What happens when an unexpected major change hits the average team? 

People start worrying about their jobs. They start questioning the strategy. Their confidence plummets, doubt sets in, and the mood switches to one of fear and frustration. 

Everything your team knew – the way they operated, the successes they built, the skills they honed – seemingly gets thrown out the window. Nerves skyrocket. Fear drives behavior, tension fuels conflict, and people raise shields to protect themselves.

Doesn’t sound productive, does it?

These reactions happen because our brains are wired around predictability and safety, and change is automatically perceived as a threat. Some people respond by acting combative, resisting the change defiantly and aggressively; some turn a blind eye to it and continue operating as though it never happened; others shut down, relinquishing the power to deal with it.

None of these reactions makes change go away or helps you deal with it better. 

The good news is that you can rewire your brain and retrain yourself – and your teams – to respond to change constructively. Let’s explore how.

5 ways resilient leaders navigate change calmly

Some changes ripple slowly across the market, while others hit you hard without warning and leave you scrambling to gather your composure and react effectively. 

Luckily, you don’t need to be able to foresee the impact coming in order to deal with it effectively. 

If you’re nurturing a team culture of resilience, learning, and trust all along, then when change occurs, your teams will already be equipped to navigate it successfully together. During times of uncertainty, the resilience you foster each day will shine through and keep your team strong and steady.

Resilient leaders practice these five behaviors and nurture a culture that instills calm, confidence, transparency, sincerity, and thoughtfulness into the ways their teams navigate change.

1. Acknowledge that change happens – and you can deal with it positively

If you try to avoid dealing with change, its impact will grow in the shadows until it emerges and slams into you full force, or it will fester and break you apart from within.

Be realistic and acknowledge the truth. Approach your strategy with a clear mind, gather the appropriate information, and prepare to move forward. Then, once you acknowledge that change is inevitable, you can shift your lens from threat to opportunity. This will allow you to get curious and innovative in the mindset you build around change.

2. Choose confidence and calm

We can’t avoid change; empowerment comes when we realize that the way we choose to react to change makes all the difference. Remember that you are a role model for your team, and they will feed off of your mood and tone. Use language authentically to inspire confidence in your team, and employ emotional intelligence to be calm in your delivery. 

Confidence doesn’t mean you have to know all the answers; it means you believe in your team’s ability to navigate change of any kind with resilience and grace.

3. Communicate with transparency, sincerity, and integrity

During times of change, people want to know what’s going on. Keep your teams informed. Let them know what you’re seeing, what you’re working on, and what the future might look like, even if you don’t have all the answers yet. Be honest about what you know and what you don’t know. 

Gather the information you need to make decisions, the context you think they might need, and just enough details needed to make an informed decision. Then set an intention to communicate throughout the entire experience in ways that are meaningful and helpful to your team.

4. Rely on the culture you’ve built

Nurturing your team’s resilience in the quiet moments between disruptions will build their muscles – individually and collectively – to deal with whatever comes their way. 

Ideally, you have been continually fostering an environment where people are eager to learn, support each other, approach problems with an open mind, think critically and strategically, and act on their values. Let your team culture be the bedrock that stands strong while the world around you shakes.

5. Empathize with your team – and with yourself

What does your team need during this time? Consider the situation from their perspective and tailor your communication and actions to their needs. 

Do they want to talk more often? Schedule 1-on-1s or team meetings as appropriate. 

Or do they need time to themselves to sort through the situation? Cancel your next meeting and give them some space. 

Do they feel left out? Set up a spot on your digital intranet (or even a simple spreadsheet!) with details about the change. Leave a section at the bottom where people can drop questions if they feel so inclined. 

Don’t forget to show yourself some grace. Leading a team through change is difficult. Being resilient doesn’t mean you can’t be vulnerable, unsure, stressed, or even wrong about some things. 

If you need time to process what’s going on, block off some time on your calendar when you can sort through your strategy documents, consider alternate avenues, or just have some space to think. Take a break and go for a walk to clear your head. Step away from the situation for a little while so you can return to it with fresh eyes. 

Talk with someone who has been through a similar situation who can provide some insight. Reflect on what you might need in order to be the best leader you can be, and show yourself a little self-care to rejuvenate and refuel as you serve your team.

