Leading Through Change: 4 Principles Every Learning Professional Needs to Thrive

Written by Kasey May | Sep 2, 2025 12:45:00 PM

Have you ever had to renovate your home while you were still living in it? It’s pretty uncomfortable, right? That’s what change can feel like. You’re making progress toward a better space, but in the meantime, there’s dust in the air, the furniture is covered in plastic, and nothing feels quite right. You can’t stop your life while the transformation happens—you just have to find ways to adapt, keep things functional, and try to help everyone feel at home in the meantime.

That was the focus of a recent webinar featuring Al Dea, founder of The Edge of Work, a leadership development consulting firm. Al shared practical, human-centered strategies for navigating organizational change—whether you’re driving it, responding to it, or supporting others through it. This session was designed especially for learning professionals who happen to live in the constant current of transformation, while helping leaders and teams adapt without losing their footing.

The workplace is evolving at breakneck speed. Remote work policies shift overnight. AI tools appear faster than they can be evaluated. Economic uncertainty fuels restructures, mergers, and rebrands. For many employees, this pace can feel overwhelming—leading to stress, disengagement, and resistance. Learning professionals face a dual challenge: they must adapt themselves while also equipping others to do the same. Whew!

So how do you keep the renovation moving forward without making the house unlivable? It starts with understanding a few guiding principles that can anchor your approach to change.

1. Humans are wired to survive. When change hits, the human brain’s first priority is safety. Our ancestors relied on predictability to avoid danger, and those instincts still shape our reactions today. When a new process, technology, or structure is introduced, it can trigger a threat response, one that fuels anxiety, narrows focus, and reduces performance.

For learning leaders, this means recognizing that resistance to change often isn’t about defiance, it’s about self-preservation. Approaching conversations with empathy, patience, and clarity can help reduce perceived threats and create a safer atmosphere for adoption.

2. What isn’t changing matters as much as what is. That’s deep, isn’t it? When organizations announce big changes, employees naturally fixate on what’s changing. This can make the situation feel bigger and more destabilizing than it actually is. But by highlighting what is staying the same—whether that’s core values, team relationships, or certain processes—you can provide an anchor that can stabilize the rest of the team.

Even small elements of stability can calm uncertainty. Whether through formal communications or informal check-ins, reinforcing continuity helps teams regain their footing and focus on what they can control.

3. You can’t always choose change, but you can choose your response. In the world of organizational learning, some changes will be beyond the scope of your influence. Policies will shift. Budgets will tighten. Strategic priorities will evolve. While you can’t prevent these events, you can control how you respond.

That moment between stimulus and reaction is where agency lives. Choosing a proactive, solutions-focused approach empowers you to model adaptability for others. It’s dignified, in fact. It also positions you as a steady, trusted partner during times of disruption.

4. Change is hard, and people can change. It’s one of the most beautiful things about humanity. Even the most unwelcome transformations can spark growth. Human beings have an incredible capacity for adaptation, thanks, in part, to the brain’s neuroplasticity (the ability to form new connections and behaviors throughout life).

Change may take time, and the process may feel messy, but with intentional effort, support, and reinforcement, individuals and organizations can evolve. As a learning professional, you can accelerate the change process by providing consistent communication, skills training, and opportunities for reflection and feedback.

Creating the Conditions for Change Success

These four principles work best when paired with practical actions. To guide your team through change:

Communicate early, often, and honestly, even when all the answers aren’t yet available
Involve employees in problem-solving to increase engagement and ownership
Break significant changes into manageable phases to reduce overwhelm
Recognize and celebrate quick wins to maintain momentum
Provide targeted learning resources that equip people with the skills they need for new ways of working

Change fatigue is real, but you don’t have to go through it. By meeting people where they are, acknowledging their challenges, and reinforcing both stability and possibility, you can turn a disruptive season into a period of growth.

Why Learning Professionals Are Uniquely Positioned to Lead

Those in learning roles often have a bird’s-eye view of the organization. They work across departments, understand the skills and capabilities of the workforce, and are adept at translating big-picture strategies into actionable steps for their teams. This perspective allows them to see how change impacts both the system and the individual, which makes them powerful allies in any transformational effort.

In many cases, learning professionals also serve as cultural translators, helping employees make sense of shifts in direction and find meaning in their work during times of uncertainty. This combination of strategic insight and people-focused leadership makes them indispensable during times of change.

Change is inevitable. The key is to develop a plan that keeps you balanced when the dust is flying and the renovations keep evolving. Whether it’s a reorganization, a new technology rollout, or a complete shift in strategy, the same principles apply: recognize the human side of change, provide stability, choose your response, and believe in the capacity for growth.

If you missed the live webinar—or want to revisit the insights and practical tips shared—you can watch the full recording below.

To explore how ELB Learning^® can help your organization design and implement a change-ready learning strategy, visit our learning strategy services page. Our experts can partner with you to create tailored solutions that equip your workforce for whatever lies ahead.

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Disclaimer: The ideas, perspectives, and strategies shared in this article reflect the expertise of our featured speaker, Al Dea. Be sure to follow him on LinkedIn to explore more of his insights.

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