Organizational Change Leaders: Top 6 Field-Tested Tips

Organizational Change Leaders Can Make or Break Your Plans
Change management training participants tell us that organizational change feels relentless, unstoppable, and non-negotiable. Pretending otherwise is naïve. The smarter move, according to change management consulting experts is to anticipate, shape, and harness change.

Keep the Momentum
Project postmortem analyses tell us that the fear of change is still one of the biggest hidden obstacles in any organization. The most effective change leaders don’t fight it — they guide people through it. They create clarity amid uncertainty, provide steady support, and design transitions that energize rather than drain. Change isn’t just a project to be completed; it’s a culture to be cultivated. Leaders who master this rhythm ensure momentum never stalls and teams emerge stronger, more resilient, and ready for what’s next.

6 Field-Tested Tips for Organizational Change Leaders
Our three decades of experience helping our clients navigate organizational change successfully have taught us how to manage change in a way that keeps the team moving forward effectively, productively, and collaboratively. The best change leaders:

1. Actively Involve Those Most Affected by Change from the Beginning
   Changes must go through people and culture to be fully adopted.  Change does not occur after the fact.  To win the hearts and minds of people, you must actively involve stakeholders from the start of any change.
2. Keep the Information Flowing
   When employees are not well informed, they begin to fill the information gaps with gossip, back-channeling, and rumors — usually bad ones. Share what you know early and often — the business case for change, the vision for change, and the urgency for change.  Everyone should understand where the project stands and its predicted impact. Share what you know, what you do not know, and when you will be able to fill in the rest of the story.

   When the team knows what is ahead and what is expected of them, they will spend less time worrying and more time supporting the effort.

3. Show You Understand and Care
   Check in frequently with your team and ask for their questions and concerns. It is in everyone’s best interests to have the change go forward as smoothly as possible. By dealing with change resistance in an understanding way, it will show you support your team and recognize change can be difficult.
4. Work Out a Collective Plan for Action Together
   Meet with the team to map out the change and assign tasks according to their strengths and motivations. By including team input on the front end, you help secure their cooperation for the long haul.
5. Prioritize What Really Matters Most
   Though the plan for change may require many actions, it can be daunting to try to handle them all at once. While they may all be interrelated, not all actions are of equal importance. Figure out the strategic priorities and have them be your north star.
6. Deal with the Positive and the Negative Quickly
   There will be some bumps in the road to change. It is best to handle them right away. Otherwise any problem or conflict can grow and undermine forward progress. By the same token, don’t ignore the successes no matter how small. Reward the great work that spells success for change and publicly acknowledge those who are pulling in the desired direction.

The Bottom Line
Change is unavoidable — but how you lead it makes all the difference. As a change leader, your role is to reduce friction, guide people through uncertainty, and turn disruption into opportunity. When handled thoughtfully, change becomes a powerful driver of future growth and resilience.

To learn more about being an organizational change leader, download this Research-Backed Change Management Toolkit for Leaders