Leaders “transition” for a number of reasons—from promotions, layoffs, and changes in ownership.
Whether it’s Goldman Sachs eyeing job cuts or the federal government downsizing senior-level government workers in the Trump era, transitions take an emotional toll. The recent turmoil at multiple government departments that impacts tens of thousands of experienced federal employees is another reminder that leadership transitions are messy.
There’s more to change than an unemotional cost-benefit analysis, and that’s the emotional toll. Transitions are major life stressors. But we don’t see organizations giving leaders—nor do we see leaders give themselves—the time and resources to work through the emotional side of change.
Suppressed or unprocessed emotions—like anxiety or grieving what used to be—don’t just disappear. Instead, they accumulate and surface as procrastination, cynicism, internalized self-doubt, exhaustion, blame, and avoidance. If we don’t quickly correct it, these self-defeating coping mechanisms will undermine the psychological safety of an entire team. It can also break trust, which leads to half-hearted execution. In this scenario, even the most vibrant workplace cultures can turn transactional, which undermines results.
The best approach is to prepare for your emotions, embrace them, and design them. Here are some steps to follow.
Step 1: prepare
Most of the time, you can see a transition coming, or at least the potential for it in your future. If possible, you should engage in a few key activities while they have a clear and focused mind. Create a personal coping plan by identifying the healthiest ways that people generally cope with the ups and downs of everyday life. Does music lift your spirits? Does going for a run give you energy?
For example, when I left the stability of full-time work to start executive coaching, I committed to making breakfast for the family. This was something I couldn’t do when working a 9 to 5.
It’s also crucial to diversify your support system. Find people who will support your efforts to process and move through emotions, including friends, family, a coach, or even a therapist. Leaning into a special support system supports resilience. It also protects you from those who would rather rile you up or commiserate with you.
Step 2: Embrace
Embracing the emotional rollercoaster of change starts with recognizing that ups and downs are natural and not signs of failure. The emotional stages—ranging from excitement and optimism to fear, resistance, and eventually acceptance—are all part of the journey.
Feel the feelings by labeling emotions, instead of letting them exist anonymously. If needed, refer to a feelings chart, like this one from The Work of Byron Katie. Once you have the words for your feelings, it’s best to get them out. If you tend to bottle things up, try doing something like going to a boxing class to express anger or watching a sad movie to cry.
Once you have control of emotional expression, it is time to design the future. Whether it’s a new job or a new industry altogether, ask those around you, “What does success look like?”
Step 3: Design
Once you’ve embraced your natural emotional reactions and you’re no longer running the show on autodrive, it’s timeto design the emotions. You can do this for yourself and others to support everyone’s success.
Start by defining “positive.” We all want the workplace to be a positive experience, but put it into action. You can do this by choosing three to five key emotions that you can bake into your workplace on a daily basis. For example, the leader of a new start-up might choose “excited, energized, and eager.” The leader of a compliance unit might choose “confident, respected, and engaged.”
Don’t just wait for the positive emotions you’ve identified to materialize naturally; create experiences that bring them out to play. For instance, to prompt excitement, you could build time into team meetings for team members to share something that excites them, and how they plan to celebrate. To prompt respect, you may have a senior leader express their appreciation for the team’s work.
By preparing for transitions, embracing the emotions they stir, and intentionally designing experiences that foster resilience, we create environments where teams can thrive.
Despite the challenges, leadership transitions can be a very positive outcome. Public- and private-sector executives and human resources teams need to implement leadership transition plans, harnessing executive coaches to support leaders for transition success. For example, when a senior director transitions to an expanded vice president role, executive coaches who specialize in leadership transitions can help that leader prevent failure while also building executive presence and business acumen. Similarly, if a successful leader experienced a lay-off and less experienced one steps in, transition coaching can bridge the gap so that the best practices endure.
These are difficult times for many, but true leaders will overcome today’s adversity with proper support. For those with seniority, the end of the road at a specific organization doesn’t necessarily spell the end of the road for your career or your former team. Will you let change dictate the experience, or will you take an active role in shaping it?
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