Change management is no longer just a discipline, it’s a mindset. In today’s hyperconnected, rapidly evolving business landscape, the ability to lead through constant transformation has become the defining characteristic of exceptional leadership, and one that is weighing heavily on all leaders. When leaders claim that “people don’t like change,” they’re missing a fundamental truth about human nature. We navigate change every single day, adapting our morning routines when a loved one falls ill, finding alternative routes when our train is cancelled, or pivoting our plans when circumstances shift. Change itself isn’t the problem. The issue is that people don’t like being changed or having transformation imposed upon them without agency, understanding, or involvement.
This distinction is crucial for leaders who want to drive successful organisational transformation in an era where change is not just constant but accelerating at an unprecedented pace and it’s only going to speed up.
Four Critical Challenges Reshaping Leadership
Today’s leaders face a convergence of forces that demand a fundamental reimagining of how we approach change:
- Constant and Unrelenting Change
We are living in a time where change is not only constant but accelerating. This is the fastest pace of change we’ve ever experienced, and the slowest it will ever be again. As Dex Hunter Torricke, Global Communication Leader at Google DeepMind, puts it simply: “The next 10 years are going to be the most disruptive we have ever experienced.”
- Technological Advancement
Technology is evolving faster than we could have imagined, disrupting industries, reshaping workforces, and redefining how we live and connect as a society. Organisations that fail to adapt quickly find themselves obsolete almost overnight. None can escape this change, this time.
- The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
These are no longer a distant agenda focused solely on environmental issues. They’re here now, impacting everything from modern slavery awareness to ethical supply chains, affecting even those not yet touched by technological change.
- Societal Shifts and Changing Norms
The pandemic has catapulted societal transformation, leaving us with a crisis of loneliness and disconnection. This makes belonging, psychological safety, and human connection critical drivers of effective, resilient teams. According to the Community and Life Survey, adults feeling lonely has increased with 40% of Gen Z feeling either isolated or lack of belonging.
Beyond Traditional Change Management
In this landscape, we can no longer treat change as a project with a neat beginning, middle, and end. It’s not something happening “over there” or something for someone else to worry about. Change now affects everyone, in every business, in every part of the world.
Everyone has to take responsibility and accountability for driving change and understanding its impact on others. The traditional leadership model, centred on control, efficiency, and predictability, feels increasingly out of sync with our current reality.
The World-Class Change Leader (WCCL)
What we need now are World-Class Change Leaders, 21st century leaders who can navigate uncertainty with grace, purpose, and humanity. These leaders understand that as the pace of change accelerates, we need to let go of being the ones with all the answers. Instead, they become facilitators of shared discovery, listening deeply, asking questions differently, and staying open to what emerges regardless of how uncomfortable that might be. Now leaders have to pay attention to voices perhaps they may never have thought to ask previously.
Rather than saying “no” or “that won’t work,” leaders need to say “hmm… tell me more.” The future may belong not to those who know the most, but to those willing to explore the most.
Core Characteristics of WCCLs
Empathy and Contextual Awareness: They deeply consider what their people, teams, employees, customers are thinking and feeling about the world around them.
Cultural Intelligence: They assess the cultural environment they’re operating in. Are they in a private company? A charity? A traditional hierarchy or a nurturing space? Not to mention, the geopolitical climate is profoundly shaping how we navigate cultural awareness and lead change. As a result, they tailor their leadership accordingly.
Emotional Foresight: They account for how change will impact people’s emotional states: fear of technology adoption, loss of control, resistance to new systems, or feeling outdated in the workplace.
So the question then begs itself as to how does a business leader, who already has quite a lot to do and needs to not only focus on all this constant change, but also on budgets, operations, etc. become a world class change leader. There are 7 key practical steps to follow.
Seven Steps to Becoming a World-Class Change Leader
Step 1: Clarify the Why and Vision for Change
People need to understand not just what is changing, but why it matters. Create a compelling narrative that connects the change to both organizational purpose and personal meaning.
Step 2: Lead with Empathy
Acknowledge that change is fundamentally human. Put people at the heart of every transformation initiative or risk failure. Make it personal, purposeful, and meaningful.
Step 3: Invite Diverse Thinking
Seek out perspectives that challenge your assumptions. Diverse voices lead to more robust solutions and help identify blind spots that could derail change efforts.
Step 4: Ask Thoughtful Questions
Replace directive communication with inquiry. The right questions can unlock insights, build engagement, and help people discover solutions for themselves.
Step 5: Listen Deeply and Reflect
Active listening isn’t just about hearing words, it’s about understanding the emotions, concerns, and aspirations behind them. Create space for reflection and processing.
Step 6: Build Stakeholder Relationships
Change happens through people, not processes. Invest time in building trust, understanding individual motivations, and creating coalitions of support.
Step 7: Navigate Complex Problem-Solving
Embrace ambiguity and complexity. Use systems thinking to understand interconnections and unintended consequences.
A New Leadership Paradigm
We are standing at a cultural crossroads unlike anything we’ve seen in nearly 100 years. There is no playbook for the future or for us to follow. Technology, global systems, and social norms are shifting faster than most organizations can adapt. In this context, leadership is no longer just about giving direction—it’s about creating connection.
A strategy on paper isn’t enough. Today’s leaders must inspire belief, foster belonging, and unlock the potential in others. They must lead with courage, emotional intelligence, and deep purpose.
Managing change the old way no longer works. We need a new mindset—one that puts people before process and empathy before execution. The leaders who embrace this human-cantered approach to change will not only survive the disruption ahead but will use it as a catalyst for extraordinary transformation.
The question isn’t whether change will continue to accelerate—it’s whether we’ll rise to meet it with the leadership our times demand. The future belongs to those bold enough to lead differently and strategic enough to put humanity at the centre of every change they champion.
