It's easy to dismiss those who resist change as just choosing to be difficult, particularly if they're in a well-paid job with good conditions.

Of the many tools available for de-escalating conflict, one reigns supreme for reducing tension quickly: empathy.

One of the most important interruptions you can make in a staff member's day when you're a leader in retail is to catch them doing the right thing.

However, as a leader, making time to meet for proactive 1:1 coaching conversations with your staff is one of the smartest time investments you can make.

Change – like that being experienced by businesses around the world in the aftermath of natural disasters, the COVID-19 pandemic, skills shortages and technology advances – challenges us.

Industries are transitioning, corporations are undergoing restructures, and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters has left many grappling with a mix of big emotions and reactions.

“I don’t have time for this and I don’t do feelings,” Graeme, a leader in the water industry told me as we discussed an upcoming change in his team.

In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing world, we are constantly confronted with new ideas, information and ways of working.

It takes courage and requires human-centred leadership that balances warmth and empathy with strength and accountability.

Change is inherently challenging. Our brains are wired for comfort and certainty, seeking routine, patterns, habits and shortcuts.