Leading Through Change with Rebecca Reynolds

Change is unavoidable in today’s workplace. But confusion, resistance, and stalled initiatives don’t have to be. In this episode of The Leadership Habit, Jenn DeWall sits down with change strategist Rebecca Reynolds to explore why most transformations struggle—and how leaders can guide their teams through change with clarity, confidence, and lasting impact.

Meet Rebecca Reynolds, CEO & Strategist

Rebecca Reynolds is the founder and CEO of RRC and a trusted advisor to leaders navigating complex organizational change. With more than 30 years of experience across corporate, nonprofit, and public sector organizations, she helps executives align teams, strengthen communication, and lead transformations that stick.

Rebecca is also the author of Thresholds of Change: The Way Through Transformational Times, a practical playbook for guiding personal and organizational transformation. Her work focuses on designing change processes that support leaders while keeping people engaged, resilient, and focused on results.

Why Most Change Initiatives Struggle

In the episode, Reynolds shares a powerful insight: nearly 70% of people naturally resist change. That means most leaders are working against human instinct when introducing new strategies, systems, or priorities.

Too often, organizations treat change as a one-time announcement rather than a structured journey. Leaders introduce a new idea, hope it works, and move on. When results fall short, teams become frustrated and disengaged.

Sustainable change requires intention, pacing, and continuous communication—not quick fixes.

The Four Thresholds of Change

Reynolds’ “Thresholds of Change” framework explains how people and organizations move through transformation in predictable stages.

1. Instigation: Recognizing Early Warning Signs

This stage is about noticing when something is no longer working. Declining morale, repeated mistakes, missed deadlines, and customer complaints are all indicators that change may be necessary.

Effective leaders pay attention early, before small problems become major disruptions.

2. The Liminal Stage: Creating Space for Insight

Often called the “messy middle,” this phase is where many leaders lose patience. Instead of rushing to solutions, Reynolds encourages leaders to pause and listen.

This stage allows teams to challenge assumptions, explore possibilities, and develop better ideas. It is uncomfortable—but essential for meaningful change.

3. Metabolization: Testing New Approaches

Once clarity emerges, teams begin experimenting. Leaders pilot ideas, gather feedback, and refine processes.

This stage builds confidence and helps employees feel ownership of the change.

4. Manifestation: Making Change Stick

In the final stage, the organization operates with stronger alignment and renewed momentum. Performance improves, people trust the direction, and new habits become part of everyday work.

When leaders engage the full process, change becomes lasting rather than temporary.

Where Leaders Commonly Go Wrong

Throughout the conversation, Jenn and Rebecca highlight several common mistakes that derail transformation:

• Treating major change like routine management
• Assuming everyone is comfortable with uncertainty
• Ignoring frontline perspectives
• Skipping reflection and planning time
• Communicating decisions only after they are finalized

One key takeaway is that leaders are often more adaptable than their teams. Without intentional support, this gap leads to resistance and frustration.

Why Collaboration Matters in Change

Successful change is rarely built in isolation.

Instead of designing plans behind closed doors, strong leaders invite input throughout the process. This improves solutions, builds trust, and prevents costly blind spots.

When people feel heard and involved, they are far more likely to support new initiatives.

Applying These Lessons in Your Organization

This episode offers practical guidance for leaders at every level. As you reflect, consider:

• What signals might you be overlooking?
• Have you created space for honest dialogue?
• Are you moving too quickly to “fix” things?
• Who needs to be involved earlier?

Change does not fail because people are incapable. It fails when leaders underestimate its complexity.

Learn More from Rebecca Reynolds

• Explore Rebecca’s work and resources, visit her website:  rebeccareynoldsconsulting.com
• You can also learn more through her book Thresholds of Change: The Way Through Transformational Times, which provides tools and frameworks for navigating transformation with confidence.

One of the biggest reasons change efforts stall is that teams aren’t aligned on how significant the change actually is. To help with that, Rebecca is offering Leadership Habit listeners a complimentary tool called The Change Scale Assessment. It helps leadership teams quickly align on the true scale of change they’re facing—before decisions are made or momentum is lost. 

Designed for groups of any size, the assessment brings multiple perspectives into the conversation, creating shared clarity and a more durable path forward. You can download the Change Scale Assessment for free at [https://changeauthor.myflodesk.com/ey39shovqa].

Strengthen Your Leadership Skills with Crestcom

Leading change effectively requires strong communication, decision-making, and accountability skills.

Crestcom’s Complimentary Leadership Skills Workshop is a two-hour, interactive experience designed to help leaders and teams work better together and navigate challenges with confidence.

Request your free workshop today at: https://crestcom.com/freeworkshop

 

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