Most of us have a go-to approach to change, and under pressure it's often the one wearing us out.

Leaders who are able to adapt are nearly twice as likely to be feeling well as those who try to control.

The skill is consciously choosing your approach, telling your team why, and shifting when required.

When the last change landed at work, what did you do first? Try to quickly get it under control? Take more on to try and save others from it? Push back and challenge why it was needed? Or wait and hope it would just blow over?

Whether you consciously chose, or just reacted, we all have a change approach. And when changes keep arriving with little breathing space between them, it's easy to fall into the same approach every time without stopping to ask whether it's still serving you, your team, or your workplace well.

The Five Change Approaches

In our 2026 survey of 380 leaders, five approaches to change stood out. Each has its benefits and its costs. And most of us lean on one more than the rest: 82 percent of the leaders we surveyed named a single go-to. Can you spot which one you favor?

Control (36 percent of leaders): You manage the change through tighter planning and oversight. "Run it by me first." When there's a fixed deadline or a safety requirement, ensuring people fall into line and comply can steady everyone. But your team feels watched, waits to be corrected, and accountability slides up to you. Our data found that of the leaders who took this approach, 44 percent rated their changes successful, 23 percent were feeling well, and 40 percent were burning out.

Control (36 percent of leaders): You manage the change through tighter planning and oversight. "Run it by me first." When there's a fixed deadline or a safety requirement, ensuring people fall into line and comply can steady everyone. But your team feels watched, waits to be corrected, and accountability slides up to you. Our data found that of the leaders who took this approach, 44 percent rated their changes successful, 23 percent were feeling well, and 40 percent were burning out.

Adapt (28 percent of leaders): You sense and adjust as the change unfolds. "What could we try? What help do we need?" When you need........

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