By Dr. Kristen Newberry

Institutional transitions rarely unfold gently. Sometimes they arrive suddenly, without warning, and with consequences that ripple through people’s lives in very real and personal ways. During these moments, leadership is not defined by authority or position—it is defined by presence, integrity, and the ability to guide others through uncertainty.

In 2018, I was serving as Dean of a doctoral program at The Illinois School of Professional Psychology in Schaumburg when I received unexpected news: our campus—and our entire program—would be closing. We were given less than a semester’s notice, with no formal plan to teach out the program. The decision was both shocking and heartbreaking. Our program was thriving—ranked among the top within our system and exceeding enrollment goals. Yet suddenly, I was tasked with informing students that their academic home would disappear, and faculty—some of whom had dedicated over two decades to the program—that their roles would end with no transition and no severance.

Moments like this reveal what leadership truly requires.

Leadership in Times of Uncertainty

During institutional disruption, people do not look first for strategy—they look for stability and safety. They look for someone they can trust, someone who can hold complexity without losing clarity, and someone who will speak honestly while still guiding them forward.

What I learned during this period is that people need truth, but they also need care. They need transparency about their situation so they can make informed decisions, yet they also need reassurance that they are not alone within the uncertainty. Leadership requires holding both at once—balancing organizational realities with human impact.

I remember inviting the entire student body to my home one evening, offering a space where they could speak openly, ask hard questions, and hear the truth directly. There was no script, no corporate messaging—just honesty, presence, and care. I wanted them to understand what was happening, but more importantly, I wanted them to know that they mattered beyond the institution. They were not simply students in a program; they were people whose futures, families, and dreams were deeply affected. That truth mattered to me then, and it still does today.

What People Need During Transition

Difficult transitions expose a fundamental reality: leadership is experienced emotionally before people consider the plans or the path forward. In moments of uncertainty, people are quietly asking themselves whether they can trust their leader, whether they will be told the truth, whether they are seen as people rather than roles, and whether the person guiding them can see a path forward that they themselves cannot yet see.

In times of disruption, people need a leader who can hold competing demands—organizational responsibility, ethical clarity, and human compassion—without losing direction. They need steadiness when the path forward is unclear. They need someone who can see the other side of the storm before they can.

Lessons in Strategic Leadership

Institutional transitions are complex, but several principles consistently shape successful outcomes:

1. Trust is the foundation of continuity.
Without trust, communication fails, and uncertainty becomes fear. Fear has a way of constricting perspective, leading people to make decisions from survival rather than clarity. Trust is built through honesty, consistency, and presence.

2. Speak the truth—responsibly and thoughtfully.
Transparency allows people to make informed decisions. At the same time, leaders must be mindful of timing, impact, and the broader organizational context. Effective leadership means navigating complexity – balancing truth, care, and organizational responsibility even when those demands feel in tension.

3. Care for people beyond their roles.
Transitions affect identities, stability, and futures. When people feel genuinely cared for, they are better able to navigate uncertainty and adapt to change.

4. Hold vision during uncertainty.
In the midst of disruption, people often cannot see what comes next. Leadership requires holding perspective, direction, and hope until others can see it for themselves. At their best, the leader becomes a lighthouse – steady, grounded, and illuminating both the path forward and the places of hidden danger.

Leadership That Endures Beyond Transition

Looking back, what shaped that transition most was not the closure itself. It was how people experienced the leadership guiding them through it. Organizational change is inevitable. What determines whether it becomes damaging or transformative is whether people feel abandoned or supported, misled or informed, unseen or valued.

Leadership, at its core, is relational. In moments of disruption, people do not simply need answers—they need steadiness, honesty, and someone willing to stand with them in uncertainty.

When people feel grounded in trust, even the most difficult transitions can become pathways forward.