If you’re like most organizations, you may have spent a lot of time in the past year processing change: a reorganization, adapting to new priorities, or facing unexpected challenges. In my experience, the difference between thriving and struggling during change comes down to being able to distinguish between what actually happened and our interpretations of those events. Understanding the two versions can impact how we respond to uncertainty and can affect our productivity, relationships, and collective resilience.

Understanding What We Can Control

I believe that we can be better employees, regardless of our position as leaders or team members, when we clearly separate the difference between facts and our story.

This insight shows us where we can make a difference. We can’t control things like budget cuts, but we can choose how we share the news and what steps we take next. Instead of feeling stuck, we can focus on the choices we do have and respond (or not) in a healthy productive way.

This way of thinking helps us become more adaptable. Great leaders (and great individual contributors) stand out not because they know everything, but because they’re willing to change direction when needed, without getting stuck in their story.

Seeing facts clearly, focusing on what we can control, and staying flexible help us lead and contribute effectively even when things get tough.

Practical Ways to Lead Through Change

I’m still a work in progress on the spectrum of seeing reality versus making up my own story, but I’ve found some approaches that help a lot during big changes.

Keeping the words I put out into the world based on solid facts helps when feelings run high. “Here’s what we know for sure…” can be helpful framing during uncertain times and can help create a shared starting point.

When things just feel unfair, it can help to simply acknowledge that. What feels unfair? It’s best to just acknowledge that, regardless of whether it’s coming from me or someone I’m talking to. Once we acknowledge that feeling, we can move to action. What bothers us the most? How can we move past that? Sometimes it can be as simple as a bit of time.

Structure becomes super important during chaos. Regular check-ins, clear meeting agendas, and written outcomes help. These create stable points when everything else feels shaky. People need to know how and when we’ll make decisions, even when those decisions are tough.

The “3 E’s” to Help Make Decisions

A simple tool I have been using with my team lately is the “3 E’s”, an easy way my leadership team and I came up with to decide where to put our energy during times of change and uncertainty:

Essential: Does this directly support our main work? In tough times, we must be strict about what really matters. If something doesn’t help our key mission, it probably has to wait.

Effective: Can we do this well and measure if it works? I care about changes we can actually make happen, not just ideas that sound good but fail in real life.

Exceptional: Does this create special value? Some things go beyond basics to create something truly great. These are worth keeping, even when times are hard.

What’s great about this approach is it works for big and small choices. Even tiny improvements add up and if we save each team member just 5 minutes a day, that’s over 20 hours a year per person. These small gains add up fast. And then, despite any change or uncertainty around us, we can feel fairly sure we are working on what matters.

Looking forward

Change will always be part of work life. How we handle it shapes not just our work success but also our well-being and our teams’. We are a good tea member when we see the the fears and frustrations while providing and encouraging the structure and focus needed to move forward.

In my leadership journey, I want to balance caring with practicality. I want to be able to see emotions, mine and the people around me, without being ruled by them and face challenges without dwelling on them. This puts the focus on what’s in my control and accepting what isn’t.

Leading through hard times leaves a mark that lasts long after the challenge has passed. By continueing to develop leadership practices that are based on facts, focused on solutions, and aware of people’s needs, we not only handle today better but also build stronger teams for whatever changes come next.