As organizations manage more change than ever, many leaders are thinking about how to help their teams adapt and prepare for what’s next. Rapid advances in AI are reshaping industries, while economic uncertainty, workforce shifts, and global events can make planning for the future more complex.
While leaders can’t prepare for every possibility, they can prepare for how they’ll lead when plans change, new information emerges, or people are asked to work differently.
Here are four methods to consider.
1. Plan for Adoption, Not Just Implementation
When a new strategy affects how a team operates, deciding on the direction is only part of the work. People need time to understand what it means for them and adjust how they work, especially when they’re already taking on new demands.
Former Yum! Brands CEO David Gibbs recommends putting as much thought into getting people aligned around a major shift as determining the strategy itself. He put that into practice as Yum! built a shared technology platform across KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut, helping the company triple digital sales.
A few questions can help identify where adoption may need more attention:
- Who will need to work differently? Look at where day-to-day processes or responsibilities will need to shift.
- What are people being asked to leave behind? Existing ways of working may solve problems the new approach still needs to address.
- Who should be involved early? Gibbs recommends giving the people affected by a decision a voice in the process, which can help build buy-in before implementation.
- Do existing incentives support the new direction? Goals, metrics, or processes that reward the old way of working can make adoption harder.
Gibbs calls this “taking people with you.” His advice is to make alignment part of the plan from the beginning rather than assuming adoption will follow once the direction is set.
2. Create Better Feedback Loops During Change
During periods of change, understanding how a new strategy or process is working is critical. Creating opportunities for feedback to reach leadership can provide a fuller picture of what people are experiencing and where adjustments may be needed.
Former U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Evy Poumpouras has spent much of her career learning how to get accurate information from people. She emphasizes making it easier for people to share what they know, including concerns or challenges that leaders may need to consider as they make decisions.
A few ways to strengthen those feedback loops:
- Ask what people are learning, not only whether they’re on track. New information may point to something the original plan didn’t account for.
- Go beyond formal progress updates. Hearing periodically from people doing the work can add context to what leaders are already seeing.
- Make room for different perspectives. Poumpouras advises creating an environment where people can share what they’re seeing without feeling that they have to filter it.
- Close the loop. Poumpouras also connects competence with reliability and following through on what you say you’ll do. When someone raises something that warrants a response, coming back to it keeps the conversation from ending with the feedback itself.
3. Prepare Teams to Act When Decisions Can’t Wait
There may be times when teams need to make a call before senior leaders have a chance to weigh in. Having clear roles and authority in place can give people the confidence to respond in the moment rather than lose valuable time waiting for direction.
Retired four-star General Stanley McChrystal faced this challenge while commanding U.S. and coalition special operations forces in Iraq, where a traditional chain of command couldn’t always keep pace with operations. The leadership model he developed offers a useful way for organizations to think about balancing autonomy with oversight, including:
- Be specific about what requires escalation. Identify the types of decisions or risks that should bring senior leaders in, so teams have a better sense of what they can handle on their own.
- Give people enough context to use their judgment. Sharing priorities and constraints can help people make informed calls when leaders aren’t immediately available.
- Make it easy to escalate when needed. If something falls outside a team’s authority, having a clear path to the right person can help avoid unnecessary delays.
- Look at what keeps coming back for approval. If the same types of requests repeatedly reach senior leadership, it may be worth clarifying roles or giving teams more room to act.
McChrystal calls this approach “eyes on, hands off.” Leaders stay informed and step in when their judgment is needed, while giving teams room to act within their areas of responsibility.
4. Hire and Promote for the Work Ahead
As new technology changes how work gets done, leaders may find they need different skills and capabilities on their teams.
Talent strategist and former Google Director of Executive Recruiting Ginny Clarke recommends evaluating talent based on the competencies the work requires rather than relying too heavily on credentials or traditional career paths. That approach can help leaders look beyond traditional candidates as roles and workforce needs evolve.
When making hiring and promotion decisions:
- Start with the work ahead. Define what you will need someone in the role to accomplish as the business changes.
- Identify the competencies that work requires. Focus on demonstrated capabilities rather than defaulting to degrees, titles, years of experience, or a particular career path.
- Look at the talent you already have. Employees may have useful capabilities that their current roles have never called on.
- Revisit requirements that no longer serve a purpose. If a qualification was based on how the job used to be done, determine whether it still predicts success.
As AI changes roles and work processes, some of the qualifications organizations have traditionally hired for may need another look. Revisiting job descriptions can help identify which capabilities still matter and where the work now calls for something different.
Find the Right Leadership or Change Management Speaker with Leading Authorities
If you’re looking for more insights on leading through change, the right speaker can bring practical ideas and firsthand experience to your audience.
Leading Authorities works with leadership speakers and change management experts who bring different perspectives to these challenges. Our team can help you find a speaker whose experience and message fit what your organization is working through.
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