This weekend, we went out as a family – myself, my husband, our son, and of course, our Labrador, Cookie. We visited ‘Open Farm Sunday,’ a brilliant initiative by British farmers to invite the public onto working farms, helping people understand where their food comes from and what modern farming really looks like.
The interesting thing is, we’ve been going to the same farm for the last four years. Our son was 9 the first time we went; excited, curious, full of questions. Now he’s 13. This year, he sulked through most of it and glared at us all the way home. We’re still not entirely sure what we said wrong… but if you’ve ever lived with a teenager, you’ll know the drill!
It got me thinking: change really is the only constant. Whether it’s watching your child morph into someone new every six months, or steering a team through a restructure, change is happening all around us – whether we’re ready or not.
Transitions aren’t just inevitable, they’re transformative. At home, I’m watching a young boy morph into a young man. At work, I’m partnering with leaders navigating organisational shifts that shake up everything: restructures, new strategies, even culture overhauls. Reactions from employees vary wildly – panic, resistance, excitement, hope – and as a leader, it’s your job to hold steady through the storm.
And let’s be honest: that’s no small feat.
In times of change, your team will look to you – not just for updates or timelines – but for direction, identity, and reassurance. The problem is, you might be grappling with those same questions yourself.
So here’s the real leadership challenge:
How do you support your team’s transformation when you’re still navigating your own?
Logical Levels
One framework I use with clients is Dilts’ Logical Levels. It helps leaders align who they are with how they lead, especially in uncertain times.
Let’s walk through this briefly, but think of it not just for yourself, but also how to guide your team through each level.
- Purpose – What’s the bigger ‘why’ behind this change? Why should your team care beyond compliance? People rally behind meaning, not mandates.
- Identity – Who are you as a leader through this? And who do you need your team to become? Inspire identity, not just output.
- Beliefs & Values – What’s being challenged here? Are people clinging to old narratives (“This will never work”)? Bring those stories to light.
- Skills – What new competencies do you and your team need to thrive in this new landscape?
- Behaviours – Are your team’s day-to-day actions aligned with the new direction? What needs to shift – habits, mindsets, routines?
- Environment – Are you creating the kind of physical, emotional, and cultural space where change is safe and possible?
Leadership Isn’t About Knowing All the Answers—It’s About Creating the Space to Ask Better Questions.
When you lead from the top down (purpose to environment), you shape vision. When you support from the bottom up (environment to purpose), you help people discover where they are, and how they can move forward.
Either way, clarity starts with reflection.
So this week, ask yourself:
- What’s one belief I’m holding that could be limiting how I show up as a leader?
- What shift – however small – can I make in my environment or behaviour to model growth for my team?
Leading through change isn’t about perfection. It’s about alignment. And when you lead from that place, real transformation happens; for your people and for yourself.
How is your team responding to change right now? Are you equipped to guide them beyond the logistics – into purpose, identity, and growth? I’d love to hear how you’re navigating it.