3 Ways to Lead the Emotional Side of Change
- Make It Human
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
We often treat change as a rational process: plans, milestones, communications. But the reality is far messier — and far more human.
In recent research shared by Paul Emberlin, one theme stood out clearly: leaders aren’t just managing change — they’re absorbing it. As Paul described, many feel like “emotional sponges,” carrying the weight of uncertainty, resistance, and pressure from all directions.
At the same time, many organisations unintentionally create barriers to dealing with this well. Forced positivity, scripted communications, or surface-level empathy can backfire. In the research, leaders described how this can create “fake or false” emotional responses, where people say the right things publicly but feel very differently privately. The result is often reduced trust, emotional disengagement, and a deeper sense of distance between leaders and their teams.
This highlights a key shift we need to make in organisations:
We need to make space for how change feels, not just what needs to happen.
What works in practice
The research showed that where change worked best, three things were present:
Honest, human communication – not corporate messaging, but clarity, humility, and transparency
Leaders showing vulnerability – acknowledging “this is hard” rather than masking it
Support for leaders themselves – not just expecting them to carry the load alone
As Paul put it, when leaders were more open: “I’m struggling with this as well”, it helped organisations move forward faster, without the drag of “toxic covering.”
Three practical steps to get started
1. Create space to talk about emotion, before the change lands
Don’t wait for reactions. Bring leaders together early and ask: How might this feel for people? What might we be underestimating? Emphasise the importance of properly listening, not simply listening to respond. This mirrors practices at companies like Airbnb, where leaders actively consider the human impact alongside the operational plan and reflect this in their communications.
2. Build leader support, not just capability
Training isn’t enough. Leaders need safe spaces to process their own response—through coaching, peer conversations, or even AI simulations and coaching apps.
At Japan Airlines, reflection and self-awareness are embedded into daily routines, helping leaders process whilst they lead.
3. Make transparency the default in communication
Replace polished updates with real conversations: what’s changing, what’s uncertain, and what it means for people.
Clarity builds trust. Over-curation breaks it.
Want to explore this topic further?
Here are some questions to explore with your team:
Where are we unintentionally avoiding the emotional side of change?
What might people be feeling, but not saying?
How supported do our leaders feel to lead through this change?
Are we prioritising how change happens as much as what happens?
What would more honest, human communication look like here?
Change doesn’t fail because of strategy.
It fails because of what happens in the space in between, especially when it goes unsaid.
For more practical ideas and insight, explore these culture stories:
How Japan Airlines embed reflection, service and purpose into the everyday
How Airbnb build transparency into leader communications
How Octopus Energy make listening and connection a priority
And for further research and reading on this topic, Paul recommends:
Comments