The change journey: What to do before, during, and after

Before

How to nurture a team culture built on support and trust:

  • Teach your team to adapt to small changes with ease. That way, when big changes occur, they will be primed with the appropriate mindset and skillset. When something comes up, gather the group, communicate the change, provide context, lay out a concrete plan, make sure everyone understands their individual parts and the team impact, and follow through.
  • Trust your team members first. Give them power and authority. Grant them space to get their work done in ways that are meaningful to them. Tell them you are confident in their abilities, and make sure they know you’re always available to coach them into a better place if they need you.
  • Engage in dialogue around how to think and how to act. Don’t force them to do everything your way; ask them how they think they should act based on the information they have.
  • Encourage communication among your team members (without you). Show them how to act as resources to each other, so they know they can rely on each other for support.
  • Be transparent about company updates and strategic decisions. Provide context and consider your team members’ perspectives. Over time, they will trust that you are thinking of their welfare, not just the business.
  • Hold yourself and your team members accountable. Show them how to fail upward by taking responsibility, learning lessons, and moving forward with clarity and optimism.
  • Coach humility. Develop a team-first culture where egos are kept in line. Stay “we” instead of “I,” give credit where credit is due, share the trust and respect, acknowledge when something goes wrong, and show how to ask for help and give help selflessly.
  • Encourage your team members to ask questions. Curiosity is a virtue, not a drawback. Cultivating a learning environment will help your team members approach challenges with open-mindedness.
  • Be sincere in your communication. Don’t fake it, and don’t force it. Be authentic and honest. Your team members will know if you are trying to manipulate them, and your trust will break into a million pieces.
  • Be consistent in your messages. Uphold your values across all situations, messages, and dynamics.
  • Advocate for your team – especially when managing up and across the organization. Publicly standing behind your team in the easy moments will become a pillar they can lean into during the more difficult ones.
  • Show compassion for the humans behind the roles. Find ways to show your team members you value them and that you’re there to help them when they need you.
  • Bring all work back to your mission and vision. Frame conversations around your strategies and plans. Provide clarity into the direction everyone is moving, and when things change, find clarity in the uncertainty.

During

How to handle change initiatives with care and clarity:

  • Explain that change is a process, not an event. Inspire your team to be resourceful and adaptable as you all figure out how to navigate this journey together.
  • Revisit strategy and plans. You might need to realign your efforts toward the new direction. Zoom out and evaluate your highest-level elements first, then whittle them down step by step.
  • Understand the new normal. What does this look like? How confident are your team members in their abilities, both individually and collectively, to adjust and move forward together? Consider the team as a whole as well as each individual contributor.
  • Establish new goals that better suit your new programs and projects. Don’t just roll out the new goals top-down; discuss the reasoning behind the changes and help your team rally around your new objectives. Build their confidence in their ability to hit these new metrics, perhaps by pointing out which skills can transfer or which projects they’ve excelled at previously that are applicable in this new situation.
  • Adjust processes as needed. The old way of working may need to be tweaked or may be obsolete; consider the team’s workflow and how any of the steps along the way might be affected. Then work with your team to figure out how these processes should look, based on everyone’s capabilities and needs.
  • Communicate throughout the entire process. Share the reason for the change, empathize with your team members’ situations, and paint a picture of the new normal from their perspective. Putting things into their context will gain trust in a more authentic way than trying to manipulate buy-in.
  • Celebrate flexibility and adaptability. Make sure your team members know you value them. Find a few clear examples that exhibit the behavior you are looking to see, and praise those behaviors whenever you can. (Make sure you are modeling those behaviors as well.)
  • Acknowledge that change is hard. Empathize with what they’re going through. Show them you’re on their side and you’re pulling for them. Be there for your team members in ways that they need. You don’t have to assume whether they want more space or more communication–ask them. Tailor your communication to your team’s preferences.

After

How to cultivate a new normal with strategy, structure, and emotional intelligence:

  • Follow up with your team at a regular cadence. Vary the dynamics by checking in with the whole team and also taking a pulse in one-on-one meetings. Ask how you can support your team and what questions they have.
  • Debrief after the change is finalized and discuss what went well, what you would do differently next time, what you learned, and what you can do with that information.
  • Settle into the new normal. Call out what’s working and why. Help your team members recognize how to use their strengths to add value in this new environment.
  • Maintain new processes by praising those who follow them and fixing any situations that don’t align with the new direction, like when someone falls back into a legacy system or brings negativity or defensiveness into the room.
  • Re-establish your team culture. The change may have dampened morale, so it’s up to you as the leader to rally your team together in this new effort and to help them feel confident that they are capable and valuable members of the team.
  • Be clear about the strategy and structure, and how everything relates. Follow up on the new goals and objectives, and provide context into everyone’s roles and impact. Document and share anything you can.
  • Celebrate success. Convey to your team that you appreciate their perseverance, adaptability, and support. You might even schedule some team-building activities to rebuild camaraderie. You could also give your team a short break to recover from the change so they can jump into the new normal feeling refreshed and revitalized.

Closing thoughts

Take care of yourself, take care of your team, and be authentic, compassionate, clear, adaptable, and communicative. Your teams will build resilience over time, in the all-important in-between moments, that will benefit them individually and collectively throughout any changes that will inevitably come their way.