5 Essential People Leader Skills For Change

“Downsizing,” “Rightsizing,” “Restructuring,” “Workforce Optimization,” “Adapting to Scale.”
All very creative terms organizations use to describe change and signal to the workforce that things will be different.

I recall landing my first professional role after college in the month of June. The salary was strong enough to take the edge off financial concerns. The work was interesting, my coworkers were smart people I could learn from every day, and my boss appeared to be a talented leader. I was, in many ways, the poster child for workplace engagement.

By October of that same year, just a few months later, I heard the term downsizing for the first time. Uncertainty began to grow daily. My teammates were stressed, some fearful they wouldn’t survive the coming job cuts. My concern was clear: if layoffs happened, I would likely be the first to go since I was the last to be hired.

Some of the more senior colleagues seemed almost resigned, as though they had faced this threat before. I overheard comments like, “Here we go again,” “I need my job, I have kids in college,” and “I knew I shouldn’t have purchased that new car.”

As uncertainty increased so did the anxiety. We turned to our leader for reassurance. But she was suddenly unavailable. She began closing her office door, canceling regular team meetings, and working from home three days a week. We received no information, no direction and no leadership.

In the end, our leader struggled to guide a once-engaged team through what became a defining workplace experience: change.

Change is the only constant in today’s world. Whether it’s organizational restructuring, market disruption, or new technology, leaders are expected to guide their teams through uncertainty with confidence. Even the best leaders struggle significantly during times of challenging change. When change arrives, answers aren’t always clear. Employees may worry about job security, shifting responsibilities, or the future of the organization. Leaders themselves may not have all the answers, but they are still responsible for creating clarity, offering reassurance, and keeping the team focused on what is known.

Building Trust Through Clarity and Communication

Trust is fragile. During transitions, employees often look for signs that leadership is being transparent and consistent. A leader who communicates openly, even when the message is difficult, builds credibility. Conversely, silence, half-truths or highly polished corporate taglines used to put a positive spin on unwelcome realities, can cause doubt, and disengagement because employees feel disrespected.

One of the most common mistakes leaders make is focusing only on the “what of change.” Successful leaders know that people also need the “why of change” (the purpose behind the change) and the “how of change” (will it impact the role they will play). Messages should be transparent, consistent, and repeated across channels to reinforce alignment and trust. Leaders need to be available, present and provide forums that provide employees with a chance to be heard. Messages need to be adapted to ensure the right audiences is hearing the right message.

Balancing Morale and Performance

Change is disruptive, it disrupts routines, dreams and careers which can lead to stress, lower engagement, and resistance. At the same time, business performance can’t grind to a halt. Leaders face the difficult task of sustaining day-to-day operations while managing the human side of change. Leaders must sustain morale, acknowledge the emotional toll, and not minimize the level or impact employee feel. At the same time, they must maintain operational performance, a difficult balancing act that requires strong people skills (empathy and self-management).

Resistance to change is natural. Some people fear losing control; others cling to familiar ways of working.  I recall a client who once struggled with having her workstation moved from the right side of the aisle to the left. The leader made statements like “you are kidding me this change is nothing, get over it.” The physical change might be small but failing to acknowledge the emotional impact is what causes the most damage.   Leaders who listen, address concerns, and empower change champions within their teams can turn resistance into resilience.

Perhaps the most powerful role of a leader during change is modeling adaptability. When leaders demonstrate resilience, flexibility, and a willingness to learn, they inspire others to follow suit. By framing change as an opportunity rather than a threat, leaders help their teams reframe uncertainty into growth.

“5 Essential People Leader Skills for Change”

1. Emotional Intelligence (EQ): The ability to recognize, understand, and manage both your own emotions and those of direct reports.
2. Clear and Consistent Communication: Beyond delivering updates, leaders build trust by ensuring messages are transparent, repetitive, and adapted for right audiences.
3. Resilience, Agility and Composure: Staying calm under pressure and showing confidence even when outcomes are uncertain gives the team stability.
4. Decision-Making Under Uncertainty: Leaders can’t wait for perfect information. They need the courage to make timely decisions, correct courses when needed, and maintain momentum.
5. Coaching and Empowerment: Change is most successful when people feel ownership. Leaders who coach, mentor, and empower their teams to take action strengthen commitment and reduce resistance.

Leading through change isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about guiding people through the unknown with clarity, trust, and vision. “The true test of leadership isn’t found in times of stability, but during a storm or crisis (Steve Leppard 2025). Great leaders don’t just manage change; they help their teams thrive because of it.  Organizations should upskill their leaders with the “5 Essential People Leader Skills for Change” today, because change is surely coming tomorrow.

Click here to schedule your teams’ lunch and learn to insure they have the 5 Essential People Leader Skills for leading change.

About Dr. Ollie G. Barnes III
Dr. Ollie G. Barnes III is an organizational performance consultant, keynote speaker, and author of Diagnosing Toxic Leadership: Understanding the Connection Between Personality Disorders and Toxic Leader Behaviors. As the founder of Impact Performance Consultants, he brings over 25 years of experience helping organizations transform workplace culture, improve leadership effectiveness, and build psychologically safe environments. Learn more at ImpactPerformanceConsultants.com