The Leadership Imperative in Times of Change
If you’re in a leadership role today, you’ve likely felt it, that familiar undercurrent of change. Whether it’s a shift in strategy, a team restructuring, a transition in leadership, or evolving market demands, change isn’t just part of the job anymore. It is the job.
And yet, even the most well-intentioned change efforts can fizzle out, stall, or worse, backfire. Why? Because navigating change isn’t just about delivering information. It’s about guiding people. And people don’t move in straight lines.
At Express Pros Training, we’ve worked with organizations across industries like healthcare, finance, education, manufacturing, etc., and the pattern is always the same: when change hits, uncertainty spikes, productivity dips, and emotional tension rises. But the most effective leaders we’ve seen don’t just manage through it. They lead with clarity, agility, and strength.
In this post, we’ll explore how to become that kind of leader, one who doesn’t just survive change but helps others thrive through it. Drawing from Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model and Jellison’s J-Curve, we’ll break down the strategic phases of transformation and the emotional journey that runs alongside it. You’ll gain insight into what your team is experiencing at each stage of change and what they need most from you to move forward with confidence.
Because at the end of the day, change isn’t just a disruption to manage. It’s a defining leadership moment.
Understanding the Nature of Organizational Change
Organizational change is often portrayed as a linear process: decide on a new direction, communicate it clearly, and execute with precision. But anyone who’s led real change knows it’s rarely that clean. It’s more like trying to steer a ship through foggy waters, where the map helps, but the crew’s trust, morale, and energy ultimately determine whether you make it to shore.
At its core, change in organizations is both strategic and emotional. It involves shifts in structure, culture, priorities, or processes, and each of these touches people in deeply personal ways. Titles change. Roles evolve. Certainty disappears. And for the people experiencing the change, that often feels less like progress and more like upheaval.
This is where the distinction between change management and change leadership becomes vital.
Change management is about the how: processes, timelines, metrics, and logistics. It’s crucial, but it only gets you part of the way.
Change leadership, on the other hand, is about the who and why. It focuses on aligning people, inspiring belief, and building momentum through uncertainty.
Think of it this way: you can have the best project plan in the world, but if people don’t understand the vision, feel heard, or trust their leaders, even the smoothest plan will stall.
Understanding the nature of change means accepting that resistance is not a failure; it’s a phase. Productivity dips aren’t a red flag; they’re predictable. Emotions aren’t obstacles; they’re signals. The more leaders can recognize these dynamics, the more equipped they’ll be to respond not with frustration, but with intention.
Jellison’s J-Curve: The Emotional Trajectory of Change
When change first hits, leaders are often met with an unexpected contradiction: the more necessary and strategic the change feels, the more resistance they encounter. Why do people push back, stall, or disengage, especially when the path forward is clearly better?
Enter Jellison’s J-Curve, a model that maps out the typical emotional and performance trajectory people experience during organizational change. At first glance, it looks like bad news: performance tends to dip before it improves. But in reality, the J-Curve offers a powerful insight. This dip isn’t a problem to avoid; it’s a normal, even healthy, part of the process.
The Dip: When change is introduced, whether it’s a new system, role realignment, or shift in priorities, most people experience uncertainty, confusion, and sometimes fear. Productivity and morale can decline as employees grapple with the loss of familiar routines and expectations.
The Turn: As people begin to understand the purpose behind the change, develop new skills, and adjust to new realities, performance starts to recover. Energy returns, confidence builds, and alignment strengthens.
The Climb: With continued support and clarity, teams start to outperform their previous baseline. This is when the benefits of the change are fully realized, not just operationally, but culturally and emotionally.
For leaders, the key takeaway is this: don’t mistake the early dip for failure. The discomfort your team feels isn’t a sign that the change was a mistake; it’s a sign that people are in transition.
What they need from you during this phase isn’t just more information. They need stability, empathy, and clear direction. They need to know that it’s okay to not have it all figured out yet, and that you’re not just managing the logistics, you’re tuned in to the human side of the shift.
The J-Curve reminds us that change leadership is about walking with people through the valley, not dragging them up the hill. And that once they get through it, the results can exceed what seemed possible at the start.
Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model: A Strategic Framework
While the J-Curve helps us understand the emotional journey of change, leaders also need a strategic map to guide the structural side of transformation. That’s where John Kotter’s 8-Step Change Model comes in, a framework built on decades of research into what actually makes change efforts succeed or fail.
Kotter’s model doesn’t promise quick wins or neat timelines. Instead, it challenges leaders to think about change as a movement, not a mandate. Each step builds momentum, fosters alignment, and minimizes the chaos that often accompanies big shifts.
Let’s break it down, with a leadership lens on what each step demands from you:
- Create a Sense of Urgency
Change stalls when people feel comfortable. To kick-start movement, leaders must spotlight the risks of staying the same and the opportunities waiting on the other side. This isn’t fear-mongering, it’s truth-telling, paired with purpose.
Tip: Share real stories and data that highlight why change is necessary now, not later.
- Build a Guiding Coalition
You can’t lead change alone. Assemble a diverse, influential group that believes in the mission and can help carry it forward. This includes formal leaders and informal influencers.
Tip: Watch for who others listen to during meetings; they’re your cultural barometers.
- Form a Strategic Vision and Initiatives
People need a clear picture of where you’re going and how you plan to get there. Without this, confusion reigns. Clarity reduces fear and empowers better decision-making.
Tip: Avoid jargon. Craft a vision statement that’s inspiring, concrete, and repeatable.
