Change is no longer a project with a clear start and finish. More than a third of large organisations are undergoing some form of transformation at any one time (Mankins & Litre, 2024), and employees report experiencing around ten distinct changes a year (Morain & Aykens, 2023). For many leaders, that means navigating restructuring, transformation and day-to-day uncertainty all at once, while still delivering results and helping others find their footing.

In this context, leadership effectiveness and wellbeing are not separate agendas. For leaders navigating constant uncertainty, they are inseparable. Sustained strain can narrow our thinking, drain the energy we need for good judgement, and leave less capacity for the people around us. Psychology offers a useful lens on how leaders can support themselves and others to perform well and stay well through change.

Why change is so demanding

Psychologists often describe wellbeing at work as a balance between demands, the parts of work that draw heavily on our time, energy and attention, and resources, the things that help us meet those demands and grow (Bakker & Demerouti, 2017). Change tends to affect both sides of that balance at once, adding demands while stretching resources.

On the demands side, change brings uncertainty about the future, extra workload while old and new ways of working run side by side, shifting priorities and the loss of familiar routines and relationships. On the resources side, the things people usually rely on, such as a trusted manager, a clear role or time to think, are often stretched or disrupted at the very point people need them most (Demerouti & Bakker, 2023). Pressures from outside work can add to this, so the same change can land very differently from one person to the next.

When demands outpace resources for long enough, the result can be exhaustion, disengagement and burnout (Buttigieg et al., 2023). Leaders often feel this doubly: absorbing their own uncertainty while also being expected to provide stability for others.

Protecting your own wellbeing

Looking after yourself is part of leading change well. It is hard to offer steadiness to others when your own reserves are running low.

Notice your early warning signs. Strain often shows up before we name it: broken sleep, decision fatigue, a shorter fuse, cancelling the things that usually restore you. Regularly asking yourself what is giving you energy, and what is taking it, makes it easier to act before strain builds.

Stay anchored to your values. Being clear on why you lead, and what you want to stand for through this change, acts as a filter. It helps you decide what to prioritise, what to let go of, and where you can still have influence when much is outside your control.

Make room for difficult emotions. Change brings worry, frustration and sometimes a sense of loss. Trying to push these feelings away takes energy of its own. Noticing difficult thoughts and feelings without being driven by them, and choosing actions that reflect what matters to you, can help build resilience and reconnect you with your sense of purpose (Flaxman et al., 2013). A simple practice is to pause, name what you are feeling, and then ask: what is one thing I can do today that reflects the leader I choose to be?

Draw on resources inside and outside work. Research with senior executives found they coped by drawing on support both within the organisation and beyond it, and sometimes by creating new sources of support where none existed (Duan et al., 2024). Peers, mentors, professional networks, and people at home and in your community are all resources. The external ones are easy to overlook when work is busy.

Protect recovery. Energy is finite. Small, deliberate habits such as breaks between meetings, time outdoors, movement and clear boundaries around evenings help restore it. Proactively managing your energy in this way has been linked with higher engagement at work (Demerouti & Bakker, 2023).

Make space to reflect. Coaching can help leaders restore a healthier balance between what is being asked of them and the support available (Nicolau et al., 2026). Even a short, focused coaching programme has been linked with stronger resilience and greater confidence in handling change (Sherlock-Storey et al., 2013).

Building resilience and wellbeing in your team

Resilience is often talked about as something people either have or lack, but it is better understood as a capacity that can be developed (Sherlock-Storey et al., 2013). Leaders play a central role in creating the conditions for it.

Check in on wellbeing, not just progress. Build two simple questions into your regular one-to-ones, alongside progress on tasks: What’s giving you energy at the moment, and what’s taking it? What would make the next few weeks feel more manageable? Asking these consistently helps you notice who is struggling, and builds the trust people need to answer openly.

Communicate clearly, even without all the answers. Demerouti and Bakker (2023) highlight clear, timely information as a key resource during uncertainty. Share what you know, what you don't, and when you expect to know more. Silence tends to be filled with speculation, which can add to people's emotional load.

