How to make change management your competitive advantage

"Change is now like the new oxygen," Charlotte Wiseman, founder and CEO of step inside, recently shared on our podcast.  

This observation captures a fundamental shift in how organisations must think about change management. Where businesses once planned discrete change initiatives with clear beginnings and endings, today's leaders must navigate continuous transformation while maintaining high performance and team engagement. 

If you're leading a team through constant change – whether that's technology adoption, market shifts, remote work transitions, or organisational restructuring – the question isn't whether you'll face change, but how effectively you'll manage it. The organisations that master this skill don't just survive disruption; they turn it into a competitive advantage. 

The new reality: change as a constant 

The traditional change management model assumed periods of stability punctuated by occasional transformation projects. Today's reality looks very different: 

• Technology evolves rapidly, requiring constant adaptation 

• Market conditions shift quickly, demanding agile responses 

• Workforce expectations change, especially across generations 

• Economic pressures create ongoing uncertainty 

• Hybrid working models require continuous refinement 

As Charlotte notes, many organisations she works with are simultaneously "going through some change at the moment" – whether it's leadership transitions, working practice changes, or workplace transformations. 

The three phases of effective change leadership 

Based on her extensive work helping organisations navigate transitions, Charlotte identifies three critical phases that effective leaders must master: 

Phase 1: Preparing for change 

The foundation of successful change management starts before any announcement is made. Effective preparation involves: 

Building change readiness

• Assess your team's current capacity for change 

• Identify potential sources of resistance early 

• Strengthen relationships and trust before change pressure intensifies 

• Ensure clear communication channels are established 

Creating psychological safety before people can embrace change, they need to feel secure enough to express concerns and ask questions. This means establishing an environment where: 

• People can voice worries without fear of judgment 

• Questions are welcomed, not seen as resistance 

• Different perspectives on the change are heard and considered 

• Leaders acknowledge that change can be uncomfortable 

Phase 2: sustaining performance through change 

This is often the most challenging phase. Charlotte emphasises the importance of helping teams "sustain high performance through change, stay motivated, stay engaged, stay positive, stay capable." 

Maintain focus on what matters during change, it's easy for teams to become overwhelmed or lose sight of core objectives. Effective leaders: 

• Keep essential work moving forward 

• Help teams prioritise what's most important 

• Provide clear direction when everything feels uncertain 

• Celebrate progress and maintain momentum 

Support people emotionally change creates emotional burden that can lead to leadership burnout if not managed properly. Charlotte notes this is "a real key contributor to leadership burnout – the burden of the emotions that start to be at play in difficult times." 

Leaders must: 

• Acknowledge that change is emotionally taxing 

• Provide support without taking on everyone's emotional load 

• Model resilience while remaining human and approachable 

• Create space for people to process their feelings about change 

Phase 3: Accelerating and sustaining impact 

Many organisations declare victory too early, assuming that once change is implemented, it will naturally stick. Charlotte warns against this: "there's a huge amount of work that needs to be done to make sure that after a change, organisations help people to really connect with the new organisation values and the new vision." 

Help people connect with the new reality 

• Ensure everyone understands how their role fits in the changed environment 

• Connect daily work to new organisational values and vision 

• Celebrate examples of the change working well 

• Address gaps between intended and actual change 

Embed new practices 

• Create systems and processes that support the change 

• Provide ongoing training and development 

• Measure and communicate progress 

• Continuously refine based on what's working and what isn't 

The control and influence dynamic 

One of Charlotte's most valuable insights relates to how people experience change: "with change it's fine if we feel we have some sense of influence or control. It's when it's totally imposed upon us that change usually feels uncomfortable." 

This suggests a crucial leadership strategy: even when the change itself isn't optional, leaders can create spaces for influence and input. 

