HBR On Leadership Build Your Resilience in the Face of Tough Change
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Apr 29, 2026 
Maya Shankar, a cognitive scientist and author who studies how people navigate change, shares stories and science about identity loss and recovery. She discusses anchoring to purpose, expanding imagined futures, building resilience, learning from failure, spotting shaken identities in teams, and coping with AI-driven workplace shifts.
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People Prefer Bad Certainty Over Uncertain Outcomes
- People prefer certainty even when it's worse, for example preferring a certain bad outcome over a 50% chance of the same bad outcome.
- This reveals how humans crave knowing how a story ends and overestimate the value of control during change.
Violin Injury Pushed Identity Toward Purpose
- Maya Shankar lost her dream of being a concert violinist after a tendon injury ended her playing career.
- She discovered her core motive was emotional connection, which guided her toward new paths like cognitive science and public service.
Anchor Identity To Why Not What
- Anchor your identity to why you do work, not just what you do.
- Ask yourself what you love about your role (e.g., service, learning, creativity) to find stable ground after a loss.
