Change Management In Crisis Situations

In March 2020, Marriott was collapsing. Its CEO, Arne Sorenson, was battling cancer. What he did next redefined leadership accountability: Most leaders think accountability means consequences. When performance drops, they tighten control. When projects fail, they add oversight. When mistakes happen, they hunt for someone to blame. Then they wonder why their best people leave. March 2020. Marriott faces the worst crisis in 100 years. Hotels are shuttering. Thousands face furlough. And Arne Sorenson is undergoing cancer treatment. Most CEOs would’ve delegated the message. Sent a memo. Protected themselves. Not Sorenson. He sat in front of a camera, hair thinned, visibly weakened, and spoke directly to Marriott’s global team. He delivered the hard news. Took full accountability. Announced he and Bill Marriott would take no salary. The executive team? 50% pay cuts. Employees didn’t just hear the message. They felt it. Many returned when the company recovered, despite every reason not to. Why? Because Sorenson understood: Accountability isn't about blame. It's about ownership. Fear-based accountability focuses on control. Ownership-based accountability builds commitment. The difference shows up in a crisis: • Fear-based cultures protect themselves. • Ownership-based cultures protect the mission. Here’s what Sorenson did that most leaders don’t: He chose truth over spin. No euphemisms. No sugarcoating. He trusted people with the reality and gave them a plan. He made sacrifice visible. Pay cuts weren’t a cost-saving tactic. They were a statement: Leaders go first. That’s how you earn the right to ask others to follow. He gave teams control. Instead of dictating execution, he co-created solutions. People commit more when they help design the path forward. The result? Even under pressure, Marriott stayed aligned, committed, and resilient. Here’s the shift most leaders miss: Traditional accountability enforces standards. Transformational accountability builds capability. One makes people cautious. The other makes them better. Want more research-backed insights on leadership? Join 11,000+ leaders who get our weekly newsletter: 👉 https://lnkd.in/en9vxeNk

Many changes fail, even though brilliantly orchestrated, because people fail to be committed to the change or to take ownership of it. In chapter 6 "Fostering Commitment and Ownership" of the new edition of my book "Managing and Leading People through Organizational Change" Nicole Gahagan, EdD shares her experience of how a failing change can be turned around when effort is focused on gaining commitment and understanding from employees. While Hayden Swerling outlines the importance of understanding stakeholders and their perspectices in a family owned business in Singapore. To foster commitment and ownership here are some of the practical approaches outlined in the chapter which you may want to explore further: ✅ Encourage a diversity of voices and perspectives by asking questions such as: o  Who else do we need to involve o  What other parts of organization could help with this? o  Who has a view on this issue/opportunity that we don’t? How should we connect with them? o  What can we do to foster collaboration and connection across the organization? ✅ Actively seek to gain commitment to change The management of change is an activity that involves engaging and gaining commitment from individuals. Managers will need to identify in advance those individuals who are likely to react positively to change and ask their advice and assistance in planning and implementing change. ✅ Identify and manage stakeholders A stakeholder analysis should be conducted to identify key influencers of the change as well ask individuals and teams who will be impacted by it, as early as possible, and then draw up an action plan for engaging stakeholders. This plan should include how stakeholders will be communicated with in order to ensure that they fully understand what is happening and to understand the benefits of the change, so that they can actively support it . ✅ Build a network of committed advocates The following three critical steps can be taken to get more employees involved and committed to a transformation. First, elevate a core segment of employees to take responsibility for designing and implementing change. Next, build on this strong foundation by empowering a broader group of influencers and managers to amplify transformation-related activities. Finally, make sure transformation sponsors play a critical role in energizing all employees about the change. Kogan Page Publishing Ann-Marie Blake Jessica Crow Emma Earl Camilla Hemström Jennifer Hoe David Howell Nick Kemp Kimberly Shaw Richard Tomkinson Joe Ferner-Reeves

Everyone is facing challenges right now. At the core, what we all want is to feel secure, supported, and capable of moving forward. The reality is, many are still navigating challenges: → Teams strained by constant change and uncertainty → Leaders juggling impossible priorities with limited resources → Employees grappling with burnout and the pressure to perform Here’s what people truly need: 1. Clarity of Purpose: People need leaders to articulate the “why” behind actions and decisions, especially in uncertainty, so teams can focus on what truly matters. 2. Psychological Safety: Leaders must create an environment where team members feel safe to speak up, share ideas, and express concerns without fear of judgment or retaliation. 3. Support for Vulnerability: Encouraging openness, admitting mistakes, and modeling vulnerability helps teams navigate challenges together. 4. Shared Accountability: Leaders need to ensure that responsibility is shared, not just top-down, so the team feels collectively committed to results. 5. Guidance in Conflict: Leaders should coach teams to embrace constructive conflict and ask the hard questions (“What’s not being said?”) rather than avoiding tension. 6. Consistency and Presence: In hard times, people need leaders who are visible, engaged, and steady, providing reassurance through consistent actions. 7. Empowerment for Growth: Leaders should continue to invest in people’s development, even under pressure, showing that growth and learning remain priorities. 8. Trust in the Team: People need leaders who trust them to make decisions and take ownership, rather than micromanaging during crises. 9. Transparent Communication: Sharing as much information as possible, even if imperfect, helps people understand the reality of the situation and reduces fear of the unknown. 10. Commitment to Co-Elevation: Leaders must demonstrate that even in hard times, the team’s success and growth matter as much as individual goals, lifting each other up together. This is the kind of leadership that makes a real difference.

