Change is never just about process — it’s about people.

In this episode of the Instinctive Drives podcast, we explore 10 practical tips for change leaders who want to move beyond managing change and start creating real momentum inside their teams.

1. Keep the vision alive

Inspiring others to follow - and remain energized - requires a compelling picture of the goal and its big-picture benefits, especially in the face of practical challenges, unforeseen setbacks, or the hard yards of implementation.

2. Stay aware & in touch

Leaders who stay connected with those 'hands on' with the change execution and/or experiencing its impacts, remain alert to people's emotional responses to change and so better able to show genuine empathy and target support.

3. Be authentic

Change leaders who stay true to themselves and pay attention to what they need to stay in stride show others that 'putting your own oxygen mask on first' is not just OK, but critical to being at your best and so best placed to able to support others.

4. Show vulnerability

Being open about their own journey with change, including their hopes and fears and owning things that they could have handled better or differently will help change leaders build rapport with those critical to successful implementation.

5. Be congruent

Change leaders can learn very hard lessons when they expect others to follow the new behaviours and protocols required of change initiatives but don't hold themselves to the same level of accountability – be the role model!

6. Be adaptable

Change rarely takes a linear path, so remaining flexible and encouraging this in others is a high priority for effective change leaders but needs to go hand in hand with recognizing that, for some, this may be more challenging than others.

7. Communicate

Information vacuums – and a lack of clarity and transparency in what messaging there is – frequently leads to mistrust during change implementation. Effective leaders will ask people what they need and invite feedback and questions.

8. Be inclusive

The need to consult those being impacted or executing change may be obvious, but smart change leaders realize this goes beyond 'doing the right thing' and taps into the diverse perspectives and talents critical to making change a success.

9. Make it safe

Whether to speak up, ask for help, or vent frustration. Change leaders who make people feel able to do so without fear of judgement or criticism are more likely to surface issues sooner, engage others in solutions and avoid facing bigger issues later!

10. Collaborate

Change leaders who role model collaboration across teams, hierarchies, and functions encourage similar behaviour in others, helping build relationships, 'take others on the journey' and leverage a diversity of talents to deliver positive change.

Unlock Collaboration with Innate Motivation

Why do teams say they want collaboration—yet default to caution, mistrust, and guarded communication?

In this episode of the Instinctive Drives Podcast, we unpack one of the most persistent workplace paradoxes: the gap between the desire for transformational collaboration and the reality of stalled projects and silent resistance. Through the lens of innate motivation, we reveal the seven fundamental human reasons mistrust is the default setting—from evolutionary survival instincts to past experiences, unclear roles, and unspoken differences in how people are wired.

Why New Teams Default to Mistrust

When new teams form – or the dynamics of existing teams shift with new members - it's very common for people to initially default to suspicion and mistrust, even if on the face of things there's positivity and camaraderie. Working with teams across the globe we've found that understanding the 'why' behind this default state is the first step to getting into action with ways to start rapidly building the trust critical to genuine collaboration.

Here's why:

1. Evolutionary Survival Mechanism

From a psychological and evolutionary standpoint, mistrust is a protective response. From this perspective, it's a smart place to start to avoid potential harm when faced with situations that bring us into contact with the unfamiliar.

2. Uncertainty and Lack of Familiarity

For many, interacting with strangers or unfamiliar colleagues may always come with a sense or uneasiness or anxiety. Without knowing - or getting a sense of - others' intentions, behaviors, or reliability, the default is to be cautious.

3. Different Backgrounds & Expectations

New team members often come with different experiences, communication styles, and work habits. Any of these can lead to judgement, create misunderstandings, and a questioning of people's motives.

4. Fear of Vulnerability

Sharing concerns or anything that could be perceived as weaknesses requires trust. In a new team, people may hesitate to open up until they feel safe. However, if steps aren't taken to accelerate this process events can play out that can be hard for relationships to recover from impacting all aspects of collaboration and delivery.

5. Unclear Roles & Goals

Without clarity on roles, responsibilities, and objectives, people may wonder who's accountable, who's trustworthy, or who might be in competition with them!

6. Past Negative Experiences

Previous bad experiences on other teams can cause people to be guarded or expect conflict as a default.

