Leading through the storm: Why change-ready leaders thrive

In today’s world, characterized by significant turbulence, we face a variety of challenges including economic uncertainty, talent scarcity, and the evolving impact of artificial intelligence on the workplace. In light of these dynamics, it is evident that change has become an inherent aspect of our reality rather than a temporary phase. Embracing this new normal offers us the opportunity to adapt and thrive in a constantly shifting environment.

According to the 2023 PwC Global CEO Survey, 39% of CEOs believe that their organizations will lack economic viability in ten years if they maintain their current trajectory. Simultaneously, the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report (2023) revealed that 44% of workers’ essential skills are projected to change within the next five years, emphasizing an increasingly critical leadership mandate: adaptive capability is not merely advantageous; it is essential for strategy.

In this climate of compounding uncertainty, leaders must not only manage through disruption, but they must also build the conditions that allow people, processes, and organizations to transform through it.

Change ready leadership: The new competitive edge

Traditional leadership training often focuses on personal competencies such as communication, time management, and decision making. While useful, these are no longer sufficient.

Today’s most resilient organizations are investing in change-centric leadership development, which combines structured change models with emotional intelligence, systems thinking, and stakeholder engagement. A 2024 McKinsey Global Survey confirmed that companies embracing adaptive change leadership are three times more likely to outperform competitors in both transformation and talent retention.

Equip Your Organization to Lead, Not React

The 2023 Deloitte Human Capital Trends report revealed a troubling paradox: 94% of executives believe strong leadership is essential to success, yet only 23% believe their current pipelines reflect their organizational values. This is the gap that change literate leadership development can close. By investing in training that empowers leaders to model clarity, resilience, and agility, organizations do not just manage change—they shape it. They create the culture, capacity, and community required to thrive through disruption.

Ready to lead the next era of change?

Emory Continuing Education is partnering with TiER1 to deliver the Change Guides Change Management Certification. This three-day immersive experience is designed for leaders navigating complex change landscapes. The program equips professionals with a step-by-step change roadmap backed by 31 field tested tools and frameworks built for real world application. Upon completion, participants will earn 24 professional development units (valid toward ACMP CCMP or SHRM recertification) and be recognized as a Certified Change Guides Practitioner.

Next steps

Join our information session at 12:00-1:00pm on October 29. For more information or to register for the session contact the Emory Corporate Learning team.