By Atty Maria Anthonette V. Allones

This is perhaps the best time to reflect on changing leadership with our mid-term elections early this week, ushering in a new or renewed set of political leaders, and the recent election of Pope Leo XIV succeeding Pope Francis as the lead shepherd of the Catholic faithful. By these events, we witness how change in leadership is essential to fill a vacuum, provide continuity or serve as a steady compass to steer the organization through volatile changes.

Closer to our tollways home, we managed leadership transition towards the close of 2024, and we continue with our efforts to navigate changes in our senior leadership structure as we search for the best fit for our key leadership positions.

Filling in leadership vacuum is crucial because of the critical role leaders play in teams and organizations. Leaders paint the future where the team is headed, inspire everyone to commit to new ways of doing things, and synergize talents and resources to ensure the organization ably adapts to the challenges it faces.

In my personal leadership practice, three factors are essential to master to enable teams to embrace changing leadership. These include 1) appreciating providence, 2) connecting the change to purpose, and 3) cultivating a positive perspective in accepting the changes and the new people who get onboard.

Providence and purpose are closely intertwined, enabling us to view the change situation with a deeper perspective that is also laced with gratitude. This means we accept the change as a necessary one, serendipitous even, that opens opportunities for growth and a new chance for the team to chart a new course with the new leader. This also requires us to practice humility, submitting to the will of a higher Being that orchestrates the events in our lives within the organization. Then, connecting the change and the change leaders to the big and small purposes that provide meaning on the situation and the tasks we do, helps lessen resistance and reframe mindsets to one that aligns the change with God’s promised of a plan that prospers us and not harm us.

Finally, a positive perspective seeds our growth mindset – it cultivates openness to opportunities, enables us to welcome and not fear the change, and breeds champions for the change as a gateway for organizational improvement and a way to meet evolving team challenges.

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