There was once a time when it was easy to manage (and tame) organizational change. That’s because it showed up as a discrete, singular event that had a beginning and an end.

That time has come and gone. And many leaders today are wistful for the days when they could plan and control their way to success. Some are still trying to win by the old rules, and experiencing burnout or change fatigue in the process.

But there is a better way to lead change today. It starts with acknowledging that organizational change is constant and pervasive as opposed to one-off events. Leading with that reality demands a new way of thinking.

The Changing Role of a Change Leader

Leaders today need a perspective shift on what it means to be a change leader. In the past, people saw leaders as experts who could provide definitive answers. Today, given the complexity and rapid pace of change, no single leader can possibly know everything. Instead, a modern change leader curates insights from across their organization, drawing on the expertise of their teams.

Change leaders also need to move away from the mindset of “keeping everyone happy” and toward ensuring clarity and accountability. Change is difficult, and not everyone will embrace it. Rather than aiming to make everyone comfortable, leaders should focus on providing clarity around what’s behind the change, ensuring accountability, and setting clear timelines.

Leaders in traditional organizations used to plan in isolation and communicated the plan after it was finalized. That’s not going to be enough for today’s workforce. Today’s leaders need to involve their teams in the planning process—using communication to shape a flexible, agile strategy that allows room for pivots and adjustments as new information emerges.

Ultimately, leaders shouldn’t try to provide certainty where it doesn’t exist. Instead, they need to embrace humility, acknowledging that they don’t have all the answers and will likely need to course-correct along the way.

A new framework for leading change

So how can leaders manage constant, unyielding change without burning out their teams? To start with, think of leading change like coaching a football game. To an outsider, the constant motion on the field may look like chaos. But a coach knows there’s a strategy in play—a framework that brings structure to the game. Leaders can adopt a similar approach using this four-part framework:

1. PLAYS: Making sense of the moving parts

First, leaders need to help their teams understand the “plays”—how all the internal and external factors influencing the organization fit together. It’s not about apologizing for the change and chaos, but about contextualizing the various moving parts, helping their teams see the broader strategy, just as a coach would outline the overall game plan.

2. PLAN: Building in short, agile cycles

Next, leaders need to involve their teams in building a plan—one that’s not rigid or fully baked, but developed in short, agile cycles. Like a football coach who adjusts strategy play-by-play, leaders need to engage their teams in iterative planning. They run a “play,” see how it lands, and use that feedback to inform the next move. This approach allows for continuous improvement and adaptation.

Leaders provide the big-picture vision, but they rely on the insights of their frontline teams to shape the details. By involving employees in the planning process, leaders can create more practical, responsive strategies.

3. PEOPLE: Equipping and nourishing the team

No coach would send players onto the field without ensuring that they’ve properly trained (and equipped) them. Similarly, leaders have to ensure that their teams are prepared to implement change. This means acknowledging the toll that constant change can take and addressing the needs of the team before pushing forward. Ask: What training, resources, or support do they need to succeed?

By showing empathy and ensuring the team feels supported, leaders can reduce the stress that constant change creates, and that fosters resilience and engagement.

4. PULSE: Monitoring in real time

Finally, leaders need to adopt a real-time approach to monitoring progress. Traditional methods of measuring change often look backward—assessing success long after the fact. Instead, leaders should “pulse” regularly, gathering real-time feedback from their teams. By creating forums for celebration, learning, and course-correction, leaders can stay agile and ensure continuous improvement.

As we move deeper into a world where change is the only constant, the strongest leaders will be those who approach change with flexibility, humility, and empathy. It’s no longer about controlling every variable but learning how to navigate the chaos strategically—just like a great coach on game day.