The final workshop of day two of the SDF Festival explored how leaders can navigate change with clarity, compassion and courage. Led by leadership coach Mamta Gera, the session offered practical strategies for fostering adaptive cultures, promoting psychological safety, and supporting teams through uncertainty, particularly within higher education.
Setting the Scene: The Higher Education Context
The workshop began by acknowledging the challenging climate in higher education:
- Nearly half of higher education providers in England are forecasting financial deficits.
- International student numbers fluctuate, adding volatility to planning.
- Rising operational costs, frozen domestic tuition fees and shifting government policies increase pressure.
- Staff face insecurity, low morale, fatigue and stress as institutions restructure.
Mamta emphasised that these challenges are both practical and emotional, requiring leaders to recognise the human side of change.
Emotional Impact of Change
Participants explored why change often triggers resistance. Perceived losses drive resistance, not dislike of change itself:
- Competence: fear of being left behind by new technology or processes
- Autonomy: lack of control over decisions
- Status: concerns about influence and authority
- Belonging: disruption of routines or team dynamics
- Identity: uncertainty about one’s professional role or purpose
Understanding these responses helps leaders respond with empathy rather than frustration.
Adaptive versus Technical Challenges
A key distinction in the session:
- Technical challenges: problems with clear solutions, for example updating systems or rolling out policies.
- Adaptive challenges: problems requiring shifts in mindset, behaviour and culture, for example restructuring teams, embedding new learning models or integrating AI.
Many current challenges in higher education are adaptive, demanding that leaders guide teams through learning, unlearning and transformation rather than relying solely on technical fixes.
The SCARF Model: Understanding Emotional Responses
Mamta introduced David Rock’s SCARF model to explain why change can feel threatening:
- Status: feeling valued and respected
- Certainty: clarity about the future
- Autonomy: sense of control
- Relatedness: feeling connected and included
- Fairness: perception of justice and transparency
Change can threaten these domains, triggering anxiety, disengagement or resistance. Leaders can mitigate this by proactively addressing these areas with clarity, inclusion and empathy.
Adaptive Leadership in Action
Effective leaders adopt three core behaviours:
- Name the uncertainty: acknowledge what is unknown rather than over-reassuring or staying silent.
- Create psychological safety: provide clarity, consistency and transparency to give teams a secure foundation.
- Model vulnerability and learning: demonstrate curiosity, admit mistakes and experiment alongside the team.
These behaviours foster trust, resilience and openness to change.
Growth Mindset and Psychological Safety
- Teams with a growth mindset view challenges as learning opportunities rather than threats.
- Psychological safety allows members to: Speak up, Take risks, Learn from mistakes, Innovate without fear of negative consequences. Based on Amy Edmondson’s research, leaders can strengthen team safety by:
- Establishing clear norms and expectations
- Inviting input and valuing diverse perspectives
- Admitting their own fallibility
- Responding constructively to feedback
Practical Scenarios Discussed
- Restructuring teams: leaders acknowledged uncertainty, offered regular updates and created forums for discussion.
- Integrating AI: programme leads framed technology adoption as a learning opportunity, encouraging experimentation and sharing of small wins or failures.
- New digital systems: rather than reacting to complaints, leaders observed patterns, listened to stakeholders and co-created solutions beyond technical fixes.
A vivid metaphor used was “The Balcony and the Dance Floor”:
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Dance floor: engaging directly with teams and experiencing the intensity of change.
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Balcony: stepping back to observe patterns, identify resistance sources and gain perspective before acting.
Key Takeaways
- Leading change means leading emotion and uncertainty: recognise fear, loss and anxiety as human responses.
- Psychological safety is essential: without it, even the best strategies fail.
- Adaptive challenges require learning, unlearning and letting go: not everything can be fixed with policies or tools.
- Self-awareness and mindset are central leadership skills: growth mindset, reflection and courage are core capacities in uncertain times.
- Leadership is relational and ongoing: being present, curious and courageous is more important than having all the answers.
Reflection and Action
Participants were encouraged to consider:
- Which adaptive leadership behaviours can they practice more intentionally?
- How can they foster psychological safety in their own teams?
- Where do they need to step onto the “balcony” to gain perspective on challenges?
This session left attendees with practical insights, frameworks and metaphors to navigate change thoughtfully, humanely and effectively. The emphasis was clear: leading through uncertainty is about connecting with people, fostering trust and embracing the human side of transformation.
Written by Dr Rossana Gent, based on the session led by Mamta Gera.
Mamta is an Executive & Leadership Coach, dedicated to unlocking leaders’ full potential, through the Leader In You. With an MSc in Psychology & Neuroscience of Mental Health from King’s College London, she deeply understands the link between mental health and effective leadership. She fosters a growth mindset through self-awareness, equipping leaders with tools to overcome obstacles and achieve goals. Passionate about mental health advocacy, Mamta addresses challenges in high-pressure roles, promoting well-being and resilience. Her extensive knowledge empowers leaders to harness strengths, navigate modern leadership complexities, and drive positive organisational change.