Preparing yourself for change (before it arrives)
| Most advice about change focuses on what to do once it arrives. A new strategy. A new structure. New expectations. More pressure. What we see with clients is this: the leaders who navigate change best prepare themselves long before it happens. What does it look like to prepare yourself for change — not the plan, not the team, not the organization — but you? Here are a few places to start. 1. Get honest about what destabilizes you Preparation begins with clarity. When things shift quickly, what is hardest for you? Where do you tend to tighten, rush, or go quiet? 2. Decide what you will anchor to When everything feels in motion, people look for something solid. Decide in advance: What values won’t change, even when priorities do What leadership behaviors will remain consistent What others can reliably count on from you 3. Practice naming emotion — yours and others’ One of the most overlooked ways to prepare for change is learning how to work with emotion, not around it. Practice: naming uncertainty without dramatizing it acknowledging frustration without rushing to fix it recognizing progress without minimizing difficulty Spoken emotion diffuses. Unspoken emotion amplifies. 4. Build tolerance for the “unfinished” Change almost always creates a messy middle. Things are in motion. Decisions aren’t final. Clarity comes in pieces. Preparation means increasing tolerance for partial answers and imperfect information — without forcing certainty too soon. 5. Ask the question before it’s urgent Reflect on this before change arrives: “Who do you want to be when things get harder?” Not what you want to achieve — but how you want to show up. Preparation is less about skill-building and more about self-stewardship. |
| Continuing the conversation Outsider is spending time this month working with leaders on this topic — leading through change — inside drop-in group coaching sessions. These are practical, real-time conversations. No prep required. 30 minutes on Friday’s at 12PM ET. We have other ways you can engage with us during this series; click here. |
