Change does not challenge your team because it is new.
Change challenges your team because it is uncertain.
I remember leading a transformation project in our organisation years ago.
There were new processes, workflows, and leadership expectations.
The hardest part for people was not the newness.
It was the uncertainty about their roles, their future, and whether they still belonged.
People do not resist change.
People resist loss of control.
Leading people through change is not just about rolling out new policies or sending memos.
It is about creating clarity and calmness when everything feels like shifting ground.
Research by McKinsey shows that 70 percent of organisational change efforts fail because of human factors, not technical errors.
This tells us something profound.
The heart of change is not technology or process.
The heart of change is people.
I learnt the following about leading people through transition:
- Share the “why” before the “what.” People can endure a lot if they understand the reason.
- Communicate openly and often. Silence creates anxiety.
- Honour emotions. Let people grieve the old before embracing the new.
- Celebrate small wins on the new journey. Progress builds momentum.
- Anchor the team in unchanging values. Even when methods change, purpose stays steady.
Leadership pulse check for this week:
Ask your team, “What feels most unclear or uncertain for you now?”
Then listen.
Not to defend but to understand.