Frameworks like ADKAR and CLARC provide structure, but they’re really only useful if the leader can apply them usefully. Change leadership is not simply about applying a model. It is about how you show up, how you manage yourself, and how you create the conditions for others to succeed.
The first responsibility is to lead yourself through change before you lead others. If you have not reflected on your own reactions, it is difficult to stay consistent in your messaging or steady in your support. This is why self-awareness matters. Notice when you feel unsettled. Recognise where you are getting stuck. Understand how your emotions may be shaping your behaviour. Only then can you provide the clarity and reassurance your team needs.
The CLARC behaviours are only effective if they are delivered with emotional intelligence. A communicator who ignores people’s concerns does not build awareness. A liaison who filters out uncomfortable feedback does not build trust. A coach who pushes too hard can undermine confidence rather than strengthen it. The how (how you bring CLARC to life) is just as important as the what (actually using the model).
Change is rarely smooth. There will be setbacks, ambiguity and frustration. For you and your people. Leaders who approach these moments with a mindset or curiosity and possibility send a powerful signal. This mindset encourages teams to experiment, learn, and adapt, which makes the change more sustainable.
No two people learn or adapt in the same way. Some prefer visuals, others want discussion, others prefer written detail, and some learn best by doing. Leaders who recognise these differences and flex their support give people a better chance of success. Supporting learning preferences allows you different ways to embed the same message again and again (which is handy because it takes on average 5-7 times from first hearing something before it becomes helpfully wedged in your mind in some way).
Finally, effective leaders strike a balance between encouraging people and holding them accountable. People must own their own journey. But they also need recognition, reinforcement, and safe spaces to talk about what they are finding hard. This balance keeps momentum moving without creating dependency.
The mindset of the leader is the foundation on which ADKAR and CLARC rest. With self-awareness, emotional intelligence and a growth mindset, leaders can use these frameworks not as abstract models, but as living tools to guide their teams through uncertainty.
^ The theory around Learning Preferences has largely been debunked as a fallacy that doesn’t necessarily improve actual learning outcomes. And, whilst that appears to be true it’s not always about improving learning outcomes that you might engage in different learning media…sometimes it can be about appeasing, accommodating, or reinforcing (all worthy endeavours themselves during change).