The Power of Your Words: How Great Leaders Communicate In Times of Change

When change is swirling all around, what you say can make all the difference. Your team, your business, your goals – you have a lot at stake. Communicating clearly and confidently can help you navigate the detours and find a new way forward.

But it’s precisely at times like these you don’t feel particularly clear or confident – or that you have any, let alone all, of the answers. So what should you say? And how can you say it in a way that helps your team find their footing and keep moving?

Great leaders know there are three key messages to communicate during uncertain times. Let’s walk through each one, with practical examples – things you can actually say – as well as action steps you can take today to lead your team through challenging change.

Your Team Takes Their Cues From You

First, it’s important to remember how significant your impact as the leader is on your team. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you can hide your emotions or concerns from your team, especially when the future is unclear. They spend a good bit of their time observing you so they can figure out what you’re thinking and how you’re feeling.

When disruptions happen, they watch you even more closely. I remember one time a colleague of mine texted me that it was “all over my face” how upset I was about a meeting I had just walked out of. The funny part – she was sitting all the way across a ballroom from me at a conference. That’s how obvious my emotions must have been. Even though I was confident I could hide my frustration, she read me like a book from more than 50 feet away.

When the unexpected occurs, how you show up and what you communicate matters more than ever. Your team doesn’t expect you to be cold or unfeeling. It’s normal to feel the weight of uncertainty, but you need to stay grounded enough to keep moving forward. Similarly, you don’t need to have all the answers, but your team needs to know there’s still a way forward.

You don't need to have all the answers, but your team needs to know there's still a way forward.

What you say and how you say it will shape how they respond to change: with concern and confusion. Or with resilience and resolve. Your team will take their cues from you.

Now on to the three things you can do and say that will steady your team and sharpen their focus no matter what headwinds you face.

What Great Leaders Communicate During Times of Change

When facing change, there are three critical things leaders must communicate.

1. Create Context: "Where we’ve been. Where we are now. Where are we going next.”

The first thing you need to do is give your team context. People need to understand the bigger picture. Change often feels disorienting because it disrupts the status quo — but clarity can restore a sense of stability and purpose. Most employees see only limited aspects of the company and the current situation. You see broadly across the enterprise and the marketplace as well.

As a leader, you must create the context for the change by explaining:

• What has brought us to this point in time?
• Where is the company today?
• What change are we facing?
• What is the vision for the future?
• How does each team member fit into that vision?

Without context, employees fill in the blanks themselves – and often with fear, misinformation, or worst-case scenarios. With context, they have a map in hand and a destination in mind.

Practical Action Steps for Creating Context

Here are some things to try.

• Set the stage. Open team meetings by setting the stage with a look back. Revisit key accomplishments from the past. Remind the team of how hard they have worked to get to where they are now. Tell them: “This is where we’ve been and how far we’ve come.”
• Face reality. Then share the business realities driving change. This could be market shifts, competitive pressures, customer needs, new leadership, or an uncertain economic environment. Tell them: “This is where we are now and what brought us here.”
• Envision the future. Articulate a compelling vision of the future you are working toward together. Give the team some direction, even if you don’t have complete clarity. You do have a sense of where things need to go next and what success looks like. Tell them: “This is where we’re headed next.”

2. Connect the Dots: "Your work matters."

A sense of purpose is one of the most powerful human motivators. People want to know their work matters — that they’re more than just a number. During times of change, it’s up to leaders to do the important work of connecting daily tasks to the organization’s broader goals. Even more compelling: if your business contributes to a greater good or drives positive societal change, you can help employees see how their efforts support something truly meaningful.

When people see how their work contributes to the future success of the business or a cause, they are more engaged, more motivated, and more willing to push through difficult transitions. 

When people know their work matters, they're more engaged, motivated and willing to push through difficult times.

Your role is to make that connection unmistakable.

Practical Action Steps to Show Employees Their Work Matters

Here are some things you can do and say that will help communicate how much someone’s work matters.

• Show how it all fits. In every major communication, tie key initiatives to company goals. “Our work here will help us make progress toward this important business priority. That’s what our business needs right now, and this team can make the difference.”
• Be specific. Call out specific examples so team members see that you are paying attention and care about the quality of their work. “Because of your efforts on this project, we were able to deliver ahead of schedule and exceed the client’s expectations. Your attention to detail during the review phase caught issues that could have caused delays. That kind of ownership made a real difference — not just in the outcome, but in how our team is perceived.”
• Notice the individual. Reinforce the impact of individual contributions — no matter how small — on the bigger picture. “Kate, your initiative in stepping up without being asked made a real difference. It lifted the team’s morale and helped us hit our deadline. You may have seen it as a small gesture, but it was noticed — not just by me, but by colleagues in other departments too.”
• Recognize progress. Help people see their efforts are making a difference every step of the way. “I want to acknowledge the key milestones this team has hit throughout this complex project. Every step forward — from planning to execution — reflects your hard work and commitment. We’re not just moving tasks forward; we’re building momentum and making a real impact. Take a moment to look back at where we started and how far we’ve come — your efforts are turning our company’s vision into reality.”

3. Cultivate Confidence: “We can figure it out.”

In times of uncertainty, one of the most powerful things a leader can say is: “We can figure it out.” It’s a simple phrase, but it carries enormous weight. It doesn’t pretend to have all the answers. It doesn’t minimize the difficulty of the situation. What it does is offer confidence even without certainty — and that’s exactly what your team needs when the path ahead is unclear.

