Why the questions leaders ask during transition will determine the culture they retain.
A new leader can be appointed in a day.
An organisational chart can change in an email.
A strategy can be rewritten in a matter of weeks.
But culture doesn’t move that quickly.
Whether it’s a new CEO, a newly appointed Permanent Secretary or a change in political leadership within the House of Commons, the real transition begins long after the announcement.
Because while leadership changes overnight, trust, confidence and culture do not.
As an executive coach, I’ve learned that the organisations which navigate leadership transitions most successfully don’t start by providing all the answers.
They start by asking better questions.
Leadership transition is a human experience before it’s an organisational one
Every leadership change creates uncertainty.
People begin asking themselves questions long before they ask them aloud.
“Am I still valued?”
“Will my experience matter?”
“What does success now look like?”
“Can I trust this new direction?”
The temptation for leaders is to respond with certainty.
The coaching response is different.
Before we tell people where we’re going, we need to understand where they are.
That is the essence of my Question & Retain philosophy.
Ask first.
Retain what matters.
The Change Curve reminds us that people don’t resist change. They experience it.
Models such as the Change Curve help explain why people respond differently to leadership transitions.
Some embrace new opportunities immediately.
Others experience uncertainty, anxiety or hesitation.
Neither response is wrong.
People are trying to make sense of what is changing while deciding whether the things they value will remain.
This is where coaching creates space for conversation rather than assumption.
Question before you change
When leaders become curious, remarkable things happen.
Instead of assuming what the organisation needs, they ask:
- What is already working well that we should retain?
- What traditions strengthen our culture?
- What concerns are people reluctant to voice?
- What gives people confidence?
- What do we risk losing if we move too quickly?
These questions uncover something every organisation possesses: its cultural strengths.
Not everything needs changing simply because leadership has changed.
Sometimes the greatest act of leadership is recognising what deserves protecting.
Retain before you rebuild
Every organisation has assets that don’t appear on a balance sheet.
Trust.
Relationships.
Institutional knowledge.
Professional pride.
Shared purpose.
These are easy to lose and difficult to rebuild.
In institutions such as the House of Commons, where history, public service and constitutional responsibility shape everyday work, retaining these cultural foundations matters as much as introducing fresh ideas.
Leadership isn’t about replacing the past.
It’s about building on the best of it.
Coaching creates confidence, not dependency
During transition, employees don’t necessarily expect leaders to have every answer.
They do expect leaders to listen.
A coaching approach shifts the conversation from:
“Here’s what’s changing.”
to
“Help me understand what we mustn’t lose.”
That simple shift changes the relationship.
People feel heard before they’re asked to adapt.
They become contributors rather than spectators.
And engagement grows because ownership grows.
Leadership behaviour becomes organisational culture
Culture is rarely transformed by speeches.
It changes through conversations.
Every question a leader asks sends a signal.
Every decision either strengthens or weakens trust.
Every interaction tells people what will truly be valued.
That’s why I believe leadership transitions are less about introducing a new culture and more about discovering, strengthening and retaining the best of the existing one.
The leadership challenge
Leadership changes overnight.
Culture doesn’t.
The organisations that emerge strongest are those whose leaders are curious before they are certain.
Who seek to understand before they seek to influence.
Who recognise that lasting change begins with meaningful conversation.
My Question & Retain philosophy is simple.
Question deeply.
Listen better.
Retain wisely.
Lead intentionally.
Because organisations don’t flourish simply because leadership changes.
They flourish because people feel confident enough to move forward together.
I’d be interested in your perspective.
When you’ve experienced a change in leadership, what helped you embrace the transition?
Was it the new strategy?
Or was it the questions your leaders asked before they expected people to follow?