On November 6, 2025, PACE Institute of Management, in partnership with FranklinCovey Vietnam, hosted an insightful virtual seminar titled “Leading Through Change: Turning Uncertainty into Opportunity.” As part of PACE’s ongoing commitment to the business community, the session was designed to support leaders in navigating constant disruption and equip them with practical strategies to lead organizational transformation.
The event featured Curtis Bateman – Senior Vice President FranklinCovey Worldwide and Co-author of “Change: How To Turn Uncertainty Into Opportunity”. Over 450 executives, HR leaders, and mid-level managers joined the session and actively engaged throughout the 90 minute program.
Why “Change” is now a core leadership competency
“Change is no longer occasional. It’s the constant we all operate in.” With this powerful framing, Curtis opened the session by grounding participants in the realities of today’s business environment. From technological acceleration and economic volatility to rapidly shifting customer behaviors, uncertainty has become the new normal.
In this context, the ability to lead through change is not just a valuable skill, it’s an organizational imperative. Yet human beings are naturally wired to resist change. Fear of failure, confusion, role ambiguity, and lack of control are common emotional reactions when change is introduced. Recognizing these responses and building internal support systems is a leadership responsibility that cannot be ignored.
Curtis framed change not as something inherently positive or negative but as a growth opportunity, provided we can name it, face it, and act with purpose.
How Can We Turn Uncertainty into Breakthrough Opportunities?
At the heart of this webinar lies “The Change Model” — a practical and easy-to-apply framework from FranklinCovey that outlines four key stages individuals and organizations typically go through in any change journey: Status Quo - Disruption - Adoption - Innovation.
This model serves as a strategic roadmap, guiding both individuals and teams through the transformation process. It begins in a familiar, stable zone, moves into a phase of disruption as change emerges, then progresses into experimentation and adaptation, and ultimately reaches the innovation zone — where breakthrough results start to materialize.
What makes this model truly powerful is its flexibility: it’s not just for large organizations. It helps each of us personally reflect and reposition ourselves with questions like: Where am I in this journey of change? How am I responding? What can I do differently to move forward?
Based on years of research conducted across FranklinCovey’s global network, Mr. Curtis Bateman outlines five typical responses employees exhibit when facing change:
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Move: Some individuals embrace change as a fresh opportunity to prove themselves. They jump into action, often without fully understanding the broader context. While their enthusiasm is valuable, without proper guidance, it can lack strategic direction.
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Minimize: Many appear cooperative on the surface but only put in minimal effort. This often stems from skepticism or a lack of belief in the purpose behind the change.
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Wait: A common reaction is “let’s wait and see if this is real.” These individuals don’t resist outright, but their inaction slows momentum across the organization.
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Resist: When people perceive change as a threat to their values or interests, they may push back — through words, behaviors, or subtle internal resistance — creating a wave of negativity.
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Quit: A small but concerning group chooses to mentally or emotionally withdraw. This doesn’t always mean resignation — they simply check out from the change effort.
All of these responses, at their core, reflect a human need for safety and clarity. The role of a change leader is not to judge these reactions as right or wrong, but to help people move through them with empathy, communication, and sustained support.
The speaker emphasizes: true transformation only begins when individuals recognize where they are in the change model, this self-awareness is the key to shifting from emotion to action, from resistance to proactive adaptation and leadership.
The Leader’s Role at Every Stage of Change
“Change doesn’t fail because of poor strategy, it fails when teams cannot execute that strategy,” the speaker emphasized. According to him, 75% of organizational change initiatives fall short not because the vision is flawed, but because the gap between high-level strategy and frontline execution isn’t bridged by leaders in the middle.
Drawing from FranklinCovey’s Change Model, the speaker outlined how leadership roles must shift intentionally across the four phases of change:
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Status Quo Prepare - Don’t Avoid.
Leaders must strengthen organizational readiness by investing in skill development, building a flexible culture, and empowering teams — laying the groundwork before disruption hits.
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Disruption: Clarify - Don’t Delay.
Transparency is critical. Leaders need to clearly answer four key questions employees are asking: “What’s changing?”, “Why is it changing?”, “How does it affect me?”, and “What do I need to do differently?” One-on-one conversations — not generic emails — will determine how quickly the organization can shift.
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Adoption: Persist - Don’t Give Up.
Here, leaders become coaches — creating psychological safety for teams to test, stumble, learn, and grow through the change journey.
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Innovation: Explore - Don’t Constrain.
This is the time to encourage curiosity and a “what if” mindset. Leaders should nurture a culture of continuous improvement and guard against complacency.
In addition, Mr. Bateman shared five essential leadership capabilities every leader at any level must develop:
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Crafting a compelling vision
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Communicating with clarity and purpose
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Building alignment
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Inspiring commitment
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Driving disciplined execution
True transformation happens only when leaders across all levels from strategy to operations, actively apply these capabilities within their spheres of influence. That’s how change evolves from a top-down announcement into a lived culture embedded in daily behaviors.
Q&A Highlights: Unpacking Common Leadership Challenges in Times of Change
The Q&A session concluded the webinar with a series of practical, thought-provoking questions, reflecting real-world challenges that leaders frequently encounter when navigating change. Below are key highlights and responses from Mr. Curtis Bateman:
1. How can we contain negative sentiment from spreading after a change is announced?
Mr. Bateman emphasized that emotional reactions are normal — and trying to suppress them is counterproductive.
“A leader doesn’t need everyone to be happy — what’s needed is space for dialogue.”
He recommended two key strategies:
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During Status Quo: Engage early with teams to mentally prepare them for upcoming changes.
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During Disruption: Hold personalized 1-on-1 conversations to address specific concerns. Group announcements often miss the mark.
2. How do we communicate during uncertainty when we don’t have all the answers?
“Say what you know, as early as you can — and be honest about what you don’t yet know,” Mr. Bateman advised.
Transparency and consistency matter more than having perfect information.
3. Are there tools to measure how well change is being adopted?
FranklinCovey offers dedicated tools to track the pace and effectiveness of change. The key principle: Measure both the cost (time, effort) and the return (results, engagement).
4. How do we recognize when it’s time for change?
Look for gaps between current performance and desired outcomes, or listen to signals from the market, these are strong indicators that change is needed.
The webinar “Leading Change – How to Turn Uncertainty into Opportunity” concluded with both strategic clarity and motivational insight. Change may be inevitable, but how we respond to it is a choice. And that choice can be developed and strengthened.
Through the 4-stage Change Model, adaptive leadership strategies, and measurable tools, FranklinCovey once again reaffirmed its pioneering role in helping organizations transform not by chance, but by design.
Whether you're a senior executive, frontline manager, or a newly onboarded team member, understanding where you stand in the change journey is the first step toward turning uncertainty into opportunity.
PACE Institute of Management and FranklinCovey extend our heartfelt thanks for your active participation. We hope this session serves as a catalyst for deeper strategic conversations within Vietnam’s business community.
If you didn’t have a chance to engage directly with Mr. Curtis Bateman during the event, feel free to send your questions on the topic of “Leading Change” to: consulting@franklincovey.vn. Our expert team will respond with actionable insights and proven best practices.
