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Something is shifting. We all feel it, but no one’s quite sure what’s ending, what’s temporary, or what might be rewritten next quarter.
In recent months, shifts in public policy, economic conditions, and organizational priorities have created a domino effect – reshaping budgets, stalling projects, and rewriting expectations. For some, that means delayed promotions or paused initiatives. For others, it’s the loss of a sense of security. And for many, it’s a quiet grieving process for what used to feel predictable.
If you're leading through this moment, you're likely holding it all – for yourself and your team. It’s no small task.
Before You Lead the Change, Acknowledge the Loss
Change doesn’t begin with a new vision. It begins with an ending.
In Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change, William Bridges taught us that transitions start not when the shift happens, but when we realize something we’ve known or counted on is over. That could be a way of working, a source of funding, a consistent team dynamic, or even certainty itself.
But here’s where many leaders fall short: we skip past this step in the name of “moving forward.” We don’t pause to acknowledge that something is gone. And when we do that, we leave our teams trying to sprint with emotional weights strapped to their backs.
People don’t resist change, they resist loss. The loss of what was working, of what they trusted, of what made sense.
When It’s Not Just Professional – It’s Personal
Here’s what I know about endings: they don’t always knock politely.
Sometimes they tackle you like a 350-pound lineman.
A year ago, my daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, and in a moment, everything changed. The rhythm of our days. The language of our care. The lens through which I viewed leadership, parenting, and even time. We’ve built new routines, formed new habits, and learned to listen to her body in a whole new way.
I’m a Type A per. A strategist. I’ve led business transformation for most of my 16-year Fortune 100 career. I help leaders navigate change with clarity and confidence.
And yet, I didn’t see this one coming.
Just when I started to find my footing, new proposals and uncertain rulings began to cast doubt on the systems we depend on: school accommodations, accessibility of medical equipment, the cost of care. Nothing has been definitively decided, but even the possibility of change has weight.
I’ll share more in the upcoming episode of On the Go with O, my private podcast for leaders who want a deeper conversation.
🎧 Stay tuned or subscribe here.
The Leader’s Tension – Holding Space While Moving Forward
Let’s be honest: leading others through change is hard enough. Leading while also living through it? That’s a whole different level.
There’s a very real mismatch that can emerge in the process.
You may have known about upcoming changes for weeks. By the time you’re able to share them with your team, you’ve processed them, adjusted, maybe even mapped your path forward. But your team? They’re just now entering the fog.
If you move too quickly without acknowledging the ending, you risk leaving them emotionally behind.
Here’s the paradox: as a leader, you’re expected to be steady and focused. But if we don’t acknowledge our own grief – the frustration, the fear, the loss – we can’t expect our teams to move forward either.
The goal is not to solve for everyone’s emotions. The goal is to make space for them. Because when you give your team permission to grieve what they’re losing, you also give them permission to embrace what’s next.
How Endings Show Up in Your Team (a Birkman Lens)
Different leadership styles react to endings in different ways:
Recognizing these behaviors isn’t about labeling, it’s about leadership.
Your job isn’t to fix their reaction. It’s to help them navigate it with grace.
