Discovering Leadership Lessons in a Moving Box
Managing transitions can be both essential and exhausting
Moving is consistently ranked among life’s most stressful events, right alongside starting a new job or navigating a major personal transition. It is exciting because it represents possibility, but it is also disruptive because it upends daily rhythms and forces us to leave behind what is familiar. During a recent transition, I was reminded how moving homes can feel a lot like my experiences in leadership.
Following a long search for the perfect house, we finally signed the contract and loaded up our belongings. There was the thrill of imagining where furniture would go, how we might decorate, and what life might feel like once we settled in. There was also the exhaustion of long days, heavy boxes, and endless decisions.
To make the process more fun, and just as we began to catch our breath, my mother-in-law moved in with us. This was part of our long-term plan, and it has been a joy, but it also reshaped the dynamics of our household. Eventually she will build a cottage on our property, but for now her presence has already brought new energy and new adjustments.
Reflecting on these experiences, I was struck by how much moving houses mirrors organizational leadership. Change in a family, like change in an organization, is exciting and disruptive at the same time. It brings opportunity, but it also creates loss. It offers a chance for growth, but it demands new patterns. Here are four lessons I’ve unpacked from my experience moving and am carrying into my work as CEO.
Change brings both excitement and loss
When you move into a new home, imagination runs wild. You picture gatherings around the table, decide which room will be best for reading in the afternoon light, or find the perfect spot for the grill. The possibilities are energizing.
But even positive change brings grief. For us, leaving our old house meant leaving behind the place where we had raised our children for 13 years. On the kitchen wall, we had marked their growth year after year. Saying goodbye to that wall, and everything it represented, was harder than I expected.
Leadership is no different. William Bridges, who wrote extensively on organizational transitions, observed that all change begins with an ending. At Wesley Glen, where I serve as CEO, we launched agency-wide transformation shortly after I arrived. It was the right direction, but it meant leaving behind long-held routines and familiar ways of working. Leaders who ignore the losses that come with change risk creating resistance. Leaders who acknowledge them help people process the past and embrace the future.
You cannot move everything at once
Moving day itself is full of adrenaline. Trucks roll in, boxes stack up, and suddenly you are waking up in a new house. But settling in is something entirely different. While the boxes are present, the working of unpacking and arranging awaits. Not to overlook the sounds, smells, and lighting are all new… it takes time for the brain to catch up.
Organizations face the same reality. When I first arrived at Wesley Glen, it was tempting to try to fix everything at once. John Kotter’s research on transformation emphasizes sequencing. Successful change comes from focusing first on the essentials that build momentum before tackling everything else.
At home, that meant placing furniture and, if I am honest, making sure the internet was working before we worried about which drawer would hold the spatulas. At work, it meant stabilizing finances and clarifying strategy before layering in more ambitious initiatives. Leaders who pace change effectively keep their teams energized rather than overwhelmed.
A new space requires new rhythms
A new house quickly exposes habits that no longer fit. My commute changed. Cooking changed because a gas stove cooks faster than the electric one we left behind. Even our dogs had to learn an entirely new yard and adapt to the invisible fence system. And then there were the daily puzzles of light switches. Every evening felt like a memory test to remember which switch controlled which light.
Organizations encounter the same challenge. New realities require new behaviors. At Wesley Glen, agency-wide changes reshaped how people collaborated. Meetings shifted. New conversations emerged. Some old traditions faded, while new practices took their place. Ronald Heifetz’s work on adaptive leadership reminds us that leading through change is not only about technical fixes. It is about helping people adjust to new ways of living and working. Leaders who create room for new rhythms make adaptation possible.
Welcoming new people reshapes the whole system
Six weeks after our move, my mother-in-law joined us. Even though it was part of the plan, her arrival still shifted the household. Suddenly there were more voices at the table, new schedules to coordinate, and fresh opportunities to show grace. Her presence enriched us, but it also required adjustment.
The same is true in organizations. Growth brings new staff, new board members, and new clients or customers. At Wesley Glen, we added new positions, repositioned existing staff into roles that better matched their gifts and expanded programs to welcome more neighbors into our services. Each addition changed the culture in small but meaningful ways. Patrick Lencioni often notes that culture is shaped less by strategy and more by the people who live it every day. Leaders must recognize that every new person reshapes the system and, with the right support, strengthens it.
Leading through transitions
Moving houses reminded me of something leaders often forget. Transitions are not purely strategic events. They are deeply human experiences. They carry both excitement and grief, both adrenaline and disorientation. They demand clear priorities, create new rhythms, and shift dynamics as new people join the journey.
In the end, moving is not just about finding a house. It is about making a home. Leadership is not just about hitting goals. It is about creating an environment where people feel they belong and can thrive, even when everything still feels like it is in boxes.
Five Practical Tips To Consider When Managing Change
Acknowledge the loss. Change always means leaving something behind. Give people permission to grieve, even when the future is brighter.
Set clear priorities. Focus first on essentials that stabilize momentum. Resist the temptation to fix everything at once.
Encourage new rhythms. Create space for experimentation and adaptation. New realities require new patterns of behavior.
Value every person. Recognize that new team members reshape the system. Position them thoughtfully and invest in their success.
Balance vision with patience. Keep the long-term vision visible but remember that sustainable change takes time.