Involve people in shaping the change. Involving employees in planning and decisions can give them a greater sense of purpose and control, and may help protect against burnout (Buttigieg et al., 2023). Invite your team to help plan how changes will be put into practice, and ask directly what they would do differently. Where possible, give people the autonomy to shape how their own role adapts, which can also support engagement.

Take things off the plate. Change usually adds work before it removes any. Be deliberate about what can stop, pause or wait, and ask of every new request what it will replace. The 5 Ds (do, delay, delegate, delete, discuss) can give these conversations with your team a clear structure.

Build resilience skills together. Setting realistic goals, reframing setbacks, using strengths, drawing on support and keeping perspective are all skills that can be strengthened through coaching, team conversations and development programmes. Choose one to focus on as a team. For example, after a setback, take ten minutes to discuss what you have learned and what is still within your control.

Offer support that doesn't add to the load. Wellbeing initiatives, such as mindfulness sessions, can provide useful tools, but they can also become one more commitment in a full diary (Schmitt et al., 2025). Ask your team what would genuinely help, and make sure any support is optional, easy to access and offered within working hours.

Beyond individual resilience

Individual resilience matters, but it cannot carry the whole load. If demands are unmanageable, coaching and mindfulness can only go so far, and wellbeing initiatives can end up placing the burden of coping on individuals rather than the organisation (Schmitt et al., 2025). Manageable workloads, clear roles, fair decisions and honest communication are resources too. Try asking at your next leadership team meeting: when we plan change, do we consider the demands it places on people as carefully as the timelines and costs - and the resources they will need to meet them?

Leading well through change

Change is not slowing down, and simply pushing harder is rarely sustainable. Paying attention to the demands change brings, protecting your own wellbeing, and building resources for your team are part of leading change effectively.

If you would like to explore how coaching or leadership development could support you and your teams to perform well and stay well through change, we would be glad to talk.

References

Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2017). Job demands-resources theory: Taking stock and looking forward. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 22(3), 273–285. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000056

Buttigieg, S. C., Daher, P., Cassar, V., & Guillaume, Y. (2023). Under the shadow of looming change: Linking employees' appraisals of organisational change as a job demand and transformational leadership to engagement and burnout. Work & Stress, 37(2), 148–170. https://doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2022.2120560

Demerouti, E., & Bakker, A. B. (2023). Job demands-resources theory in times of crises: New propositions. Organizational Psychology Review, 13(3), 209–236. https://doi.org/10.1177/20413866221135022

Duan, Z., Yao, C., & Qi, H. (2024). Extending the job demands-resources theory beyond the work domain: Narratives of Chinese senior executives. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 39(1), 67–82. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMP-02-2023-0116

Flaxman, P. E., Bond, F. W., & Livheim, F. (2013). The mindful and effective employee: An acceptance and commitment therapy training manual for improving well-being and performance. New Harbinger Publications.

Mankins, M., & Litre, P. (2024). Transformations that work. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2024/05/transformations-that-work

Morain, C. O., & Aykens, P. (2023). Employees are losing patience with change initiatives. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2023/05/employees-are-losing-patience-with-change-initiatives

Nicolau, A. G., Demerouti, E., Van Gool, P. J. R., Kleingeld, A., & De Haan, E. (2026). Conceptualising executive coaching as a job resource for stress management: Using job demands-resource theory in an intervention field study. Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/17521882.2026.2649594

Schmitt, J., Pauknerová, D., Arbet, P., & Válková Tarasová, O. (2025). Being mindful in uncertain times: A resource-demand perspective on mindfulness as a workplace intervention. Journal of Workplace Learning, 37(9), 40–57. https://doi.org/10.1108/JWL-10-2024-0225

Sherlock-Storey, M., Moss, M., & Timson, S. (2013). Brief coaching for resilience during organisational change: An exploratory study. The Coaching Psychologist, 9(1), 19–26.

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