Transitions
Leading Through Transitions: Turning Life’ s Shifts Into Leadership Strength
By Diana Muhairwe
Transitions are a lot like Kampala traffic jams. You sit in one lane, convinced it will eventually move. You watch other drivers make bold diversions; some onto side roads, some into gaps you didn’ t even see.
And while you’ re stuck debating whether to wait or move, you realize the people who diverted are already out of sight. That’ s what transitions in life and business feel like: messy, unpredictable, frustrating- but sometimes, the only way forward is to stop waiting and take the turn.
And right now, in October, as businesses brace for the final quarter of the year, many leaders I speak to are in transition. Some are closing projects that didn’ t work out, others are shifting careers, rethinking teams, or navigating economic pressures that force hard pivots.
If you’ re reading this, chances are; you too are facing a transition. Personal or professional. Chosen or forced. And you’ re wondering: How do I keep moving forward when so much is uncertain? Let’ s talk about it.
The Nature of Transitions
Transitions are like seasons. They arrive whether you’ re ready or not. You can’ t stop autumn from stripping the trees bare. You can’ t stop markets from shifting, industries from evolving, or technology from rewriting the rules. You can resist. Or you can adapt.
Business history is full of companies that resisted change and became extinct. Remember Kodak? They invented the digital camera but clung to film until the market passed them by. On the flip side, think of Netflix. They began as a DVD rental company. When the winds shifted, they pivoted into streaming and transformed the industry.
The difference wasn’ t resources. It was how they handled transition.
The Inner Battle
Here’ s the part we don’ t talk about enough. Transitions are not just external. They’ re deeply internal.
When life or business shifts, something inside us panics. We start hearing whispers:
•“ What if I can’ t handle this?” or“ What if I lose everything I’ ve built?”
• " What if I don ' t make any profit?" Or " What if my business fails to take off?"
Transitions create noise. When everything shifts, the temptation is to do more, to scramble, add projects, say yes to everything. But noise is not strategy. What leaders really need in transition is focus. Simplify. Strip things down to the essentials.
• What if I don ' t get the right partners? And so much more.
Sounds familiar? I’ ve felt it too. When I hesitated on launching my daycare idea years ago, it wasn’ t the market that held me back. It was me. My predator was perfectionism. I wanted everything lined up before I moved. And while I was perfecting, someone else was pioneering.
That’ s the cost of resisting transition. Not just missed opportunities, but missed growth.
So how do you lead yourself through a transition?
Shift Your Lens from Fear to Curiosity
Fear sees transitions as threats. Curiosity sees them as classrooms. When your business model falters or a partnership ends, fear says,“ This is the end.” Curiosity asks,“ What might this be teaching me? What’ s next?”
One of my clients, a brilliant events entrepreneur, saw her bookings dry up almost overnight during the pandemic. At first, she panicked. But then she asked a different question:“ What if this is the moment to reinvent?” Within months, she transitioned into digital experiences and ended up scaling far beyond what physical events had ever allowed.
Ask yourself; Am I treating this transition as a threat, or as a teacher?
Simplify to Amplify
Transitions create noise. When everything shifts, the temptation is to do more, to scramble, add projects, say yes to everything. But noise is not strategy. What leaders really need in transition is focus. Simplify. Strip things down to the
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