An important perspective on leading change

My client has an aggressive growth strategy for his business, so his organization will be going through tremendous change over the next few years.

When facilitating a session with his senior team called “How to Lead Change,” one of the participants said, “Vanessa, my team is feeling really anxious about some of our recent changes. How can I best handle this stress?”

This question was such a thoughtful one.

Seventy percent of organizational change initiatives fail. One of the reasons is that leaders focus too much on changing systems and processes, and they tend to ignore the impact that change has on their people.

So, I responded to this executive by saying,

“Don’t minimize how people feel during change.”

During the phases of change, people can feel a wide range of emotions, from anxiety and stress to hope and acceptance.

These reactions are normal.

People may feel frustrated, angry, or anxious when they think about how the change affects them, especially when it has just launched.

The people on your team likely did not want the change. The change is probably not something they asked for; rather, it is likely something forced upon them.

Think about an organizational change that was forced upon you. How did you feel about that change?

So, when launching a new change, be patient.

Let people express their feelings and emotions.

Don’t judge their feelings; instead, step back and listen.

Other news… I need your input once again!

Last week I asked you for your input on the title for my leadership summit launching in the fall.

Thank you to everyone who voted! I thought you’d be interested in the survey results.

Here are the top 7 options:

1. The Leaders’ Path: How to boost your leadership skills and your team’s motivation in 2023   
2. Leadership in Focus: How to develop your skills and mindset to lead with impact
3. Shake Up: The leadership summit that redefines leadership for the new world of work 
4. Elevate: A summit for next-level leadership  
5. Limitless Leadership: Unleash your potential and embrace your power as a leader 
6. Next level leadership: Develop your skills, mindset, and confidence to lead with impact  
7. Rise: Overcome challenges and build your confidence as a leader

Once again, I’d love your thoughts.

Please click here to vote for your #1 summit name!