Grief is not a word we often associate with leadership or the workplace―but maybe we should. During periods of change and transformation, many employees are quietly grieving something, even if no one calls it that.
When we think about grief, we typically associate it with the loss of someone we love. It’s a unique kind of pain I experienced last year after a sudden loss in my own family. The months that followed taught me many things, including something I now see much more clearly in leadership and organizational change: people cannot move forward until they’ve had space to acknowledge what’s ending. Over the past year, I’ve noticed this same pattern in conversations about transformation and change leadership.
Leaders often move quickly to communicate the vision, the opportunity, and what’s next. They want to inspire confidence and help their teams focus on the future. That optimism matters, but it can unintentionally skip an equally important step: recognizing what people are being asked to leave behind. The reality is that leaders have often had weeks, or months, to process a change before it’s introduced to their teams. They’ve had time to adjust, ask questions, and imagine what’s ahead, but their employees are hearing the news for the first time. Before people can commit to a new beginning, they first need space to process what’s ending.
That loss is not the same for everyone. For some, it may be the end of working with a beloved team or a trusted manager, or a role they enjoyed; it may be the loss of part of their identity. For others, it could be the loss of structure, autonomy, or security. Regardless of what it is, it deserves acknowledgment, both internally by the individual and externally by the leader.
Consider a leader announcing a restructuring intended to improve collaboration across the business. Leadership may see the benefits of efficiency, growth, and opportunity, but employees may quietly experience something entirely different: the loss of a trusted manager, a close-knit team dynamic, decision-making autonomy, or a role that gave them a strong sense of identity. If those losses go unrecognized, leaders may mistake grief for resistance to the strategy itself.
That doesn’t mean leaders can avoid loss. Sometimes change simply requires letting go, but acknowledging what people are experiencing helps build trust and creates space for honest conversations about what’s next. When leaders fail to recognize those losses, resistance often grows beneath the surface. Often, it’s not because people oppose the strategy itself, but because no one has recognized what the change is costing them personally.
When announcing a change, share with your team what is happening, what the vision is, and what is changing. Talk about the positives and the opportunities. Then, make space for the team to write down their concerns and what they feel they will lose in making this change. If they are comfortable, ask them to share, or have everyone write their concerns on a whiteboard. Discuss them and let people understand and relate, but don’t try to fix them. Tell the team they can share these things with you or each other as everyone goes through the change process.
As we’ve heard repeatedly in conversations about transformation, leadership today isn’t just about creating a compelling vision―it’s about helping people navigate uncertainty with trust, clarity, and empathy. Recognizing loss is part of that responsibility.
Leadership during transformation is not just about creating excitement for the future. It’s also about honoring what people are being asked to leave behind. The strongest leaders don’t rush people past loss in an effort to stay positive. They recognize that acknowledging what’s ending helps people move forward with greater trust and commitment.
People rarely resist change simply because they dislike the strategy or new approach. More often, they resist because no one stopped to recognize what the change was costing them.
Before introducing a significant change, it can be helpful to pause and ask:
- What might my team feel they’re losing?
- What relationships, routines, or senses of identities are changing?
- Have we created space to acknowledge those losses before asking people to embrace what’s next?
Acknowledgment doesn’t slow transformation down. It makes it possible.
About the Author
Carrie Carpenter - Senior Director, Content and Partnership Development
Joining Signature Leaders in February of 2022, Carrie brings with her over a decade of learning and development experience, as well as a passion for fostering authentic, trusting business relationships. As Senior Director for Content and Partnership Development, Carrie drives content creation efforts at Signature Leaders for new offerings and alumni programs.
Prior to coming on board with Signature Leaders, Carrie most recently served in a variety of roles for the Sales Learning and Development team at Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. Her responsibilities included managing a training team, leading training efforts for the Client Development and Client Management teams and coordinating and developing content for large-scale sales conferences and events. Carrie has a genuine enthusiasm and commitment toward championing others’ successes.
Carrie was born and raised in the greater Cincinnati area. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Morehead State University and her Master of Science in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Northern Kentucky University. Carrie is a holistic health enthusiast and enjoys time at the gym, cooking nutritious meals, and focusing on a mental and spiritual growth mindset. She also savors any opportunity to spend time with family and friends. Carrie is an amateur globetrotter, always seeking a new adventure and a chance to experience other cultures and cuisines. She enjoys being outdoors in the sunshine and is also an avid college football fan.
