For many organisations across, change has become the normal state of things. We look at the capabilities that help leaders shape it rather than simply absorb it.
With insight from Emma du Parcq, Head of Consulting, Research and Thought Leadership
Not long ago, change was something organisations planned for, delivered and then moved on from. That rhythm has gone. New technology, AI, pressure to operate more sustainably and shifting expectations from employees are all arriving at once, and none of them are going to settle down.
We see this every day from small local businesses to large employers and public services. The question leaders are wrestling with is no longer how to get through the next change. It’s how to lead well when change is the constant.
Technical know-how is no longer enough
Many of the people now leading through this didn’t expect to be. A restructure, a career move or a strong track record has put them in charge, sometimes sooner than they’d have chosen. Think of a clinician adjusting to AI tools arriving in their service, or a well-qualified graduate managing a team spread across different locations.
What they discover quickly is that knowing the subject is only part of it. Leading through uncertainty depends on adaptability, empathy and the ability to look ahead.
Three capabilities that make the difference
Seeing the whole system. Leaders who navigate change well step back far enough to see how the pieces connect: across teams, across organisations and sometimes across sectors. Their focus moves from doing excellent work themselves to helping others do theirs.
Emotional intelligence. Emma du Parcq, who leads our consulting, research and thought leadership work, sees emotional intelligence as the capability that most often separates leaders who cope with change from those who get ahead of it. It helps leaders build trust, create the safety people need to raise concerns, and handle the particular tension of leading former peers. In unsettled times, people rarely expect their leaders to have every answer. They want honesty, steadiness and the sense that someone is listening. (Our piece on resilience looks at why that shouldn’t tip into asking people to put up with too much.)
Curiosity with humility. Control is in short supply when things keep moving. The leaders we see thriving ask better questions, make room for new ideas and focus on setting others up to succeed.
Small habits, bigger shift
Practical habits help turn these capabilities into everyday behaviour. Framing a problem as a shared question invites collaboration. Pausing after a success to understand what made it work means it can be repeated deliberately. Neither is complicated, but together they help leaders act with intent rather than simply respond to whatever lands next.
Developing leaders from the heart of Sussex
Roffey Park Institute is a charity and a centre of expertise in organisational development, based at our home near Horsham. We help leaders strengthen their adaptability, emotional intelligence and resilience through open programmes, programmes designed around your organisation and consultancy focused on organisational agility and resilience.
If these questions are live for you, join fellow practitioners at our THRIVE Conference 2026 at Roffey Park, 3 to 5 November.
