Tracy Brower, PhD
Leadership is a huge challenge—but leading through change can be especially difficult and even tumultuous. Plenty of leaders are going through transitions with their organizations, but the majority also lack confidence and feel uncertain about their capabilities to get through successfully.
The risks are high, because of the shifts we face—from the competitive and economic landscape to the shifts in information, talent and work. All of these increase the demands on leaders, and in particular the demands to lead through the overwhelm, ambiguity and complexity.
Leaders Face Uncertainty and Lack Confidence
Change is ubiquitous, with 80% of leaders reporting that change is part of their long-term vision and 96% planning to dedicate more than 5% of revenue to change projects in the next 3 years, according to a survey of 1,000 leaders and 5,000 workers at 1,000 companies by Accenture.
In addition, according to Accenture, most leaders have experience with change, with 95% saying they’ve gone through two or more transformations in the past three years. But despite their experience, they lack confidence in their own change management capabilities and so do their employees.
- Only 30% of c-suite leaders feel confident about their change capabilities.
- Only 25% of c-suite leaders believe their teams are prepared to embrace change.
- Only 42% of employees are confident in their own abilities to face change.
And this lack of confidence about change is happening in the face of shifts in work and the workforce itself—with 100% of c-suite leaders anticipating significant changes in the workforce. So the people who will need to embrace, lead and execute change are themselves changing, based on the Accenture data.
How to Lead Change in the Face of Uncertainty
Leaders are under tremendous demands and pressure as they move their organizations forward every day. But it’s possible to be especially successful with your change management process by keeping four elements in mind.
1. Lead Change with Competence
As you face into the future and lead change—especially if you lack confidence or certainty—you’ll need to continually build your competence. In deciding whether to follow a leader, people assess your competence—even if they do it subconsciously.
They will be enthusiastic to go in your direction when they know you have a command of context, conditions, systems and solutions—and when you have a commitment to continuing to learn, grow, adapt and improve as the world changes.
Read voraciously and seek formal learning opportunities as well. Seek alternative points of view. Look for those who are successful and use them as a guide and a model for your own behaviors.
Also concentrate on how you’ll build organizational change readiness and competence, continually developing people so that you raise the capability of the company as a whole.
2. Lead Change with Compassion
When deciding whether to follow and trust a leader, people also assess your warmth and compassion. They want to know whether you care and to what extent you are humane.
When leaders demonstrate empathy, it’s the right thing to do, period. But in addition, when people perceive you to be empathetic, they are more likely to be innovative, engaged and stay with the company. They are also more likely to feel the company is inclusive and respectful of work-life needs.
Unfortunately, speed can impede empathy and compassion. When you’re in a hurry, it’s easy to just plow forward. But you can slow down to speed up and attend to people and their needs—so they have the support they need to contribute and build their resilience.
Give thought to how people may be thinking or feeling—and be curious about people in terms of what makes them unique and the gifts they bring. Pay attention to people and check in with them, asking questions and offering resources when they need support.
3. Lead Change with Commitment
Another important element of leading through change—even if you lack confidence—is commitment. Especially when you’re facing uncertainty or feeling unsure, it can be tough to stay the course. Certainty is impossible, so you’ll need to keep your foot on the gas, even if you can’t clearly see all the way to your destination.
You may establish a new initiative, not see results fast enough, and want to pull back. But be sure to stick with things long enough to give them time to succeed. Start something new and give people the chance to learn, execute, monitor and improve.
And before you start something, be sure you have enough in your patience bank to stay the course. Going through change takes tremendous investment of time, energy, people, dollars and more—so before you start, ensure you can commit.
Also plan for how you’ll monitor not just outcomes, but your progress along the way, so you can change course when it’s actually necessary.
4. Lead Change with Courage
As you lead change, you’ll also need to be courageous.
People are tremendously fearful today, with 88%-61% globally who report they are worried about information wars, job loss, inflation, political uncertainty, global uncertainty and more, based on the Edelman Trust Barometer Global Report. This is important because people may be showing up with an underlying level of fear, and they are likely looking to their work for a point of continuity and stability—at the same time you’re transforming.
But it’s possible to make progress despite fear. After all, courage isn’t the absence of fear, it is the ability to move forward in the face of fear.
Be smart about examining the pros and cons of your destination and then proceeding wisely. You’ll never eliminate risk, but you can assess it and mitigate it. Consider all the risks you face related to your transformation—assessing their likelihood and the potential severity of the consequence.
Then, put plans in place to deal with potential negative issues. If something is unlikely or has minor consequences, you may not invest in proactive solutions, but if something is very likely or very severe in its effect, you’ll take proactive action to head it off or to prepare for how you’ll deal with it.
Also use courage to develop and communicate a vision that motivates people (and yourself). Ensure you have a strong business case for where you’re going. Set clear expectations for what you need from individuals, teams, the organization and yourself to succeed.
Managing Change Despite Uncertainty
The overwhelm and pressure that leaders face are extreme today, but you can lead change even if you lack confidence and even as you face ambiguity.
Admit where you’re weak and build your capability. Be intentional, engage others, monitor and continuously improve—and stay the course for the terrific results you’ll see through your transformations.
