5 ways to lead your team through constant change

Explore five strategies for leading well during ongoing organizational change.

Before You Start

Goal: Explore five people-first strategies for leading through constant organizational change — and leave with one concrete action to apply in your own world.

Watch: "5 ways to lead in an era of constant change" — Jim Hemerling, TED. A 13-minute talk on why most transformations leave people exhausted, and what to do instead. Members are encouraged to watch beforehand, but a quick recap at the meeting works too.

Meeting Agenda · Approx. 60 mins

  • Member Updates · 10 mins
  • Icebreaker · 10 mins
  • Key Takeaways · 5 mins
  • Discussion Questions · 20 mins
  • One Action · 10 mins
  • Wrap-Up · 5 mins

👋 Member Updates · 10 mins

Go around your Circle and share personal updates. Keep them brief and focused on significant changes or important decisions since the last time you met. It's OK not to have one every month. If you have a One Action update from last time, share that too.

🧊 Icebreaker · 10 mins

Invite everyone in the group to share. Keep answers to one or two minutes per person.

Think of a change at work you didn't choose. What made it feel exhausting versus energizing?

💡 Key Takeaways · 5 mins

In a world of constant disruption, transformation doesn't have to drain people, but it does require deliberate leadership.

  • Inspire employees through purpose. Financial goals alone don't motivate workers. People need a deeper reason to be motivated at work.

  • Invest in employees' development. Employees rate career development opportunities as a number one reason to stay at their company, above pay and flexibility.

  • Build capability. Equip people with the skills they'll need for the future, not just the ones they need today.

  • Create a culture of continuous learning. Adaptability has to become a norm for the organization, and leaders need to role-model it.

  • Lead inclusively. Strong leaders set direction while remaining open to input and collaboration. When employees feel their opinions matter, they're more likely to support change.

💬 Discussion Questions · 20 mins

Move through the questions at the pace that suits your Circle.

  1. What's a change at work that felt exhausting? Why did it feel that way? What would have made it feel exciting instead?
  2. If you've led a team through change, what did you do to help them feel energized during the transition?
  3. Think of a leader you admire during a tough transition. What did they do to make the change a better experience for employees?
  4. What do you want to do more of to support your team when changes are happening?

🎯 One Action · 10 mins

Commit to one concrete action — big or small — you'll take before next meeting. Go around the Circle and share (1 minute or less per member). Vocalizing it helps hold each other accountable.

What's one people-first action you could take to better support your team right now?

📅 Wrap-Up · 5 mins

Before you break, plan the next meeting, and close on an energetic note. Go around your Circle one by one and finish the sentence:

Now I am feeling… (choose one word).

  • Set the day, time, and location
  • Choose the next topic or resource
  • Confirm who's leading the discussion
  • Decide how you'll stay in touch in between