Why Every Leader is a Transition Leader
The concept of "stability" feels as rare as hens' teeth at the moment. We live in a time defined by constant shifts: the rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI), organisations routinely changing structure and strategy at the whim of every new CEO, and evolving government policies adding costs that impact margins and ultimately hiring.
This constant flux means that what people need from leadership is significantly greater. It is no longer just about managing daily operations, winning business, or simply being the best; it's about navigating and guiding people through ongoing transitions. It's about finding comfort with the unknown and the uncomfortable.
Every team leader, project manager, department head, and CXO is, in essence, a transition leader. Your ability to steer your team through a new strategy, a technological adoption, a market pivot, or even a change in team composition, is paramount to sustained success.
The VUCA World: Understood, Yet Underserved by Leaders
We are all familiar with the acronym VUCA, a term widely adopted from 1990s military strategy to describe the business environment as Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous. It articulates the rapid pace of change, the ever-present lack of predictability (relevant now more than ever with current world leaders), the interconnectedness of challenges, and the potential for misinterpretation of situations (this one is particularly pertinent with lack of genuine listening).
The paradox is striking: whilst the VUCA framework is almost universally acknowledged, we haven't always seen a corresponding universal shift in leadership capabilities. Indeed, I've observed on many occasions how senior leaders, outstandingly fluent in discussing the VUCA world with their teams to inspire a change in strategy, and be inspirational and articulate on a stage to clients and industry, can quickly become absent or disengaged when confronted with actual, and often uncomfortable, changes back in the business.
This retreat can leave teams feeling rudderless, exacerbating the very uncertainty and anxiety that VUCA describes. Understanding the nature of the challenge doesn't automatically equip us with the genuine capability needed to lead through it. The gap often lies in transforming theoretical awareness into practical, people-centric leadership skills, especially when the waters get choppy.
Why We Resist Change: The Brain's Default Setting
Understanding why people often feel uncomfortable with change is crucial for any transition leader. It's not typically about malice or stubbornness, but often rooted in the hardwiring of the human brain. Just because we have a vision, make a big decision, and share it, doesn't automatically mean it will be embraced or create followers.
Our brains are efficiency machines, constantly building mental models and forming what we call our "assumptive world." This "assumptive world" is our brain's best guess at how things should work, how people should behave, and what to expect to keep us safe. It's built on past experiences, learned patterns, established routines, values, and beliefs.
When change occurs, especially unexpected or significant change, it directly challenges these deeply ingrained mental models. Our amygdala in our brain plays an essential role in processing emotions, specifically fear and anxiety. Effectively our brain's alarm system, it activates the "fight-or-flight" response, diverting resources from the prefrontal cortex (responsible for rational thought and planning) to more primitive survival mechanisms. This makes us less capable of rational processing and more prone to anxiety and fear, even when the change is ultimately beneficial.
As Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman explains in Thinking, Fast and Slow, our brain uses two systems for thought:
System 1: Fast, automatic, intuitive, and emotional. This system relies on established patterns and shortcuts.
System 2: Slower, deliberate, analytical, and logical. This system requires effort and conscious attention.
Change often forces us to shift from our comfortable System 1 thinking to the more energy-intensive System 2. This cognitive effort, combined with the brain's natural aversion to perceived threats, is why transitions can feel so draining and provoke resistance.
"The human brain is an amazing organ. It makes us think. But it can also make us believe things that aren't true." Daniel Kahneman
Transitional Intelligence (TI): The Missing Leadership Skill for Change
This is where Transitional Intelligence (TI) becomes essential. TI is the advanced capability to effectively understand, navigate, and leverage the human, emotional, and practical dimensions of change. It goes beyond mere change management processes, which often focus on the "what" and "how" of change. TI focuses on the "who" and "why", the people experiencing the transition, their psychological responses, and how to support them through the inherent discomfort, ultimately creating true followers.
Leaders with high TI possess and demonstrate:
Understanding of Human Transitions: Knowing how individuals and teams psychologically experience and navigate change, and applying this insight in a business context.
Adaptability: The flexibility to adjust plans and approaches based on feedback and evolving circumstances, rather than rigidly adhering to an initial roadmap.
Social Connectivity & Collaboration: Building and nurturing meaningful relationships through genuine engagement, and fostering experimentation through shared transitional experiences.
Deep Empathy & Emotional Capability: An ability to recognise and acknowledge the emotional impact of change on individuals, whilst effectively managing one's own emotional responses.
Resilience and Energy Management: The inner strength to remain steady and calm amidst uncertainty, setting an example for others. This includes being aware of different energies and how they impact individual and team performance.
The relentless unpredictability and constant change we currently face demands a different type of leader. One with enhanced Transitional Intelligence. By understanding the neuroscience behind resistance, leading with empathy and clarity, and actively connecting and collaborating, you can transform periods of discomfort into opportunities for growth, resilience, and renewed purpose for your team.
What transition are you currently navigating? How might focusing on the "human brain on change" and applying aspects of Transitional Intelligence help you lead more effectively?
If you are interested in connecting to build your leaders' Transitional Intelligence, or need a boost to your personal leadership through change please book a no-obligation call to chat. https://calendly.com/becomingstronger/30min
Kirsti
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