7. Lack of Social Bonds

Trust often grows from social connection - shared experiences, conversations, and informal interactions - which new teams haven't had time to build yet.

This episode of The Deep Dive unpacks what truly separates average teams from accelerated, high-performing teams by going beneath behavior and personality to the level of instinct. The conversation introduces Instinctive Drives as a person’s core operating system—the fixed, innate motivations that shape how individuals respond to pressure, solve problems, communicate, and lead. When people understand their own drives, they can operate in stride: energized, effective, and fulfilled. That alignment doesn’t just improve well-being; it measurably boosts performance, often doubling productivity by removing the friction of working against one’s natural wiring.

While there's a myriad of general characteristics that surface in high-performing teams - here's some of the more nuanced insights I've uncovered over 30 years of working with leaders and teams across the globe. Many of these are interlinked and, in terms of their positive impact, they add up to so much more than the sum of their parts. Using the power of I.D., I've seen teams fast-track their ability to make them come to life, with results that speak for themselves!

1. A STRONG 'IN-STRIDE' FOCUS

Unless team members, including the leader, can operate in line with their authentic selves, the brakes are already on. Teams that regularly track their levels of energy, effectiveness, and fulfillment. e.g., via our In Stride Pulse feature, are best placed to maximize their potential.

2. A SOLID PLATFORM OF TRUST

While widely recognized as an HPT indicator, when teams understand each other at a deeper level they are better able to navigate the tougher conversations as well as times of change and uncertainty – all without an outward camaraderie dissipating into mistrust and suspicion.

3. ASSUMING OF POSITIVE INTENT

When teams combine trust with a protocol of assuming positive intent, even if someone's messaging lands painfully, there's no second-guessing of motives. The default becomes to 'find out more' versus to judge or criticize, with conversations leading to learning on both sides.

4. PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY & I.D.

Recognition of the needs that surface from innate drives, aids the creation of environments where people feel able to be themselves and speak their truth without fear. By introducing a common language of performance and well-being, I.D. helps teams to share these needs.

5. PEOPLE SAY THE SAME IN THE ROOM AS OUT THE ROOM

When people trust each other and feel safe to speak up, there's no reason or value to not having 'the real conversations' in the place where they can most quickly be addressed. For teams, this dramatically cuts down the time from wrangling with issues to finding solutions.

6. A JOINT APPROACH TO PROBLEM-SOLVING

When one person's problem is automatically viewed as a team problem - because resolution is seen to impact everyone's success - team performance takes an exponential leap. And when hierarchy and roles are put aside, a diversity of talents can help generate a rapid solution.

7. CROSS-REPRESENTATION

When people stay across the whole team's roles and activities - at a high versus detailed level - team members can support and promote each other, internally and externally. If issues arise, team members 'have each other's backs' versus step back into a 'that's not my role' mentality.

8. ALIGNED DECISION-MAKING

When people know they can speak up and be heard, they are more open to embracing a 'disagree and commit' protocol for team decisions. Despite their position, they accept consensus is rarely possible or efficient, and back the final vote or leader-call in word and deed.

9. ALIGNED EXECUTION

Following on from fully ali

Instinctive Drives: Reveal Your Success Code

What if peak performance didn’t come from pushing harder—but from finally working with who you are?

In this episode of the Instinctive Drives Podcast, we take a deep dive into the science of innate motivation and reveal why understanding your Instinctive Drives (I.D.) is the fastest path to operating in stride—energized, effective, and fulfilled. We explore how I.D. goes beyond personality and behavior to uncover the why behind your actions, giving you a personal success code for sustainable performance, authentic leadership, and well-being.

You’ll learn how to:

• Design your days and weeks to fuel your energy instead of draining it
• Use stress as data to quickly get back in stride before burnout hits
• Set goals that are truly authentic to you—not inherited expectations
• Transform communication, collaboration, and trust in relationships and teams
• Lead with influence and integrity by understanding your own impact first

This conversation reframes growth, performance, and resilience—not as self-improvement projects, but as a return to alignment with what’s already innate. If you’re ready to stop second-guessing, break free from friction, and unlock your natural way of succeeding, this episode will change how you think about work, leadership, and life.