The 10 questions change leaders must answer first

Businesses don’t need flashy bosses who fire first and figure it out later. Real change comes from trust, honesty and shared vision

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I once read a news story about an executive who had been hired to turn around the fortunes of a business that was on the rocks. The product was bad. Morale was awful. Management appeared to be confused about what to do. And customers were staying away in droves.

Clearly, this fellow had been hired to make changes, and here’s what he said: “We’ve got to shake this place up and keep shaking until we get it right.”

He was a change manager, to be sure. He had been brought in because things weren’t working well and somebody had to make miracles happen quickly. And our guy did that in spades, firing middle managers with abandon, reversing policies that had served the organization well, and establishing immediately that he was king.

You know what? It worked—for a while. The operation seemed to take on a new focus, and customers returned. The product got better. Management relaxed and the teamwork that everyone had hoped for seemed to emerge once again. That’s the good news.

But the emphasis is on “for a while.” In less than a year, the new manager was gone. His bravado still echoed in the hallways, but the business had slipped back into its old problems.

We see versions of this across everywhere, whether in major retailers trying to reinvent themselves, provincial health-care systems undergoing reform, or tech firms moving from rapid expansion to sudden layoffs. Leaders come in promising quick fixes, and sometimes results do improve briefly. But without deeper buy-in from employees, customers and communities, the gains rarely last.

The lesson is critical for today’s corporate managers: change cannot be mandated or forced. It has to be led with care and with people. Shake-ups create a short-term jolt, but they rarely deliver lasting transformation.

Here are 10 questions that every thoughtful change leader should ask before trying to “make things better.”

1. What is the employees’ perspective?
Leaders must know what people in the organization are really thinking. That means asking directly and listening carefully, not relying on assumptions. Buy-in starts with trust.

2. Did you set the stage for change?
One of leadership’s most vital roles is anticipating the future and preparing for it. Today, that means grappling with artificial intelligence, global instability and changing workforce expectations. Reinvention has to be constant.

3. Are you tracking employee perceptions throughout?
George Bernard Shaw warned that the problem with communication is the illusion that it has happened. That illusion is more dangerous than ever. Pulse checks and ongoing feedback keep leaders connected.

4. Are you giving honest answers to tough questions?
In an uncertain economy, employees demand straightforward answers. If you don’t know, say so. If you can’t disclose, explain why. Spin erodes trust; honesty builds it.

5. Can you answer the most important question: What’s in it for them?
Regardless of sector, retail, health care, government or tech, employees ask the same question: how does this change affect me? Leaders must connect the big picture to daily work and career prospects.

6. Is your communication behaviour-based?
Rhetoric without action is empty. Employees pay more attention to what leaders do than to what they say. If actions don’t match words, credibility vanishes.

7. Can you paint the big-little picture?
Vision matters, but so does execution. The big picture is the long-term goal; the little picture is the immediate step. Both are necessary: one inspires, the other guides.

8. Is it your vision or our vision?
A vision imposed by executives rarely sticks. Employees need to see themselves in it. Shared vision creates shared responsibility.

9. Are you emotionally literate?
Change always sparks denial, resistance and fear before it produces acceptance. Leaders who acknowledge these emotions and respond with empathy improve their odds of success.

10. Do you know what shouldn’t change?
The genius of leadership is preserving core values while adapting strategies. Culture and purpose must endure even as structures and markets shift.

Executives who rely on bravado may win headlines, but they rarely win the future. Lasting change comes from trust, not theatrics; organizations that forget this lesson usually pay the price.

Dr. Carol Kinsey Goman is an expert in nonverbal communication, body language, and leadership presence. She is a speaker, author, and executive coach who works with business leaders and organizations to improve their communication and leadership skills. Goman has written several books, including STAND OUT: How to Build Your Leadership Presence, which explores how nonverbal cues impact leadership effectiveness. With a background in psychology, she combines research in neuroscience with practical insights to help leaders understand the power of body language in building trust, influencing others, and fostering collaboration.