Change: Leadership Transitions and Other Adventures

Press Release

I’ve been thinking a lot about change lately.  Now, before you assume I’ve suddenly become a philosopher or started reading self-help books at 5 a.m., let me explain.

The Indigenous Chamber of Commerce has experienced a fair amount of change recently. Board changes. CEO changes. New faces. New ideas. New meeting invitations appearing on calendars. At one point, I wasn’t sure if we were managing a leadership transition or hosting a speed-dating event for governance.

Experience has taught me that people don’t necessarily need all the answers during change…They just need to know what’s going on.

When change happens, our brains are remarkably creative. If you don’t provide people with information, guess what…suddenly everyone in the office becomes the next Inspector Clouseau. Rumours start. Assumptions grow. Someone’s cousin’s neighbour heard something from someone who attended a meeting they weren’t actually at.

Meanwhile, the truth is often much less dramatic.

Most people simply want clarity. They want to know where things are headed, what it means for them, and whether the organization they care about is still moving in the right direction. I’ve also learned that transparency doesn’t mean having every answer.  Trust me, if having all the answers was a requirement for leadership, many of us would be updating our résumés immediately.  Sometimes transparency is just simply saying….”Here’s what we know.”, “Here’s what we’re still figuring out.”, “And here’s when we’ll tell you more.”

Simple right? Not always easy, but simple.

What I’ve found during periods of transition is that people are incredibly resilient when they feel informed. They can handle uncertainty. They can adapt to new circumstances. They can support change.  What they struggle with is silence.  Silence creates space for worry. Communication creates space for trust.  And trust is everything.

The good news is that while leadership positions may change, our purpose doesn’t.

The Indigenous Chamber of Commerce exists to support Indigenous businesses, entrepreneurs, and communities. That mission remains bigger than any one person, any one board member, or any one CEO. It’s the reason we’re all here in the first place.

In many ways, change is a reminder that healthy organizations continue to evolve. New leaders bring fresh perspectives. New board members bring new ideas. Sometimes they also bring new acronyms that everyone pretends to understand for the first three meetings.

That’s part of the process.

So as we continue moving forward together, I’m reminded that the most important thing leaders can provide during times of change isn’t perfection. It’s clarity. A little transparency. A lot of communication. And every now and then, a sense of humour.

Because the truth is, people are remarkably adaptable when they understand what’s happening around them. They can handle change. They can handle uncertainty. What they struggle with is being left in the dark.

With all of that being said, one lesson I’ve learned throughout my years in leadership is that change is inevitable. Organizational charts shift, strategic plans evolve, and leadership teams transition. Yet somehow, a few things never seem to change: there’s always another meeting, another email, another last-minute request, and another document marked “final” that is anything but.

The good news? Through all the change, there is always another opportunity to support our members, strengthen our communities, and move our mission forward.

So, as we navigate leadership transitions and other adventures, let’s keep communicating, keep asking questions, and keep moving forward together. And if you happen to receive a document called “FINAL_v7_ACTUAL FINAL,” just know that it’s all part of the adventure.

IBF5