T is for Transition: The Leadership Skill That Shapes the Future.

“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly.” Proverb.

Transitions are where leadership and relationships are tested. Whether it’s a role change, restructure, or strategic pivot, how leaders navigate the “in-between” determines what comes next.

Research in coaching and organisational psychology shows that transitions, when supported, become catalysts for growth - not just disruption.

We worked with a leader stepping back from day-to-day operations to take on a more strategic role. The temptation was to “handover and disappear.” Instead, they chose to lead the transition - naming the shift, supporting the team, and staying present. The result? Continuity, clarity, and team performance sustained.

Actionable Insight:

• Map the transition: What’s ending, what’s beginning, what’s uncertain?

  
  

• Support the emotional process, not just the operational one. 

  
  

• Ask: “What does this transition require of me - as a leader, not just a manager?”

  
  

• What will ‘success’ look like for us and our stakeholders?

  
  
  
  

Why it matters: Transitions shape identity. When leaders navigate them with intention, they build futures worth leading.

Ibarra, H., & Obodaru, O. (2016). Betwixt and between: Liminal experience in contemporary careers. Academy of Management Annals, 10(1), 435–466.

Nicholson, N. (1990). The transition cycle: Causes, outcomes, processes and forms. In The Changing Workplace (pp. 83–98). International Thomson Business Press.