The Modern Leader series: In times of turbulence, your greatest value isn’t speed — it’s steadiness

Modern leadership attribute No. 23: In times of turbulence, your greatest value isn’t speed — it’s steadiness

Today’s pace of change is unrelenting. AI implementations, strategy pivots and culture transformations are hitting organizations faster than ever before.

According to our new enterprise change study with The Harris Poll, 83% of business leaders report experiencing more major changes than in the past, averaging nearly three major changes in just the last two years.

The change tipping point

While employees can realistically absorb only 1–2 major changes per year, more than half of leaders anticipate three or more in the next two years. That gap pushes organizations past the change tipping point: the moment when transformation stops energizing people and starts overwhelming them.

When that happens, 1 in 4 major changes fail, often resulting in burnout, disengagement and turnover. And while leaders tend to focus on metrics and milestones, employees experience the human cost.

 A tip for leaders

In times of turbulence, your greatest value isn’t speed, it’s steadiness.

1. Pause before you push. Create deliberate moments for reflection and alignment before launching new initiatives.
2. Distinguish urgency from noise. Not every change deserves the same velocity.
3. Be the anchor. In periods of chaos, consistency and calm communication become your most strategic advantage.

The bottom line

Heart First leaders know sustainable transformation happens at the speed of trust, not the speed of technology. By balancing urgency with empathy, you become the steady presence your people need to stay focused and the reason change succeeds instead of stalls.

Download the research report, The Change Tipping Point, for more insights and actions to help your people thrive through change.

About The Modern Leader series

Discover actionable insights released biweekly, designed to help you elevate your own leadership impact and drive the business results you seek.

So, how do you know if you’re a modern leader?

Modern leaders stand apart through their ability to balance head and heart in today’s complex workplace, integrating emotional intelligence with strategic thinking.

New research with The Harris Poll (publishing Summer 2025) shows only 30% of leaders truly meet their teams’ evolving needs — but that elite group leads with “their heart IN their head” and consistently demonstrates six key differentiators.

They:

• Lead with gratitude.
• Listen and empathize.
• Foster an inclusive culture.
• Communicate with context.
• Connect strategy to employee growth.
• Enable employees to meet the moment.

To see additional ways you can differentiate yourself as a modern leader, check out the collection of modern leadership attributes (added bi-weekly) here.