Leadership and Loss

Honoring loss as an inherent part of the change process is often lost on us as leaders. We're by nature folks who cast vision and emphasize the benefits of what-will-be. But renowned change and transitions theorist William Bridges says we overlook losses at our peril: "Nothing so undermines organizational change as the failure to think through who will have to let go of what when change occurs."

Especially for Third Turn leaders—investing in future value for the organization and mentally preparing for their own life to go to—there's lots of change afoot and plenty of losses all around.

I believe a primary reason leadership transitions so often go south—both for the organization and the transitioning leader—is that inherent losses have been virtually ignored…and then wreak havoc from places buried deep within us.

All this has hit home for me on a personal level since we lost my dad in November. It certainly represents obvious personal loss, but I've been surprised by the need to acknowledge and let go of grounding mental definitions and attitudes—both within my family and for our farming operation. It reminds me to acknowledge my losses--both external and internal/attitudinal—in order to be a force for good rather than inadvertently clinging to what has been.

How do we do this as leaders called to bring needed change to our organizations? Bridges calls us to "transition management" in our organizations, which addresses the inner psychological process people experience during change. Bridges lays out these necessary transition
management steps:

1. Communicate with the organization about why the change is needed.
2. Collect information from those affected by the change to understand its impact on them.
Gain their investment in the outcome.
3. Do an audit of the organization's transition readiness.
4. Educate leaders about how the change will affect individuals in the organization to manage the transition effectively.
5. Monitor the progress of individuals as they go through the three stages of transition.
6. Help individuals understand how they can positively contribute to the change and the importance of their role in the organization.

As Third Turn leaders, let's commit to acknowledging and honoring loss—our own, as well as of those we lead.

-Kristin Evenson