It’s misreading what kind of change you’re actually in ⚠️
Because not all change is created equal
The research from Hult Ashridge Executive Education makes it clear: Leaders today are operating across 6 fundamentally different types of change—and each demands a different response:
👉🏼 Incremental change – small improvements within a stable model
👉🏼 Transformation – redefining how the business creates value
👉🏼 Turnaround – fixing what’s broken, fast
👉🏼 Realignment – shifting direction without full reinvention
👉🏼 Disruption – responding to external forces reshaping the industry
👉🏼 Continuous evolution – no clear end state, just constant adaptation
Here’s the problem:
Most organisations still prepare leaders as if these are the same
They’re not
And that’s where transitions start to break down
Because when leaders step into new roles today, they’re not just inheriting:
a team
a strategy
or a set of KPIs
They’re stepping into a specific type of change context—often without clarity on which one
And that has consequences:
👉🏼 The leader driving incremental improvement in a turnaround situation will move too slowly
👉🏼 The leader applying transformation thinking to a stable environment may overcomplicate things
👉🏼 The leader expecting clarity in a disruption context will get stuck
This is not a capability issue
It’s a context misdiagnosis
And it explains why so many leadership transitions feel harder than expected
Because we’re still asking:
“Is this leader ready for the role?”
Instead of asking:
👉🏼 “Is this leader ready for the type of change they’re stepping into?”
That’s a very different question
And one that most organisations are not answering explicitly
Which is why:
- time-to-impact stretches
- momentum is lost
- and leaders end up solving the wrong problems
💡 The leaders who succeed fastest today do one thing differently:
They diagnose the nature of the change before they decide how to lead it
Because in today’s environment, context is not the backdrop. It is an integral part of the role
📣 But you don't have to take my word for it. Take it from a recent client of mine who stepped into a new Co-CEO role for the very first time:
💬 "I stepped into my first Co-CEO role about a year ago and selected Navid as my executive transition coach. Whilst this was a big new role for me, we made a lot of progress. As a result of our year-long engagement, I can wholeheartedly say that I got many insights and value for the time that we spent together. Navid’s thoughtful approach meant that at times, we deviated from the Double Diamond Framework of Executive Transitions to spend time on a more urgent or emergent topic. Navid’s coaching was always helpful, and I appreciate the insight and sustainable behaviour shifts that were created during our time together.”
#MasteringExecutiveTransitions #LeadershipTransitions #RoleTransitions
About Navid Nazemian
Ranked as the world’s #1 Executive Coach by CEO Today for the third year running, I partner with senior leaders to navigate complexity, accelerate performance, and lead through critical transitions. Over the past two decades, I’ve supported hundreds of executives in overcoming unproductive thinking and solving their most complex leadership challenges—helping their organizations build world-class cultures and create lasting value.
If you’d like to reflect on a leadership challenge, an upcoming transition, or how I might support you, you’re very welcome to reply directly to this email.
You can also:
- Connect with me on LinkedIn for additional leadership insights
- Explore my international best-selling book ‚Mastering Executive Transitions: The Definitive Guide‘ described by Dr. Marshall Goldsmith as “THE ultimate guide to executive transitions to help leaders achieve their highest potential”
- Leave a review for my book here
What's Next? More insights on leadership, transitions, and executive effectiveness are coming your way next week. I’d genuinely value your perspective—feel free to share your reflections by replying to this email. I read every response.
Navid