- Enlist a Volunteer Army
Top-down change fails when it’s imposed. Real momentum comes when people choose to engage. Make the vision personal. Invite contribution, don’t just assign tasks.
Tip: Ask teams how they see themselves contributing to the bigger picture.
- Enable Action by Removing Barriers
Change reveals friction points like outdated systems, rigid policies, or unspoken cultural norms. Leaders must clear the path so that people can act without unnecessary resistance.
Tip: Start with one “quick win” bottleneck you can remove visibly and immediately.
- Generate Short-Term Wins
Don’t wait to celebrate until the finish line. Short-term wins prove the change is working and build confidence. They also help skeptics become supporters.
Tip: Recognize and reward behaviors that align with the new direction—loudly and often.
- Sustain Acceleration
Momentum is fragile. After early wins, it’s tempting to declare victory. Resist that. Leaders must double down, reinforce priorities, and keep energy high through the mid-game.
Tip: Keep asking: “What’s next?” and “What could slow us down now?”
- Institute Change
Finally, new behaviors and mindsets must become part of the culture. This means hiring, rewarding, and decision-making all begin to reflect the new way of operating.
Tip: Share stories of how the change has made a tangible difference and tie them to core values.
When leaders move through these steps with intention, not just as a checklist but as a leadership posture, they create the conditions for lasting transformation. Kotter’s model gives structure, but it’s your presence, communication, and consistency that bring it to life.
Leading with Clarity, Agility, and Strength: Bringing Change to Life
Frameworks like Kotter’s model and the J-Curve are essential, but in practice, real leadership happens in the messy, emotional middle of change. It’s in the hallway conversations, the quiet resistance, and the anxious questions like, “Will this really make a difference?”
What sets effective leaders apart isn’t just what they implement, but it’s how they lead through it. They bring clarity, agility, and strength into uncertain spaces. Let’s look at a real-world scenario to see how this plays out.
A Change Scenario: Launching Leadership Development for the First Time
Imagine a growing company that’s never invested in formal leadership or management training. As they scale, gaps in communication, accountability, and team engagement start to surface. Turnover rises. Feedback loops break down. Leaders feel overwhelmed, and employees are frustrated.
The executive team decides to introduce a structured leadership development program for the first time in the company’s history. The content is strong. The intent is positive. But the reaction? Mixed, at best.
Clarity: Make the Purpose Personal and Compelling
Instead of pitching the training as just a professional development perk or compliance item, the CEO frames it as an essential evolution:
“We’ve grown fast, and it’s time our leadership grows with us. This program isn’t about fixing people, but it’s about equipping us to lead better, together.” She shares stories of recent struggles, missed handoffs, communication breakdowns, and team burnout. This connects them directly to the kind of culture they want to build moving forward.
When people understand that this isn’t another training, but a shift in how leadership is defined and supported, it becomes relevant. And relevance creates buy-in.
Agility: Adjust Based on Real Feedback, Not Just the Plan
After the rollout, early feedback rolls in. Some mid-level managers love it. Others feel threatened. A few question the time commitment. One manager says bluntly, “I’ve been leading for 10 years and I don’t need a course to tell me how.”
Instead of pushing through defensively, those helping facilitate and lead the training pause. They listen. They adjust the delivery to allow more discussion and peer coaching. They invite skeptics to help shape future sessions. They allow space for discomfort, without losing sight of the goal. That’s agility, not abandoning the plan, but evolving it based on real needs.
Strength: Lead Through Resistance with Empathy and Consistency
Throughout the process, senior leaders show up. They don’t delegate the change, but they embody it. VPs attend the sessions. They admit what they’re learning. They model vulnerability.
And when pushback arises, they don’t get reactive or punitive. Instead, they stay anchored:
“We know this is a shift. And we know you’re already carrying a lot. But we also know this matters, and we’re in it with you.” That consistent presence, especially during tough conversations, builds trust. It reinforces that this isn’t a fad. It’s a new standard.
The Result
Over time, the language in the organization begins to shift. Managers start referencing shared tools from the training. Feedback becomes more direct and constructive. Cross-functional teams collaborate more effectively. And importantly, the training becomes part of how new leaders are onboarded. Signaling that leadership here is a craft, culture, and priority, not just a title.
Leading change is never just about implementing a program. It’s about guiding people through the resistance, the learning, and the transformation with a steady hand. Clarity provides direction. Agility builds trust. Strength keeps the momentum alive.
And when you lead this way, even the most unfamiliar changes can become culture-defining moments.
From Disruption to Opportunity
Every leader faces a defining moment when the ground shifts beneath them. When the familiar no longer works, and the future feels uncertain. In those moments, your response doesn’t just impact outcomes; it shapes culture, trust, and your own legacy as a leader.
Managing change isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about helping your team ask the right questions, stay grounded in purpose, and move forward; step by step, even when the path is unclear.
With tools like Kotter’s 8-Step Model to guide your strategy, and insights like Jellison’s J-Curve to navigate the emotional terrain, you can transform disruption into momentum. But what truly makes the difference is how you lead, with clarity, agility, and strength.
So as you think about the next shift coming your way, whether it’s big or small, ask yourself:
- Have I created clarity around why this matters?
- Am I willing to adapt when things don’t go as planned?
- Can my team rely on me to stay grounded and steady?
If the answer is yes, even some of the time, you’re not just managing change. You’re leading it.
And that’s what organizations need now more than ever.