Many years ago, when I went through a huge shock in my own life, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s book “On Death and Dying” was like a life buoy. She introduced the world to the stages of grief, and what struck me was how clearly those stages described the emotional rollercoaster of letting go of what once was and facing something new.
Since then, I’ve learned that the curve she described is not only about grief. It also shows up every time we face change — in business, in leadership, and in our personal lives.
Shock → The Earthquake. Everything feels wobbly. We ask ourselves: “Wait, what just happened?” Stability is shaken and the ground beneath us feels uncertain.
Denial → The Ostrich Phase. We bury our heads in the sand, hoping the change will pass us by. It feels safer to believe things will stay the same, even when deep down we know they won’t.
Frustration → The Volcano. Emotions bubble up. There may be anger, pushback, or simply a flood of questions and doubts. Energy is high, but it often feels scattered and overwhelming.
Depression → The Swamp. Momentum sinks. Motivation drops, energy feels low, and progress can feel hard. This is the stage that tests resilience the most.
Experiment → The Sandbox. We begin to test new ideas, new processes, and new ways of working. It’s a time of curiosity and trial, where not everything works out, but learning starts to happen.
Decision → The Bridge. We make the choice to cross over. We start to commit to the new reality and see how it might actually work in our favour.
Integration → The Summit. The change becomes the new normal. We look back and realise how far we’ve come. What once felt disruptive now feels like part of the landscape.
The important truth is this: people move through these phases differently. Some sprint through, others circle back, and some may sit in the swamp longer than they’d like. As leaders, our role is to recognise where people are and help them find their footing until they’re ready to take the next step.
But, of course, life is not linear. Where do you find yourself on the curve right now?
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