Leading through transition. The story people need most

Hello LEANN community,

The year is no longer “new”. The real work begins. The priorities collide, the pressure returns and the human moments show up uninvited.

When things shift, people do not only need information. They need a story that helps them make sense of what is happening and what their place is inside it. Not certainty. Clarity they can hold onto.

A reflection for this moment

In the early 1990s, South Africa was moving toward its first democratic elections. You could feel the country holding its breath. Taxi radios carried speeches and debate. Conversations started in queues and ended in silence. Hope and fear shared the same room.

That is what transition feels like in organisations too. People scan for cues. They listen for the sentence that tells them, “We understand the moment, and we know the next step”.

As leaders, we often reach for certainty. But what people respond to is a steady signal. What stays true, what changes now and what you are asking of them next.

The leadership story that steadies people

Use this simple structure the next time you need to lead through uncertainty.

1. What is happening. Without spin Name the moment plainly. People can handle truth, they struggle with vagueness.

2. What stays true Values, mission, priorities, standards. Give people an anchor they can repeat.

3. What changes now Be specific. Roles, timelines, decisions, expectations. Specificity reduces anxiety.

4. Why it matters. In human terms Not the corporate why. The lived why. What this protects, improves, or makes possible.

5. What we do next. Together One to three actions. Clear ownership. A near term win people can see.

If you do nothing else this week, try this. Replace a long update with a short story that follows these five parts.

A quick practice prompt for February

Pick one leadership moment you are facing right now. Then write one paragraph that answers:

• The moment we are in is ______.

• What stays true is ______.

• What changes now is ______.

• This matters because ______.

• Our next step is ______.

Save it. Speak it. Repeat it. This is leadership storytelling. Not performance. Direction.

Coming up in 2026 at Storytelling and Leadership

Our work this year is focused on one essential theme. The One Story that every leader needs to learn to tell well.

It is a practical campaign built to help you as a leader find, shape and tell the story that makes people trust you when it matters most. You can expect a short, useful mix of tools and guidance. A free e-book, simple prompts to uncover your own crucible story, real examples from leaders who have used story to create clarity and invitations to live webinar sessions where Mimi will teach the framework in a hands-on way. This is not about polishing a personal brand. It is about learning to communicate with honesty and authority so your message lands, your people lean in, and your leadership feels consistent even under pressure.

More details will be shared soon on the S&L website.

Your turn

What transition are you leading right now. At work, in your team or in your own life.

Reply or comment with one sentence: In February, I am leading through ______ and the story I need to tell is ______.

Read the latest S&L Chronicle and then share your one sentence. If you know a leader navigating change, forward this newsletter to them.

REMEMBER In uncertain times, a clear story is a form of care.