Leading Change in an Organization: Winning Ways Leadership Tips
Change isn’t optional. How you lead through it is.
There are two kinds of change:
- the kind you can control—within yourself
- and the kind you can’t—within others and the world around you.
And yet, even when you can’t control the change, you can still lead through it.
Leadership isn’t reserved for moments when you’re in charge of what’s happening. It’s most needed when you’re not.
Change is constant
Sometimes it’s aligned with your values and goals, and other times it may feel imposed or even unwelcome. Regardless, the mindset and behaviors needed to lead through change remain the same.
Whether you’re steering the change or simply navigating it, your role in leadership asks you to face uncertainty with courage and clarity.
Leading change begins with you
It starts by intentionally pausing to reset so that you’re responding with positive, creative competencies rather than limiting, reactive tendencies.
- Creative competencies include visioning what’s possible, staying composed, balancing work with rest, and reaching out to collaborate.
- Reactive responses often look like doing more just to feel in control, focusing too narrowly, or trying to please others at your own expense.
When leading through change, it’s natural to slip into reactive tendencies such as frustration, blame, withdrawal, or feeling stuck—what some call the “valley of despair.”
But valleys are always surrounded by higher ground. You don’t travel this terrain alone.
You are part of a broader community, your team, family, organization, or neighborhood—and your creative and intentional words and actions are the path forward.
The leaders we see that navigate change most effectively are those who return, again and again, to their creative intentions:
- The intention to take small, meaningful steps toward the visioned future.
- The intention to pause and reset when things get overwhelming.
- The intention to stay connected with people who offer encouragement, stability, and insight.
If you’re in the midst of change—and chances are, you are—take one small step toward the direction you want to go.
Connect with others.
Exercise your body.
And, as often as needed, pause, ground yourself, and return to your creative intentions.
You can do it, and if you need to arm yourself with tools to feel more confident leading change, an executive leadership coach makes an excellent partner.
Lisa Ruane brings 30 years of leadership experience in mission-driven organizations—including healthcare, economic development, technology, and community service. She has worked closely with clinicians, administrators, members, and cross-functional teams to lead through complexity, drive alignment, and improve outcomes in resource-constrained environments. Lisa has honed her ability to help leaders navigate change, sustain work/life balance, and build high-performing teams. Her coaching is grounded in real-world experience and recognizes both the operational pressures and the human realities of leadership.
Ready to be a more intentional leader?
Download our Three Intentional Words exercise today!