Harnessing Change: Building Stronger Leaders in Transition

Harnessing change begins with the courage to lead forward

Editor’s Note (April 2025 – Updated):

This post has been updated to reflect current leadership challenges in an era of ongoing workplace transition. It is part of the Harnessing Change series, focused on building stronger leaders through change.

Change is a defining force in today’s workplace. Leaders are navigating constant disruption—organizational restructuring, industry shifts, evolving workforce expectations, and rapid technological change. In these moments, leadership in transition becomes less about maintaining stability and more about guiding people through uncertainty with clarity, resilience, and purpose.

Transitions test leaders. They expose habits, assumptions, and gaps in communication. But they also create opportunity. When leaders approach change with intention, transition becomes a catalyst for growth—for themselves, their teams, and the organizations they serve.

🌱Leadership Grows in the Tension of Transition

Strong leadership is rarely forged in comfort. It is shaped in moments of ambiguity, recalibration, and pressure. Leadership in transition demands real-time problem solving, honest conversations, and the willingness to adapt when familiar approaches no longer work.

Transition doesn’t simply reveal what kind of leader someone is, it creates space for leaders to become something more. The most effective leaders don’t resist change or rush to control it. They learn to harness change, using uncertainty as a proving ground for growth, learning, and connection.

Leading Through Change: The Power of Perspective

How leaders perceive change directly shapes how their teams experience it. When leaders view transition as a threat, uncertainty and fear often follow. But when leaders frame change as an opportunity for learning and progress, they create momentum and confidence.

During workplace transition employees look to leaders for steadiness and direction. This is the case whether the transition is driven by restructuring, leadership changes, or broader industry shifts. Leaders who remain grounded and thoughtful help their teams navigate uncertainty, even when the path forward is still taking shape.

✨Adobe: Leading Boldly Through Transformation

Adobe’s evolution from selling boxed software to a subscription-based Creative Cloud model offers a powerful example of leadership during transition. This transformation required more than technical innovation, it demanded a fundamental shift in mindset, culture, and customer engagement.

As highlighted in Forbes’ “Adobe: How to Dominate the Subscription Economy,” CEO Shantanu Narayen led the organization through disruption with a clear, long-term vision. Rather than focusing on short-term sales, Adobe redefined success around customer lifetime value and ongoing engagement.

This transition required courage, transparency, and relentless communication. Employees needed to understand not only what was changing, but why it mattered. Narayen emphasized alignment around shared goals, encouraged adaptability at every level, and reinforced consistent messaging throughout the organization.

Although the shift initially faced resistance, Narayen’s steady leadership helped Adobe navigate uncertainty and emerge stronger. By prioritizing long-term strategy over immediate gains, Adobe positioned itself as a dominant force in the subscription economy. It demonstrated how thoughtful leadership in transition can drive sustained growth.

The Leadership Mindset: Shaping Resilient Teams in Transition

Resilient leaders build resilient teams. They don’t simply manage change—they equip people to grow through it.

Key traits of leaders who thrive during transition include:

✔️Emotional intelligence: Recognizing the emotions that surface during uncertainty and responding with empathy

✔️Clarity and transparency: Communicating consistently to reduce confusion and build trust

✔️Courage to pivot: Adjusting strategy when conditions change and guiding teams with confidence

✔️Trustworthiness: Aligning actions with values to maintain credibility

When leaders cultivate these qualities, transition shifts from a disruptive force to a shared opportunity for growth.

🔀Navigating Leadership in Transition: Becoming the Leader the Moment Demands

Leadership during transition isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about becoming the kind of leader the moment requires. That growth doesn’t happen by chance—it develops through reflection, feedback, and a willingness to evolve.

Leaders who emerge stronger from transition often pause long enough to listen—to their teams, to their instincts, and to the broader context around them. They reflect not only on strategy, but on who they are becoming as leaders.

They ask: How is this moment shaping me? What kind of leader do I want to be on the other side of this change?

Coaching plays a critical role in this process. It provides a structured space for leaders navigating leadership in transition to unpack uncertainty, test new approaches, and strengthen emotional agility. Through coaching, leaders learn to communicate with intention, adapt thoughtfully, and model steadiness for their teams.

Growth is further accelerated when coaching is paired with feedback and peer learning. Tools like 360 reviews offer valuable insight into how leadership is experienced by others. Peer groups and leadership cohorts reinforce accountability and shared learning, reminding leaders they don’t need to be perfect—only present and willing to grow.

💡Leading with Clarity: Strengthening Communication During Transition

Communication sits at the heart of effective leadership in transition. During times of change, employees seek clarity, reassurance, and direction. But strong communication goes beyond delivering updates—it creates dialogue and connection.

Leaders strengthen communication during transition by:

• Establishing regular check-ins: Ongoing conversations reinforce alignment and surface concerns early

• Providing clear direction: Transparency reduces confusion and keeps teams focused on shared priorities

• Encouraging two-way dialogue: Listening builds trust and empowers employees to contribute solutions

  
  

When communication is intentional, leaders maintain stability during transition and build stronger collaboration for the long term.

🌿Patagonia: Leading with Purpose and Transparency

Patagonia offers another compelling example of leadership during transition rooted in values. Under founder Yvon Chouinard, the company navigated supply chain challenges and growing demands for ethical sourcing while remaining deeply aligned with its mission.

Rather than minimizing challenges, Patagonia embraced transparency—communicating openly with employees and customers and inviting shared problem-solving. This authenticity strengthened trust, even in moments of uncertainty.

Chouinard’s decision to donate company ownership to a trust dedicated to environmental causes further reinforced Patagonia’s long-term vision. His leadership demonstrated how purpose-driven decision-making can inspire loyalty, engagement, and resilience.

CEO World highlights Patagonia’s leadership strengths, including:

✅Purpose over profit

✅Empowered employees

✅Leading by example

✅Transparency and humility

Patagonia’s success illustrates how leadership in transition, when anchored in values, can create organizations that not only survive change—but thrive within it.

Turning Transition into a Leadership Advantage

Leadership isn’t simply tested during times of change—it’s forged. Leaders who harness the momentum of transition build stronger teams, healthier communication patterns, and cultures of adaptability.

Leadership in transition becomes an advantage when leaders choose reflection over reaction and clarity over control.

📌What’s Next?

This post is part of the Harnessing Change series, exploring how transition fuels progress. Next up: Harnessing Change: Growth in Transition, where we examine how organizations leverage change to drive innovation, strengthen competitive advantage, and grow revenue.

Ready to lead with clarity and confidence through your next transition? Book your free 15-minute consultation and let’s explore how leadership coaching can support you through change.