Integrative Briefing is a process of change, resulting in physical change, to build more space, and/or behavioural change, to rethink the way we operate and allocate time. Leadership is a critical component in navigating the challenges of organisational change, however what does effective leadership look like? Michael Lewarne discusses the challenges of change leadership, and the types of skillsets and approaches required to successfully leading change.

Image: Benjamin Suter

In today’s fast evolving business landscape, change is not just inevitable, it’s essential for durability, survival and growth. Yet, organisational change remains one of the most challenging aspects of leadership. Whether around adopting new technologies, restructuring teams, or becoming a more adaptable and agile business, change often meets resistance. This tension between the status quo and change results from our innate human tendencies – fear of the unknown, loss of control, and the disruption of comfort zones. Having developed an efficiency in processes, people have a bias or tendency to gravitate towards the familiar.

Effective leadership is essential in navigating these tensions in change. It shouldn’t be about management demanding compliance. It’s about leaders who can create an environment where change is embraced and even championed. This requires a mindful balance of empathy, vulnerability, and clear communication.

In essence, successful change leadership lies in the ability to build psychological safety within teams. When employees feel safe to express ideas, take risks, and be vulnerable without fear of judgment, change becomes an exercise in teamwork rather than perceived as a threat. Leaders can foster this environment by modelling behaviours such as admitting mistakes, giving constructive feedback, acknowledging team efforts, and celebrating lessons learned from failures.

Equally important is a leader’s ability to enrol their team around a shared vision. By engaging employees in an organisation’s values and identifying how changes align with these principles, leaders can cultivate a team’s innate motivation. An enrolled team understands the ‘why’ behind change and is more connected to an organisation’s goals. They’ll subsequently be more willing to embrace and drive change.

Image: Riccardo

To effectively support change, leaders must develop and hone their human skills such as:

• Curiosity: Asking thoughtful questions, encouraging experimentation, and viewing failures as learning opportunities.
• Cognitive Empathy: Making an effort to understand the perspective of others, addressing concerns, and shaping communication accordingly.
• Humility: Approaching challenges with an open mind, encouraging and valuing team input, and fostering collaborative problem-solving.
• Active Listening: Taking time to hear all viewpoints, identifying valuable ideas, and addressing concerns.

By honing these skills leaders will be in a better position to create a culture that not only adapts to change but thrives on it. Such a culture empowers team members to voice their ideas, experiment without fear, and embrace vulnerability as a strength.

Leading change is more than managing processes. It’s about nurturing a flexible, psychologically safe culture where change is viewed as an opportunity for growth. By embracing empathy, vulnerability, and trust with a clear vision, leaders can transform their teams from resistant to change, to change champions. It’s a posture that requires the humility to admit mistakes, courage to experiment, and a willingness to lead by example. Ultimately, effective change leadership is about fostering agency and collaboration, not demanding compliance.

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Michael Lewarne is an architect and coach. He is Founder of Unmeasured, helping architects level up their human skills so they can be more productive, innovative and forge better wellbeing. He believes better human skills and culture are the key to better practice.