized?” This shifts their mindset from victim to architect.
Part 2: Communicate the Constants (Focus on Stability)
During a period of change, everything feels like it is in flux. People are worried about their jobs, their roles, and their futures. As a leader, you must become an anchor of stability. You do this by over-communicating what is not changing.
- Your team’s mission and purpose: “This restructuring is a big change, but it does not change our team’s core mission. We are still here to build the best product for our customers.”
- Your team’s values and standards: “No matter what our new org chart looks like, our commitment to high-quality work and to supporting each other does not change. That is who we are.”
- Your commitment to them: “My role as your leader and your advocate is not changing. I am here to support you through this.”
In a sea of uncertainty, these constants are the lighthouses that your team can navigate by.
Also Read: Why a Leader is Defined by the People He Inspires
Part 3: Coach the Curve (Acknowledge the Emotional Journey)
It is a huge mistake to expect your team to be instantly enthusiastic about a major change. People go through a predictable emotional journey, often modeled by the “change curve,” which moves from shock and denial to anger, and eventually to acceptance and commitment. Your job is not to rush them through this process, but to coach them through it.
- Normalize the feelings: Create a safe space for people to express their frustration and anxiety without judgment. A simple “I know this is difficult and it is okay to be frustrated” can be incredibly powerful.
- Listen more than you talk: In your 1-on-1s, ask open-ended questions like, “How are you really feeling about all of this?” and then just listen. Sometimes, the most supportive thing you can do is to let someone feel heard.
- Celebrate small steps forward: When you see a team member starting to engage with the new reality, acknowledge and praise their adaptability.
The Hardest Part: How to Lead a Change You Don’t Fully Believe In
This was the position I was in. I thought the restructuring was a mistake. So how do you lead with integrity? You cannot fake enthusiasm. Your team will see right through it. Instead, you must find a way to authentically align yourself.
1. Commit to the Decision: Once a decision is made by leadership, your job is to execute. You must “disagree and commit.” Do not undermine the decision with your team.
2. Find the “Why” You Can Believe In: You may not agree with the “how” (the specific restructuring), but can you find a “why” that you can align with? For me, while I hated the new structure, I could align with the strategic goal behind it: “to become more responsive to our customers.” I focused all my communication on that shared goal.
3. Frame it as a Challenge to Overcome Together: Be honest. “Look, this is not the plan I would have designed. But it is the plan we have. I am committed to making it work, and I believe that if we work together, we can turn this challenge into a huge opportunity. I need your help.”
Your Role is to Be the Guide
The “new normal” is that there is no normal. Change is a constant feature of our work lives, not a bug. That difficult restructuring taught me that my job as a leader is not to be a cheerleader who loves every change. My job is to be a steady, honest, and empathetic guide.
It is about having the personal resilience to absorb the shock and the leadership skill to provide your team with a sense of stability, agency, and psychological safety in the middle of the storm. You cannot stop the waves of change from coming, but you can, and must, teach your team how to surf.
If you are looking to build a more resilient and adaptable team, explore how FocusU’s solutions on leading change can equip your leaders with the skills to navigate any transition.