Jennifer Bryan is an executive change advisor and author with more than 25 years’ experience working across industries including technology, finance and consulting.
Lou Robey is a change leader and consultant with three decades’ of experience in media, tech and education, including senior roles at the BBC.
September 18, 2025
Lead boldly, pivot strategically: redefine change leadership, before it redefines you
by Jennifer Bryan and Louise Robey • Business, Comment, JB
This distinction is crucial for leaders who want to drive successful organisational transformation in an era where change is not just constant but accelerating at an unprecedented pace and it’s only going to speed up.
Four Critical Challenges Reshaping Leadership
Today’s leaders face a convergence of forces that demand a fundamental reimagining of how we approach change:
We are living in a time where change is not only constant but accelerating. This is the fastest pace of change we’ve ever experienced, and the slowest it will ever be again. As Dex Hunter Torricke, Global Communication Leader at Google DeepMind, puts it simply: “The next 10 years are going to be the most disruptive we have ever experienced.”
Technology is evolving faster than we could have imagined, disrupting industries, reshaping workforces, and redefining how we live and connect as a society. Organisations that fail to adapt quickly find themselves obsolete almost overnight. None can escape this change, this time.
These are no longer a distant agenda focused solely on environmental issues. They’re here now, impacting everything from modern slavery awareness to ethical supply chains, affecting even those not yet touched by technological change.
The pandemic has catapulted societal transformation, leaving us with a crisis of loneliness and disconnection. This makes belonging, psychological safety, and human connection critical drivers of effective, resilient teams. According to the Community and Life Survey, adults feeling lonely has increased with 40% of Gen Z feeling either isolated or lack of belonging.
Beyond Traditional Change Management
In this landscape, we can no longer treat change as a project with a neat beginning, middle, and end. It’s not something happening “over there” or something for someone else to worry about. Change now affects everyone, in every business, in every part of the world.
Everyone has to take responsibility and accountability for driving change and understanding its impact on others. The traditional leadership model, centred on control, efficiency, and predictability, feels increasingly out of sync with our current reality.
The World-Class Change Leader (WCCL)
What we need now are World-Class Change Leaders, 21st century leaders who can navigate uncertainty with grace, purpose, and humanity. These leaders understand that as the pace of change accelerates, we need to let go of being the ones with all the answers. Instead, they become facilitators of shared discovery, listening deeply, asking questions differently, and staying open to what emerges regardless of how uncomfortable that might be. Now leaders have to pay attention to voices perhaps they may never have thought to ask previously.
Rather than saying “no” or “that won’t work,” leaders need to say “hmm… tell me more.” The future may belong not to those who know the most, but to those willing to explore the most.
Core Characteristics of WCCLs
Empathy and Contextual Awareness: They deeply consider what their people, teams, employees, customers are thinking and feeling about the world around them.
Cultural Intelligence: They assess the cultural environment they’re operating in. Are they in a private company? A charity? A traditional hierarchy or a nurturing space? Not to mention, the geopolitical climate is profoundly shaping how we navigate cultural awareness and lead change. As a result, they tailor their leadership accordingly.
Emotional Foresight: They account for how change will impact people’s emotional states: fear of technology adoption, loss of control, resistance to new systems, or feeling outdated in the workplace.
So the question then begs itself as to how does a business leader, who already has quite a lot to do and needs to not only focus on all this constant change, but also on budgets, operations, etc. become a world class change leader. There are 7 key practical steps to follow.
Seven Steps to Becoming a World-Class Change Leader
Step 1: Clarify the Why and Vision for Change
People need to understand not just what is changing, but why it matters. Create a compelling narrative that connects the change to both organizational purpose and personal meaning.
Step 2: Lead with Empathy
Acknowledge that change is fundamentally human. Put people at the heart of every transformation initiative or risk failure. Make it personal, purposeful, and meaningful.
Step 3: Invite Diverse Thinking
Seek out perspectives that challenge your assumptions. Diverse voices lead to more robust solutions and help identify blind spots that could derail change efforts.
Step 4: Ask Thoughtful Questions
Replace directive communication with inquiry. The right questions can unlock insights, build engagement, and help people discover solutions for themselves.
Step 5: Listen Deeply and Reflect
Active listening isn’t just about hearing words, it’s about understanding the emotions, concerns, and aspirations behind them. Create space for reflection and processing.
Step 6: Build Stakeholder Relationships
Change happens through people, not processes. Invest time in building trust, understanding individual motivations, and creating coalitions of support.
Step 7: Navigate Complex Problem-Solving
Embrace ambiguity and complexity. Use systems thinking to understand interconnections and unintended consequences.
A New Leadership Paradigm
We are standing at a cultural crossroads unlike anything we’ve seen in nearly 100 years. There is no playbook for the future or for us to follow. Technology, global systems, and social norms are shifting faster than most organizations can adapt. In this context, leadership is no longer just about giving direction—it’s about creating connection.
A strategy on paper isn’t enough. Today’s leaders must inspire belief, foster belonging, and unlock the potential in others. They must lead with courage, emotional intelligence, and deep purpose.
Managing change the old way no longer works. We need a new mindset—one that puts people before process and empathy before execution. The leaders who embrace this human-cantered approach to change will not only survive the disruption ahead but will use it as a catalyst for extraordinary transformation.
The question isn’t whether change will continue to accelerate—it’s whether we’ll rise to meet it with the leadership our times demand. The future belongs to those bold enough to lead differently and strategic enough to put humanity at the centre of every change they champion.
Jennifer Bryan is an executive change advisor and author with more than 25 years’ experience working across industries including technology, finance and consulting.
Lou Robey is a change leader and consultant with three decades’ of experience in media, tech and education, including senior roles at the BBC.