Embracing Change: Leadership in Transition

An oft-repeated phrase in one of my former workplaces was:
“There are two things people hate: change, and the way things are.”

It always got a laugh—but there’s truth in it.

As leaders, we live in that tension every day. We’re called to move things forward, yet we know every shift will ripple through the system, triggering resistance, uncertainty, and, sometimes, grief.

Being able to work with great leaders leading teams through massive scales of change, I’ve learned that the moments of transition are where leadership either deepens—or fractures. It’s not the change itself that defines us. It’s how we lead through it.

The In-Between: More Than a Bridge

Most leaders see change as a point-to-point process: where we are now → where we want to be. In reality, change is less like a straight bridge and more like a season—full of invisible work beneath the surface.

Nature doesn’t rush transitions. Seeds germinate in darkness. Leaves change slowly before they fall. And yet in business, we’re tempted to race through the messy middle.

When we do, we miss what that space offers: clarity, alignment, and the chance to rebuild trust.

Inquiry: The Questions That Keep Us Present

Inquiry is a powerful way to check on your actions to see if you’re falling into your default patterns. It also gives a moment to pause and listen for what’s real. During a transition, these are the questions I lean on:

• What exactly is changing—and what’s not?
  Naming the difference helps reduce unnecessary anxiety.
• What is mine to lead—and what is mine to witness?
  Not every moment calls for intervention; sometimes the role is to hold space.
• What possibility does this change make room for?
  Change often clears space for things that couldn’t grow before.

Inquiry doesn’t slow momentum—it ensures the steps we take are worth taking.

Action: Leading With Alignment

Conscious action matters more than constant action. In transition, this means we move at a pace and in a way that honors the humans involved—not just the deadlines.

Actions I’ve seen work in high-stakes transitions:

• Name the change early and clearly. Even when details aren’t complete, clarity builds trust. People will create their own story in the absence of information
• Match the pace to the team’s capacity. You might be ready to leap ahead, but the group may need a steadier climb. Check in with your team to see what needs to be tweaked with the timeline.
• Hold onto a few anchors. Familiar routines—a Monday meeting, a closing check-in—offer stability in uncertain times. These things can help people feel grounded knowing not everything is changing.

Conscious action is less about speed, more about staying in congruence.

Practice: Building the Capacity to Navigate Change

Without practice, our best intentions collapse under pressure. Leadership presence is built through repeated, intentional habits.

Here are a few practices I return to during transitions:

• The Three-Minute Reset
  Pause once a day to notice: What am I feeling? Where is my attention? What’s most important right now?
• Weekly Transition Reflections
  Gather your leadership team to share what’s working, what’s stuck, and what’s emerging.
• Closure
  Mark the end of one phase and the start of another. Humans need acknowledgment to truly move forward.

Practices keep us steady when the ground shifts.

Why This Matters

Change without thoughtful transition burns people out. Transition without conscious leadership breeds drift, and can exacerbate bad habits.

Leaders who embrace change as a process—not just an event—create cultures that adapt, recover, and innovate. These are the cultures that move forward confidently, embracing the change.

This Week’s Leadership Move

Try this three-part approach over the next five days:

1. Ask: What is this change really asking of me?
2. Act: Take one aligned step toward that answer.
3. Practice: Repeat a small daily ritual that keeps you grounded.

Small steps, done with presence, carry you—and your team—through the hardest transitions.

Final Thought

I think I’ll always remember the quote about change and the way things are. To me, it’s a good reminder that what we want may come as a direct challenge to other wants, but one has to give.

How are you navigating that feeling? To step into the in-between with questions that matter, actions that align, and practices that hold us steady. 

If you’re ready to approach your next transition with more presence and less push, I can’t recommend Andrea Bednar’s Doing enough. It’s become a compass for how I lead—and how I help others lead—through the messy, transformative, and utterly human process of change.

Alex Bednar is an Executive Coach specializing in Leadership Development. Connect with Alex at www.AndreaBednar.com for more insights on conscious leadership and operational excellence.