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Leadership Insights
Trust and ownership are the twin engines of successful change because they address the fundamental human dynamics that make or break transformation efforts.
Trust creates psychological safety for risk-taking. Change inherently involves uncertainty and potential failure. Without trust in leadership, people default to self-protection—they comply minimally, withhold concerns, and avoid the creative problem-solving that change requires. When people trust you, they’re willing to be vulnerable about what isn’t working and contribute ideas that might seem “risky.”
Ownership transforms resistance into investment. When people feel like change is being done to them, their natural response is to find reasons why it won’t work. But when they have genuine input into shaping the change—when their concerns are heard and their expertise is valued—they become co-creators rather than passive recipients. They start solving problems instead of just identifying them.
Trust accelerates information flow. Change requires constant course correction based on real feedback from the ground level. If people don’t trust leadership, they’ll tell you what they think you want to hear rather than what’s actually happening. Trust creates the conditions where you truly receive honest, timely information about what’s working and what isn’t.
Ownership sustains momentum through setbacks. Every change process hits obstacles and unexpected complications. When people feel ownership, they persist through difficulties because they’re invested in the outcome. When they don’t, the first major setback becomes evidence that “this was a bad idea from the start.”
Together, they create distributed leadership. You can’t be everywhere, managing every aspect of change. Trust and ownership mean that other people become champions and problem-solvers throughout the system, multiplying your influence exponentially.
Use the Five Paths to Build Ownership
The Five Paths to Leadership® framework is particularly powerful for change leadership because it helps you to understand both your own tendencies and how to engage others authentically.
Engaging Others through Their Paths
Rather than assuming that everyone processes change the way you do, the Five Paths help you to meet people where they naturally operate:
- Critical Thinkers need data and logical rationale before they’ll buy in.
- Relators need to understand the human impact and feel heard in their concerns.
- Visionaries need to see how change connects to bigger purpose and possibility.
- Warriors need clear timelines, roles, and accountability measures.
Take some time this week to reflect on the Five Paths styles of those who are participating in leading change with you. Use the following questions to help you reflect on how you can support others in owning change. You can reflect on your own, start a conversation with a trusted colleague, or use Sophia, the leadership coach in My Path to help you.
- For Critical Thinkers: How can you involve them in analyzing the problem and evaluating potential solutions?
- For Relators: How can you address concerns they have about how this affects their team or colleagues?
- For Visionaries: How can you help them to design the future state or identify new opportunities?
- For Warriors: What concrete results or milestones will matter most to them in the change process?
Whoever you work with, getting people on board to own the change will help to make it more successful and a more positive experience for everyone involved.