Change is never easy. Whether it’s a restructuring, a new strategy, or a shift in leadership priorities, teams naturally go through a cycle of response. At Lone Rock Leadership, we talk about the change curve, the emotional journey people experience when their world of work shifts. It begins with shock and denial, moves through mourning. If led well, it ends with acceptance, energy, and renewed commitment.
However, too many organizations get stuck in the middle. The mourning phase, where frustration, resistance, and nostalgia for “the old way” dominate, becomes more than just a temporary emotional reaction. It becomes a culture. When that happens, the costs are steep.
The Hidden Toll of Staying Stuck
Lingering in the mourning phase drains productivity and morale. People spend their energy rehashing what was lost rather than building what’s next. Decision-making slows as every new initiative is met with skepticism. The longer this mindset holds, the more teams disengage, and eventually, the organization risks losing not only momentum but also top talent.
On the surface, it may look like “healthy skepticism” or “processing time.” Underneath, it’s a quiet drain on your competitive edge. Every week spent in mourning is a week not spent executing, learning, and adapting to the future.
What Leaders Must Do Differently
Great leaders know that acknowledging loss is necessary, but they also recognize that lingering in loss is destructive. The role of a leader is not to deny the emotions of change, but to guide people through them and into action. That requires three things:
- Name the reality: Pretending that nothing has changed only fuels distrust. Leaders who directly acknowledge what is hard and why build credibility.
- Recast the story: Teams need a new narrative, one that honors the past but shifts energy toward what’s possible. The leader’s voice sets the tone for that forward-looking story.
- Create small wins: Progress is the antidote to mourning. By breaking change into tangible steps and celebrating early successes, leaders build belief that the future can be better than the past.
Moving from Loss to Momentum
The truth is this: change is hard, but it doesn’t have to stall progress. When leaders help their teams move quickly through the mourning phase, they unlock resilience and momentum. Instead of resisting change, people begin to own it. Instead of longing for what was, they invest in what can be. The hidden cost of lingering in mourning is not just lost time, it’s lost opportunity. The organizations that thrive are those whose leaders know how to help people grieve quickly, learn what they need to from the past, and then channel their energy into building the future.
That’s what leadership looks like in times of change. Not denying difficulty, not wallowing in it, but guiding teams through it with clarity, confidence, and belief that what lies ahead is worth the effort.