We often equate leadership with the strategy forming role. Leaders are expected to chart a course, allocate resources and execute with precision. But, we live in an age where uncertainty is the norm. Geopolitical conflicts, supply chain disruptions, technological disruptions and macro-economic shifts are making the environment much more unpredictable. In this world, the traditional notion of leadership may not be enough. What distinguishes the most effective leaders today is their ability to combine strategy with empathy, communication and adaptability, qualities that are now critical for long-term success. Empathy is defined as “Understanding before acting”. When uncertainty prevails, people can experience fear, confusion or even paralysis. Strategy provides direction, but empathy builds trust. A leader who takes time to understand what teams are feeling is better positioned to inspire the extra energy people bring when they feel valued. Empathy doesn’t mean avoiding hard choices; it means delivering them with human-ness. That sustains loyalty in turbulent times. Communication is defined as “Clarity in the fog”. In uncertainty, silence is costly. People don’t expect leaders to have all answers, but they do expect clarity about what is known, what isn’t and how decisions will be made. Warren Bennis wrote, “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.” Amidst volatility, translation means simplifying so that teams understand the direction without being overwhelmed by noise. Adaptability is the “Courage to pivot”. Even the best strategies will be wrong at some point. The question is not whether leaders will face surprises, but how quickly they can adjust. Adaptability requires humility and courage to redirect resources even if it means abandoning sunk costs. This is where agility becomes a cultural, not just operational, advantage. Through crises, successful leaders do not just react with strategy. They craft a narrative that helps teams interpret events, stay connected to a higher purpose and turn uncertainty into shared meaning. They reframe adversity as purpose, build a unifying narrative for teams and embed human connection into their responses. At the heart of these qualities is a deeper role: leaders as meaning-makers. Strategy charts the course, but meaning explains why the course matters, especially when storms hit. This “meaning-making capacity” has been recognized in leadership literature (e.g. Podolny, Varney) even if the exact phrase has not always been front and centre. Viktor Frankl observed, "Those who have a 'why' to live, can bear almost any 'how.'" Leaders who provide that "why" enable their organisations to endure, adapt and grow. In today's world, the best leaders are not just strategists but translators of uncertainty to clarity, connectors of people to purpose and builders of cultures that adapt without losing direction. In an age of volatility, being a meaning-maker may be the most strategic act of all.

Your stomach drops. Slack is on fire. This isn’t just a crisis—it’s the moment that makes you. Handling high-stakes moments isn’t a bonus skill. It’s 𝘵𝘩𝘦 leadership skill. Here’s what separates those who bounce back stronger from those who don’t: 1. Own the outcome → Use active language: “We deployed a change that caused the outage,” not “The system failed.” → Show up. Be visible. → Skip the explanations initially — lead with acknowledgment → Own the full impact, not just your part → Roll up your sleeves alongside the team → Ask “How can I help?” — not just “When will it be fixed?” 2. You’re communicating even when you’re not → Send regular updates, even if there’s little new info → Set clear expectations for the next update (and meet them) → Differentiate clearly between what you know and don’t → Be transparent about severity and impact 3. Don't let a good crisis go to waste → Document lessons while the experience is fresh → Share learnings beyond your immediate team → Turn insights into system improvements → Use the crisis to upgrade your playbooks These actions build something more valuable than a crisis-free record: Unshakable trust. Teams trust the leaders who show up. Stakeholders remember the ones who stay steady under pressure. Your toughest moments are your biggest opportunities for leadership growth. What’s one crisis that changed how you lead?

