Leading through change and uncertainty is tough.

It requires the courage to not only support and deal with the feelings of your people, but also to lead yourself. You need the emotional intelligence to regulate your own emotions as you steer through the storm and the strength and self-awareness to model the behaviour you want to see in others.

This doesn’t mean you’ll get it right all the time or that you won’t make mistakes, but it does require a commitment. You do need to ask yourself: Am I in or am I out? Am I up to the challenge of leading through this change and willing to do what needs to be done even when it gets hard and uncomfortable, or not?

“Are you up for it?” I asked David, a senior leader about to navigate a major restructure in his organisation. David was a few years off retirement and had previously led his team through a difficult and unpopular change. In his own words, it nearly broke him, leaving mental and emotional scars that fundamentally changed who he is.

In a coaching session, I asked David what success looked like to him at this point in his career and if he was ready to lead through the upcoming restructure. “Are you in or are you out?” I asked plainly. “You know the impact this sort of leadership pressure can have on your health and wellbeing. Are you up for it again? It has to be a conscious decision if you want to do it well and not burnout.”

This made David pause and reflect. Up until that moment, he hadn’t consciously considered whether he wanted to lead through this change. He felt like the change was happening to him, that leading it was beyond his control. He hadn’t realised he had a choice, and that making that choice was critical to his success. He decided he was in.

This simple act of committing to leading his people through another unpopular change transformed David’s mindset towards it. Instead of seeing it as something that he had to do or was victim to, it became something he chose to do. I want you to make a conscious choice too.

If you’re in, be prepared to weather the storm. Understand there will be ups and downs for both you and your team. You need to be ready to show up, own the message, be vulnerable, stay curious, show people you care, and cop criticism. It’s a lot to take on.

However, if you’re up for the challenge, leading through change can make you and your leadership stronger. Nothing builds trust and respect like guiding your people through tough times when a lesser leader would abandon ship.

If you realise that leading through a tough change is not for you, it’s better to acknowledge it now. It takes courage to say no and admit you’re not up for the job. That’s not a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of strength. Leaders who should say no but don’t can do serious damage to their own health and that of their team.

If you decide you’re in, understand it won’t just be business as usual. You’ll need to find an inner strength and courage to give more than you’ve ever given emotionally. Making a conscious commitment to lead through change will help you stay the course and remain focussed when challenges arise. It will be tough, but it will almost always be worth it.