The Leader: An Agent for Change
November 4, 2025
Change is the trail we walk every day. New strategies, emerging technologies, shifting client needs… the terrain is never static. And leadership in these moments isn’t about managing tasks; it’s about guiding people through the rocky paths and helping them reach the other side.
If we're honest humans aren’t always smooth travellers. We resist, stumble and get stuck in the middle of transitions before finding our footing again. William Bridges captured this perfectly by saying that every transition has three stages: an ending, a neutral zone, and a new beginning.The most effective leaders honour all three. They help teams let go of what’s behind, navigate uncertainty with clarity, and step confidently toward what’s next.
What People Need Most During Change
When the trail gets steep, people look to leaders for four essential things:
Hope – A clear vision of a better destination.
Trust – Confidence that you’ll stay steady when the path shifts.
Compassion – Knowing they’re seen, heard, and supported along the way.
Stability – A grounding presence when everything else feels uncertain.
Strong leaders become anchors — a steady guide through unfamiliar terrain.
Our Strengths Shape How We Navigate Change
Strengths that embrace change: Adaptability, Activator, Ideation, Futuristic - these leaders bring energy, momentum, and innovation to every turn.
Strengths that bring caution and grounding: Consistency, Deliberative, Discipline, Context - these leaders ensure stability, continuity, and risk-awareness.
No strength is “better.” The trail needs both - momentum and steadiness - and the leaders who see this can guide their teams through transitions with resilience and confidence or they can manage overplaying their strength or partner with someone who can bring what they are less dominant in.
Four Key Leadership Tasks on the Change Trail (Inspired by Prosci)
Be Active and Visible
Lead from the front. Be present, vocal, and engaged. Visibility builds trust and eases
anxiety along the trail.Build a Coalition of Support
No leader climbs alone. Gather peers and allies who share your vision and help keep
the team aligned.Master CLARC as a People Manager
Prosci identifies five roles managers must play during change — together, they form
CLARC:
o Communicator: Explain the “why” and the benefit.
o Liaison: Bring the team’s insights back to leadership.
o Advocate: Show visible commitment to the change.
o Resistance Manager: Meet hesitation with empathy and support.
o Coach: Equip people with the skills and confidence to adapt.
Use a Structured Framework
Change isn’t accidental. Frameworks like ADKAR, Kotter’s 8 Steps, or Prosci’s 3-
Phase Process give people a map through uncertainty. The model matters less than
the discipline of using it consistently. This can be the difference between wandering and
guiding the team safely along the path.
Leading Change the StrengthsTrail Way
At StrengthsTrail, leading change is like navigating a trail: it’s not about having all the
answers in advance, but about knowing yourself, walking authentically, and guiding others
with clarity.
When leaders lean into their strengths, they can:
Inspire hope — showing the team the path forward.
Earn trust — staying grounded no matter the terrain.
Show compassion — truly listening and being present.
Provide stability — anchoring the team in enduring values.
Change isn’t an obstacle — it’s the trail ahead. Leaders who combine self-awareness,
strengths-led insight, and practical clarity don’t just manage change — they shape it
intentionally, step by step.
As Socrates said, “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old,
but on building the new.” On the trail of leadership, every step forward is an opportunity to
build something better.
Let us know if you're ready to join us on the trail....
