There is one truth every leader eventually bumps up against: change is the only constant.
We're told leadership is about providing clarity but it's equally about holding space for ambiguity. Change is hard. People move through it at different paces. And the discomfort? Completely normal.
So often, organisations push ahead with new strategies. structures or systems without pausing to help their teams understand why change feels difficult, what the stages look like, and how to navigate them.
The "Teenage Years" of Organisational Growth
One client described it perfectly: "We're no longer a scrappy start-up, but we haven't yet grown into a fully mature organisation. We feel like we are in our teenager years"
This stage often looks like this:
- Systems and processes suddenly feel bureaucratic
- New hires are needed often in new roles, but existing team members feel resistant
- Boards need reshaping
- Funding ambitions grow - but so does the risk of a cliff
- Leaders need to reinvent themselves, moving from doing it all to enabling others
It's messy - boundaries are stretched, mistakes are made, just like a teenager your identity is still forming and maturing. But like adolescence, it's also an exciting time of growth and potential.
Helping Teams Thrive in Change
Navigating these teenage years isn't just about strategy, it's about people. Leaders need to help their teams become:
🔹Change-ready (able to anticipate shifts)
🔹Change-resilient (able to recover when things wobble),
and ultimately
🔹Change-confident (able to embrace uncertainty as opportunity)
A few practical ways leaders can do this:
- Name the change. Don't pretend it's business as usual- acknowledge the disruption
- Normalise the discomfort. Remind people it is natural to feel unsettled
- Provide stepping stones. Break the change into stages so people can see progress
- Model adaptability. Show what it looks like to shift gears yourself
- Celebrate learning. Mistakes are part of growth - treat them as lessons, not failures
When your team sees changes not as disruption, but as a rhythm of growth, you unlock far greater impact.
Whether your organisation feels like a teenager right now, or you're navigating another kind of transition, remember change is hard, but it's navigable. And when you get through it, the opportunities multiply.
If you'd like a thought partner at this stage - whether to stabilise, restructure or just steady the ship - I'd be glad to explore how I can support.
Warmly,
Liz
Strategic Advisor | Former CEO | Founder, Volante
Based in Kenya, available globally
