Bright Ideas by ColorVizion Lab is the go-to newsletter for people leaders transforming the talent experience. We answer the tough questions people leaders face daily—with straight talk and real solutions. Desiree Booker, CEO of ColorVizion Lab, answers this week’s question.
❔How do I lead through C-suite changes without burning out?
When senior leaders step down or move on, you’ll often see trust go down while team anxiety goes up. Priorities get cloudy and more often than not, people leaders are left to pick up the pieces with little notice, limited support, and a ton of pressure to “keep things steady.”
That pressure is only growing.
Over half of C-suite executives are likely to leave their roles within the next two years. And CHROs are already calling leadership development, org design, and change management their top priorities for 2025.
The message is clear: leadership transitions are becoming more frequent, more disruptive, and harder to navigate without a plan.
And who’s expected to hold it all together as this happens? People leaders.
They’re the ones asked to stabilize morale, clarify shifting goals, calm uncertainty, protect top talent, and somehow keep the employee experience intact, often with vague messaging and a smile.
In this newsletter, we’re breaking down how to lead through a C-suite shakeup with clarity, confidence, and care.
Whether you’re navigating a reorg, guiding your team through uncertainty, or advocating for the support you need to do it all well, here’s where to start.
🧭 A short-term action plan that keeps your team grounded
People leaders don’t have the luxury of waiting for direction when C-suite goes through changes. You’ll need a plan to stabilize your team, even when support is limited. That means focusing on what actually moves the needle: communication, alignment, and emotional safety.
Here are your non-negotiables in your action plan, according to Desiree Booker, CEO of ColorVizion Lab:
1️⃣ Communicate with clarity and consistency.
Use every channel – Slack, huddles, email – to share what you know and what you don’t know. Transparency doesn’t require you to have all the answers. But you should be honest, early, and steady in your delivery.
2️⃣ Listen intentionally, not just reactively.
Don’t wait for people to come to you. Make time for check-ins, ask real questions, and create safe spaces for people to share concerns, even if only for 10 minutes. This is especially important for those who may not speak up on their own.
3️⃣ Refocus the team around what matters now.
Transitions create noise and confusion. Bring your team back to the current priorities. What’s essential? What can wait? Clear direction protects energy and keeps performance on track.
🔄What to do when you have to restructure roles (and not lose trust)
One of the most delicate parts of a C-suite transition is figuring out how to adjust team structures, priorities, or goals without losing trust in the process. How you introduce these changes matters just as much as the changes themselves.
“The incoming leader should be careful not to immediately jump into making changes,” Desiree says. “It would behoove them to go on a listening tour to introduce themselves to key team members, understand team dynamics, pain points, strengths, etc.”
Before anyone starts rewriting job descriptions or reshuffling responsibilities, here’s what’s most important:
- Gather team members to explain the why behind any role changes and how they support team and business goals.
- Ask for input to build shared ownership and reduce resistance.
- Proactively clarify new responsibilities, expectations, and success metrics.
- Regularly check in to spot confusion or morale dips before they become bigger issues.
Desiree shares a story of her previous boss who did this well. He was a well-respected leader, and inherited a small, all-woman, and mostly White PR team as a Black man.
Desiree says his appearance alone was enough for him to be met with skepticism when he stepped into the role, but he made it his business to get to know all six of his team members on a personal basis.
“He noted our development goals, challenges, and was great at leveraging each of us for our individual strengths,” she says. “This made us feel seen and important, which ultimately grew into loyalty for him. People would challenge him from time to time. Sometimes he engaged them, but he also knew when to assert his authority and remind us all that he is the boss (in a very respectful way).”
This is a reminder that restructuring is more than changing roles, but should be about building trust, listening first, and leading with both empathy and clarity.
🤝The best way to ask for more support without burning out
Leadership transitions put extra weight on the people who are already carrying the most. HR and people leaders are often expected to manage change, maintain morale, and retain top talent, all while navigating their own uncertainty.
Without the right support, it’s simply not sustainable.
“My best advice would be to tie the ask to specific business outcomes,” Desiree says. “At the end of the day, companies only care about the bottom line. How will this resource help you to ultimately help the company?”
In today’s economic climate, asking for headcount may be a stretch, but that doesn’t mean you’re out of options. Instead, try asking for low-cost tools that boost productivity by offloading mundane tasks. That way, you can focus more on the people management parts of your role.
Desiree also suggests exploring AI-powered tools that support HR workflows, like training content creation, knowledge base management, or candidate screening. These small shifts can give people leaders time back to focus on strategy, connection, and culture.
And sometimes, the most powerful tool is simply asking for help.
When Desiree was a Campus Recruiter for Warner Bros. Discovery (formerly known as Turner Broadcasting), she was spearheading a large HBCU recruitment initiative that would strengthen the company’s diverse talent pipeline for entry-level roles. This symposium-style event had a ton of moving parts – branding, marketing, student outreach, event planning – and she was doing it completely solo.
“I finally stopped trying to be superwoman and asked my director for help,” she says. “She connected me with one of the senior leaders at the company, who became an executive sponsor of the event and helped secure more dollars. She also plugged me into the Black ERG and helped me set up committees to support the initiative.”
Within weeks, she had gone from a one-woman show to a team of 20+ volunteers planning and executing the program. This became one of her career-defining moments and made her feel a deep sense of purpose within the organization.
➡️The takeaway: Don’t wait until you’re underwater to ask for what you need. Advocate early. Tie your request to impact. And don’t be afraid to build a coalition.
Leadership transitions are a test of resilience, but they’re also an opportunity to reset expectations and get the support you need to lead well.
📘Download The People Leader’s Playbook and learn how to advocate for more executive support
ColorVizion Lab’s People Leader’s Playbook will help you better connect with senior leaders, execute your people strategies, and prioritize your own professional development in 2025.
Download your free copy today and share it with others in your organization.
📞 Ask us anything! What leadership questions do you have?
As a people leader, you’re facing challenges that don’t always have clear answers – but that’s where we come in. Our expert consultants are here to provide actionable insights to help you lead with confidence.
Submit your question here and we may dive into it in an upcoming newsletter!
📰 Story of the week: Your team’s AI skills may be falling behind
According to LinkedIn’s latest “Skills on the Rise” report, there’s a major disconnect between AI priorities and how companies are preparing their teams. While leaders say AI is critical to business success, only a little over one-third of workers have had a conversation with their manager about the skills they’ll need to succeed.
If AI is the future, why aren’t more people being brought into the conversation? Read the full story here.
📢How is your company trained to navigate unexpected change?
C-suite shakeups, leadership turnover, and new priorities – These moments can destabilize your culture if you’re not prepared.
At ColorVizion Lab, we help companies build real-time change management strategies that strengthen culture, protect performance, and keep your best employees engaged.
🛠️Learn more about our services
📘Download the People Leader’s Playbook