When introducing organizational change, it’s crucial to avoid shocking your employees. Here are some strategies that we have learnt in our 20 years of change management journey that could help you manage change effectively:    1.   Communicate Clearly and Early: Provide transparent information about the change, its reasons, and benefits. This helps reduce uncertainty and resistance.    2.   Involve Employees in Planning: Engage impacted employees early to understand their challenges and secure their buy-in. This fosters a sense of ownership and control.    3.   Offer Support and Training: Provide necessary training and resources to help employees adapt to new processes and systems.    4.   Avoid Rushing Change: Implement changes gradually, allowing time for employees to adjust and adapt.    5.   Emotional Support: Be empathetic and address concerns promptly to maintain morale and motivation. By following these steps, you can ensure a smoother transition and maintain a positive work environment. Would love to hear strategies for managing change that you have implemented successfully at your company or your clients. #ChangeManagement #LeadershipTips #EmployeeEngagement

There’s the old proverb that says “If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together”. Any kind of organizational change is definitely like walking far. This is why planning for people and having a clear change management plan are keys to success. Servant leadership holds a remarkable synergy with effective change management. In the context of organisational change, this approach provides a framework that nurtures employee engagement, trust, and collaboration, all essential elements for navigating transformations successfully. Servant leadership places emphasis on active listening, empathy, and understanding, allowing leaders to connect with employees on a personal level during times of change. By acknowledging concerns and addressing fears openly, servant leaders build an atmosphere of psychological safety, making employees more receptive to change initiatives. Servant leaders also prioritise the professional development and well-being of their team members. During times of change, this focus helps mitigate stress and uncertainty. By offering training, mentorship, and continuous support, servant leaders equip their teams with the skills and confidence needed to adapt successfully to new circumstances. By integrating servant leadership principles into change management strategies, organisations can navigate transitions with greater ease, employee support, and ultimately, increased success. #ServantLeadership #ChangeManagement #Business

Leaders Build Crisis Capability: The Apollo 13 Mission and Collective Resilience The Apollo 13 crisis remains one of history’s clearest demonstrations that resilience is not an accident — it is an engineered capability. When the mission shifted from lunar exploration to survival, NASA’s response revealed the power of disciplined leadership under extreme constraint. What saved the crew was not improvisation alone, but a system built on clarity, competence, and the ability to reframe objectives the moment reality changed. In today’s organisations, the same principle applies. Leaders who wait for disruption before building capability are already too late. Apollo 13 shows that crisis response depends on pre‑built structures: aligned expertise, rehearsed coordination, and the psychological safety that enables teams to surface problems early. When assumptions fail, only disciplined intervention prevents system failure from becoming irreversible. This week’s FCRQ explores Apollo 13 as a Saeculum Leadership® Signal — a moment where hidden fragilities became visible and leadership quality determined the outcome. The mission’s controlled recovery offers a blueprint for modern change leaders: redefine objectives decisively, communicate with precision, innovate within constraints, and learn rigorously from failure. Crisis capability is not assembled under pressure; it is architected long before the pressure arrives.

I once saw a VP of Engineering roll up his sleeves during a P0 outage, and it completely redefined leadership for me.  It was a high-stakes moment.  A major sales event, our big billion sale was happening for the whole of Indonesia. Millions of users and a critical service had just crashed.  The engineering team was already in the trenches, deep into debugging. I was working alongside them. And then, in walks the VP.   Not to demand updates.   Not to assign blame.   But to dive into the logs,  tracing issues alongside the team.  No one expected it.   He had every reason to step back,  and let the engineers handle it.   But he didn’t.  That day, there were no titles across our office,  everyone was just another problem-solver.  Here’s what I learned: ► In a crisis, true leaders show up.   — They don’t hover from a distance, they get involved.   — They clear roadblocks.   — They lead by example.  ► But outside of a crisis, true leaders step back.   — They build trust.   — They give teams space.   — They empower others to shine.  Some leaders focus on control when everything is smooth but go missing when real challenges arise. Great leaders do the opposite. They trust their teams to build without interfering, but when chaos hits, they’re right there, helping clear the path. So next time you’re in a tough spot, ask yourself:   Are you helping solve the problem, or are you just watching it get worse?

Most organisations approach change backwards. They focus on: • communication plans • training rollouts • project governance But the real question is psychological...Why do some employees actively drive change while others disengage from it? A recent study in Frontiers in Psychology (Albrecht, Furlong & Leiter, 2023) tested a “change engagement” model across working adults and the findings are striking. Three psychological conditions explained 88% of employee engagement with organisational change... ❌ Not communication. ❌ Not project management. ❌ Not training volume. But these three things... 1️⃣ Meaningfulness Employees must believe the change allows them to make a more valuable contribution. 2️⃣ Self-efficacy They must feel capable of navigating the challenges the change creates. 3️⃣ Psychological safety They must feel able to speak openly about the change without negative consequences. When these conditions exist, employees don’t just accept change. They become energised participants in it...And that energy translates into something organisations desperately need during change: Proactive behaviour. • suggesting improvements • experimenting with new approaches • helping others adopt new practices In other words: Psychological conditions → Change engagement → Proactive performance For L&D and organisational development teams this is a crucial insight. Change capability isn’t just about teaching new skills...It’s about designing systems where people experience: • meaning in the change • confidence to navigate it • safety to participate in it When those conditions are present, change stops being something that happens to employees. It becomes something employees actively drive...And that’s where real transformation begins.