I remember a time when our company was growing fast – systems, teams and expectations were shifting almost daily. We had to scale up to keep up. With that much change happening, it was not uncommon for leaders to come into my office describing a new problem they were facing and asking me what I thought they should do. The truth was, I didn’t always know – we’d never been in that situation before. But I learned an important lesson: It’s okay to say: “I don’t know…” as long as you follow it with “but we can figure it out.” And that’s exactly what we did. Over time, we built confidence not in having the answers, but in our ability to find them.

Build confidence not in having the answers, but in having the ability to find them.

Change often arrives unannounced, and it rarely unfolds according to plan. Whether it’s a client loss, staffing challenges, or technological disruption, we can’t always predict what’s coming. But we can control how we respond. And that starts with reassuring your team that they have the talent, creativity, and resilience to handle what comes next.

When you say, “We can figure it out,” you’re reminding your team that they don’t have to be perfect — they just need to be resourceful. That you trust them. That you have confidence in them. That together, you have what it takes to adapt, troubleshoot, and make smart, timely decisions even under pressure. And perhaps most importantly, you're modeling the kind of leadership that sees possibility in the unknown, not paralysis.

This mindset turns fear into focus. It shifts the energy from “What if?” to “What’s next?” And it helps your team step into the challenge with a sense of agency, not anxiety. Because at the end of the day, figuring it out together is how great teams grow stronger — and how they lead change instead of being led by it.

Practical Action Steps for Instilling Confidence

If you want to reinforce confidence and adaptability in the face of change, here are several practical things you can start doing – and saying – today.

• Say it out loud. Use the actual phrase — “We can figure it out” — in conversations with your team. The words matter. They reassure without overpromising and create space for collaborative problem-solving. For example: “We may not have all the answers right now, but I’m confident we can figure it out — together.” Or “This is new territory, but we’ve solved hard problems before. We’ll figure this one out too.”
• Model calm problem-solving. When an issue arises, show your team your thinking process. Talk through how you evaluate options or gather input. Your example teaches others how to work through ambiguity. For example: “Here’s how I’m thinking about this — first, I’m gathering facts, then I will check in with some key clients before deciding on next steps.” Or “Let’s slow this down for a moment. What do we know, what don’t we know, and what’s our first move?”
• Encourage curiosity and possibility. Ask “What options do we have?” instead of “What’s the solution?” This shifts the team from feeling like they need the perfect answer to exploring possibilities together. For example: “Let’s not rush to one answer — what are three or four options we could consider here?” Or “If we had to get creative, what other paths might we explore?”
• Celebrate adaptive thinking. Call out individuals or teams who found creative ways to tackle a tough situation. Reinforce that figuring things out together is part of how you win. For example: “I want to recognize Jordan for shifting our approach midstream — that flexibility helped us stay on track.” Or “The solution Angie proposed wasn’t obvious, but it worked. That’s the kind of thinking we need when the path isn’t clear.”
• Remind the team of past wins. Highlight moments when the team has successfully navigated change before. These stories become proof points that, yes — you can figure it out. For example: “Remember last quarter when we had to pivot quickly? We did it then, and we can do it again.” Or “We’ve faced uncertainty before — and we came out stronger. Let’s keep building on that.”
• Keep the focus forward. When the road is unclear, help your team keep taking small, smart steps. Remind them that progress, not perfection, is the goal. For example: “We don’t need to have it all figured out today — we just need to decide our next right step.” Or “Let’s keep moving forward — we can adjust as we learn more.”

"We don't need to have it all figured out today. We just need to decide our next right step."

Remember: Message, Tone and Cadence Matter

When change hits, silence from leadership creates anxiety. Employees will naturally wonder: "What’s happening? What aren’t they telling us?" Consistency in your communication — not just frequency — is key to maintaining trust and focus.

Leaders must be intentional about three communication dimensions:

• • Message: Keep direction clear and reinforce priorities.
  • Tone: Use language that is calm, confident and constructive.
  • Cadence: Establish a regular rhythm of updates so your team knows they can count on hearing from you

Practical Action Steps for Speaking on Change

Here are some simple things you can do.

• Craft your talking points. Take some time to write down your main talking points and practice saying them out loud. When you’re ready to share with your team, it’s perfectly fine to use notes to stay focused. Think of your talking points as a guide — not a script — to help you communicate with clarity and consistency.
• Check in regularly. Hold brief, regular check-ins with your team. Share any updates as well as where you’re still working on getting more information. It’s okay to tell them you don’t know, but assure them that once you find out, they’ll be the first to know.
• Focus on what’s certain. Use a can-do, forward-looking tone even when acknowledging challenges. Focus on what we do know, what can be done, what’s still within the team’s control. This should instill some confidence despite other uncertainties.
• Say it. Then say it again. Repeat key messages often — especially when you are tired of saying them. It’s usually just when your team is starting to internalize them. Repetition can also create comfort because it’s something that’s known, consistent and can be counted on.

Remember, people don’t just need to hear information. They need to feel reassured that leadership is steady, strategic, and committed to helping them succeed through the transition.

How Leaders Communicate in Times of Change Matters

In times of change, what you communicate — and how you communicate it — matters more than ever. Your team takes its cues from you. They’re listening for direction, watching for emotional signals, and counting on your steadiness to guide them through uncertainty.

By creating context, connecting the dots, and cultivating confidence, you give your team what they need most: clarity, purpose, and belief in their ability to move forward.

So just remember: Say what matters. Say it well. And keep showing up — because when your words lead with confidence and consistency, your team will follow.