07 Apr How to Be Heard While Leading Organizational Change
Build trust, inspire momentum, and lead transformation without creating resistance.
How Senior Leaders Can Succeed When Your Leadership Approach Challenges the Status Quo
As a senior leader — whether you’re a CEO, President, or EVP — stepping into a new role or trying to make important change comes with a unique challenge: driving change while earning trust. Leaders know that success comes through others, and pushing for change without bringing people along risks disengagement and resistance.
Consider this scenario: A new CEO joins an organization and quickly recognizes that the company’s culture is fragmented. Long-tenured employees hold deep loyalty to past practices, while newer hires are eager for innovation but feel stifled. Having seen how well a different cultural approach worked in a previous organization, the CEO is eager to implement similar changes here — assuming others will be equally enthusiastic. However, employees — accustomed to established practices — hesitate, uncertain about the shift.
Employees may experience a range of emotions in such situations. Long-standing staff may feel anxious about losing established practices they see as integral to the company’s success. Some may fear their contributions are being overlooked or that their roles are at risk. Others may feel skeptical, questioning whether the CEO’s ideas — successful elsewhere — will translate effectively in this new environment.
At the same time, some employees may feel hopeful, eager for positive change but unsure how to engage. Without taking time to understand these feelings, the CEO’s well-intentioned efforts risk being met with skepticism or disengagement.
Whether or not you are new to an organization or role or wanting to create organizational change, this guide outlines a proven method for introducing change in a way that builds trust, engages stakeholders, and increases the likelihood of success.
10 Trust-Building Steps for Leading Organizational Change Effectively
Start with Learning
Before advocating for change, immerse yourself in understanding the current landscape. Ask questions, listen actively, and observe how things are currently done. Key questions to explore include:
– What’s working well?
– What challenges are people facing?
– What values and priorities are guiding decisions?
As leadership expert John Maxwell advises, ‘Leaders must be close enough to relate to others, but far enough ahead to motivate them.’ By listening first, you demonstrate empathy and respect, setting the stage for meaningful engagement. Additionally, by understanding the cultural dynamics and identifying what people care about most, you can tailor your message in a way that resonates with their concerns and aspirations.
Visualize the Current Environment
In addition to mapping the environment, consider alternative visual tools to gain insights and engage others: Flowcharts to illustrate processes, decision points, and dependencies. This tool can help uncover inefficiencies, bottlenecks, or redundant steps.
Stakeholder Maps to identify key players, their influence, and their interests. This visual helps ensure you engage with those who hold decision-making power or can sway key influencers.
Impact-Effort Matrix to prioritize ideas based on potential impact versus required effort. This can help ensure you focus energy on initiatives with the greatest potential return.
As Peter Drucker said, ‘What gets measured gets managed.’ Visualizing these elements can simplify complex issues and ensure alignment before you push for change.
Build Alliances
Identify individuals who already hold influence or who may be supportive of your ideas. Engaging these allies early can create momentum and provide added credibility when presenting your recommendations.
Allies may include those who have experienced pain points first-hand, leaders aligned with the broader vision, or team members who are respected by their peers. These individuals can advocate on your behalf, making it easier to establish credibility and build trust within the organization.
Leadership coach Marshall Goldsmith highlights the value of partnerships: “Successful people become great leaders when they learn to shift the focus from themselves to others.”
Share the Visual for Input
Invite others to review your visual framework. Ask for their insights, corrections, and additions. This step invites collaboration and demonstrates that you value diverse perspectives. It also allows you to uncover blind spots before moving forward.
By framing this input as an opportunity to strengthen and improve ideas — rather than simply selling your own vision — you foster stronger engagement and dialogue.
Refine and Identify Leverage Points
Based on feedback, adjust your visual framework and identify areas where change could have the greatest impact. These leverage points often align with pain points, inefficiencies, or emerging opportunities. Developing a clear understanding of what matters most to those involved will increase your chances of securing buy-in. Leverage points may include procedural gaps, areas where resources are underutilized, or opportunities to align with strategic goals.
Share Recommendations with Context
Present your updated framework alongside your proposed recommendations. Be sure to include:
– The rationale behind your suggestions
– The potential risks of maintaining the status quo
– The anticipated benefits of a different approach
As Harvard Business School professor John Kotter emphasizes, “Leaders establish the vision for the future and set the strategy for getting there.” Aligning your recommendations with a clear vision makes change easier for others to embrace. Framing your suggestions in terms of organizational priorities and desired outcomes strengthens your case further.
Demonstrate Early Wins
Identify small, manageable changes that align with your proposed recommendations. Demonstrating early wins helps build confidence and reinforces the value of your ideas.
For example, if you’re advocating for improved communication practices, begin by implementing a small change such as shorter, more focused team meetings. Early wins provide visible proof that your recommendations can succeed, creating momentum for larger changes.
Invite More Input and Adapt
Incorporate feedback again to refine your ideas. This iterative process helps stakeholders feel heard and builds trust in your intentions. It also signals your willingness to adapt based on valid concerns or new information.
Chart a Path Forward with Others
Work collaboratively to outline the next steps based on what’s important to those involved and those impacted. This step emphasizes partnership rather than prescription and supports aligned action. Jointly defining timelines, milestones, and success criteria will reinforce collective ownership of the change.
Create Psychological Safety
Foster an environment where people feel safe to express concerns, experiment with new ideas, and contribute without fear of judgment. Psychological safety can improve dialogue and increase the likelihood of successful change.
Google’s Project Aristotle identified psychological safety as the top factor that drives team success. Creating a safe space for dialogue is essential for collaboration and innovation. Encouraging leaders to model vulnerability, invite questions, and acknowledge uncertainties can create an environment where people feel valued and safe to contribute.
Why This Approach to Leading Organizational Change Builds Trust and Buy-In
This method builds credibility and trust by demonstrating curiosity, respect, and a shared commitment to improving outcomes. It allows you to challenge the status quo without alienating key players. By thoughtfully blending learning, engagement, and recommendation, you inspire vision while empowering others to join you in forging a better path forward.
Coaching Support for Leading with Confidence
If you’re navigating resistance while introducing change, let’s connect. I invite you to book a complimentary exploration call to explore how Spark Success can support your leadership journey.
Together, we can identify strategies that build trust, engage your team, and move your vision forward—at a pace that works for your organization.
Change doesn’t happen overnight, but with clarity, partnership, and the right approach, it can be meaningful and lasting.