Practical ways to increase sense of control 

Give people voice in implementation 

• Ask for input on how change should be rolled out 

• Create opportunities for feedback during the process 

• Involve team members in problem-solving challenges that arise 

• Recognise and implement good suggestions 

Acknowledge the emotional journey Charlotte emphasises that simply "saying it's okay to find this uncomfortable, it's okay if you don't love this" makes people feel more engaged in the process. This acknowledgment: 

• Validates people's natural responses to change 

• Reduces the pressure to pretend everything is fine 

• Creates permission for honest dialogue 

• Builds trust through authentic leadership 

Focus on what people can control while the big picture change might be decided, people often have control over: 

• How they approach their daily work 

• What skills they choose to develop 

• How they collaborate with colleagues 

• What improvements they suggest along the way 

How to build change resilience in your team 

The most successful organisations don't just manage individual changes well – they build ongoing capacity for change resilience. 

Develop change skills continuously 

Rather than waiting for the next big change initiative, successful leaders help their teams develop change skills as part of regular development: 

• Adaptability training that helps people get comfortable with uncertainty 

• Problem-solving skills that enable quick responses to new challenges 

• Communication practices that keep information flowing during transitions 

• Emotional regulation techniques that help people stay effective under pressure 

Create learning-oriented culture 

Charlotte emphasises the importance of organisations that prioritise "learning, improvement, and development." Teams with strong learning cultures adapt more quickly because: 

• They're already comfortable with trying new approaches 

• Failure is seen as information, not judgment 

• People actively seek out skills they need 

• Innovation and experimentation are valued 

Build strong relationships 

Change is easier when people trust each other and their leaders. This means investing in: 

• Regular one-on-one conversations that go beyond task management 

• Team building that creates genuine connection 

• Cross-functional relationships that ease collaboration 

• Leadership credibility through consistent follow-through 

The leadership mindset shift 

Leading through constant change requires a fundamental mindset shift from traditional management approaches: 

From control to influence 

Instead of trying to control every aspect of change, focus on: 

• Influencing the culture and environment 

• Creating conditions for success 

• Supporting people through the journey 

• Adapting your approach based on what you learn 

From perfection to progress 

Constant change means you won't get everything right the first time. Effective leaders: 

• Model learning from mistakes 

• Adjust course based on feedback 

• Celebrate progress over perfection 

• Maintain forward momentum even when things aren't ideal 

From individual heroics to team resilience 

The pace of change means no single leader can handle everything. Success comes from: 

• Building change capabilities throughout the team 

• Creating systems that support adaptation 

• Empowering others to make decisions and solve problems 

• Distributing leadership rather than centralising it 

Making change your competitive advantage 

Organisations that excel at change management gain significant advantages: 

• Speed to market - teams that adapt quickly can capitalise on opportunities faster than competitors who struggle with change. 

• Employee engagement - people want to work for organisations that handle change well. It creates confidence and reduces stress. 

• Innovation capacity - teams comfortable with change are more likely to suggest improvements and try new approaches. 

• Resilience - organisations good at change bounce back faster from setbacks and disruptions. 

Practical next steps 

To begin building better change management capabilities: 

1. Assess your current approach – how well does your team handle change today? 
2. Strengthen relationships – invest in trust and communication before the next change hits 
3. Practice with small changes – build change muscles with lower-stakes transitions 
4. Create feedback loops – establish ways to learn and adjust during change processes 
5. Develop your own emotional agility – leaders set the tone for how teams experience change 

The bottom line 

As Charlotte wisely notes, we can't avoid change, but we can choose how we lead through it. The leaders and organisations that view change as an opportunity to build capabilities, strengthen relationships, and create competitive advantages will thrive in our rapidly evolving business environment. 

The alternative – treating each change as a crisis to be endured – leaves teams exhausted and organisations constantly playing catch-up. In a world where "change is the new oxygen," learning to breathe deeply and move confidently through transformation isn't just helpful – it's essential for survival and success. 

For more insights on leadership development and building resilient teams, listen to our full conversation with Charlotte Wiseman on the On the Up podcast, brought to you by Moneypenny.