5 Strategies for Leading Through Change

5 Strategies to Lead Through Change

There’s always a different feel in a college town this time of year.

Another school year has ended. Students pack up and head home. The streets are quieter. Parking is easier. Coffee shops and bookstores feel less frantic. Summer in a college town is slower, more spacious—and a little bittersweet. (Especially for those of us who woke up one day to find that our baby girl is now a college senior! Our other daughter, a college librarian, is changing offices – hooray for now having windows!)

For many, this change brings a mix of relief and restlessness. Teachers are catching their breath. Coaches are recalibrating for next season. Parents are adjusting to new routines—or bracing for their kids to start college in the fall. (One European international school friend emailed the other day that change is afoot: he’s leaving the school he’s led for a decade and his twin boys are leaving for Michigan State in the fall. Another friend is leaving his school in Hanoi for one in Mexico City. Big changes. Good, but big.)

But even for those of us not on a school calendar, change is never far away. A staff member leaves. A new initiative starts. Roles evolve. Seasons shift. And it can leave us feeling off-balance.

As George Bernard Shaw wrote,

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”

That perspective is a helpful reminder: change isn’t just a disruption. It’s often the doorway to growth.

Here are five strategies to deal with change—whether it’s at home, at work, or in life:

1. Acknowledge the Loss
   Even good change includes something ending. Take a moment to grieve what was.
2. Re-center on Purpose
   When your “what” changes, go back to your “why.” That’s your anchor.
3. Control What You Can
   Don’t waste energy on the uncontrollable. Focus on where you can make a difference.
4. Stay Connected
   Change often isolates. Intentionally reach out to others during seasons of transition.
5. Expect Growth
   Discomfort isn’t always a setback. Sometimes it’s preparation. Growth often sneaks in during the shift.

So whether your summer looks slower or more chaotic, don’t resist the transition. Recognize it, step into it, and lead through it.

Because leadership isn’t just about guiding others through certainty. It’s about helping them find footing when everything is shifting.

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.” Steve Jobs

Have a great day!

~ Nathan