I haven’t written in a while. Like many of you, I’ve been navigating significant changes at work—a reorganization that’s shifted reporting structures, changed project ownership, and required a lot of processing. It’s been a period of reflection, adjustment, and growth. And through it all, I’ve been thinking deeply about what it means to be an effective change agent as a leader.
Change management is hard. Let’s just acknowledge that upfront. People are naturally change-averse, and for good reason. Change brings uncertainty, fear of the unknown, and worries about whether we’ll thrive in the “new normal” the way we did before. Sometimes we’re simply comfortable where we are and don’t want to move. That resistance isn’t irrational—it’s human.
I’m fortunate that Relias provided dedicated change management training to leadership last year, and I’ve drawn heavily on those lessons during this reorganization. I’ve also witnessed what happens when change management goes wrong. I’ve seen changes fumbled with conflicting communication and gaps in handoffs. I’ve watched leaders actively oppose the changes they’re supposed to implement—leaving their teams demoralized and confused about how to proceed when their own leader isn’t on board.
Through both the training and my lived experience, two principles have emerged as absolutely critical: disagree and commit, and being prepared to show up for your team first and foremost.
The Power of “Disagree and Commit”
When I first heard the phrase “disagree and commit,” I thought it was ridiculous. It felt disingenuous. How could I champion something I fundamentally disagreed with? Didn’t that violate the principles of servant leadership and transparency?
But when I found myself facing a change I didn’t agree with, the concept suddenly clicked. Here’s the reality: I’m not a CEO. I’m not running the business. I don’t have the comprehensive, high-level view required to understand all the factors driving certain decisions. We have to trust that our leaders are making decisions that serve the broader organizational good, even when those decisions don’t make sense from our limited vantage point or might negatively impact our day-to-day work.
Here’s the framework I’ve developed for working through “disagree and commit”:
Understand and process your disagreement. Give yourself space to feel your feelings and identify specific friction points.
Engage in dialogue. Take those concerns to your boss or peer leadership group in a small setting. Seek to understand the broader business context behind the decision. Ask questions. Listen actively.
Craft your narrative. Use that expanded understanding to develop how you’ll support your team through the change, especially around the concerns you initially had—because your team will likely have those same concerns.
Support, acknowledge, and affirm. Show up consistently for your team. Validate their concerns while maintaining alignment with the organizational direction.
Leadership alignment in messaging is crucial. There’s also an important nuance around transparency—what you can and can’t share. Some teams benefit from hearing your journey from initial disagreement to commitment. Other teams interpret any hint of concern as a sign that disaster is imminent. You have to know your team.
Ultimately, I’ve had to ask myself: who am I to declare this decision is wrong? That it will lead to bad outcomes? I don’t have all the information or the experience to make that call.
Showing Up for Your Team
Being there for your team requires navigating two distinct scenarios, each with its own challenges.
Scenario One: You know about the change in advance. This is ideal for planning and crafting a thoughtful transition strategy with aligned messaging across leadership. You can close gaps and coordinate handoffs. But it’s incredibly difficult to hold confidential information that affects people’s lives and work without being able to share it. I understand why confidentiality is necessary, but it tugs at my heartstrings every time.
Scenario Two: You learn about the change at the same time as your team. This requires managing your own uncertainty while simultaneously supporting others. You have to be comfortable answering questions with partial information or admitting you don’t know something. It’s critical to avoid filling knowledge gaps with speculation or making false promises to ease concerns.
In both scenarios, self-awareness is essential. Know yourself well enough to recognize when you need time to process before you can be fully present for your team. It’s okay to say, “I need to sit with this, and then we’ll regroup.” Your team needs you to show up grounded, not reactive.
The Ongoing Journey
Change management isn’t a skill you master once and then file away. It’s an ongoing practice that requires emotional intelligence, strategic thinking, and genuine care for the people you lead. As I continue navigating this reorganization, I’m reminded daily that our role as leaders isn’t to shield our teams from all change—it’s to guide them through it with honesty, empathy, and unwavering support.
The changes aren’t over. They never really are. But I’m learning to be a better change agent with each challenge, and I hope these reflections help you do the same.