Taking a Human-Centered Approach to Change

An interview with a change leader in the hospitality industry reveals how human-centered leadership transforms challenges into opportunities.

You’re not imagining it. We are living through a time of relentless and accelerating change across all industries. In the years following Covid, there’s been a seismic change in customer needs and expectations. New technologies are changing the nature of work overall. Business leaders and professionals understand that navigating change both personally and with their teams is becoming one of the most important skills to develop today.

But people are hungry for a new approach to change. A human approach.

At Change Enthusiasm Global, we developed the Change Growth Accelerator program for just this purpose. The interactive virtual experience brings together executives and senior leaders from across industries to delve deep into human-centered change practices that harness the power of emotions for growth. Graduates of the program earn the title of Certified Change Enthusiast™.

We’ve been blown away by the level of authentic engagement and personal breakthroughs among attendees. One story stands, and we wanted to share our conversation with Felicia White, Vice President of Learning and Development in the hospitality industry. At the time, Felicia had been experiencing monumental changes both in her personal and professional life.

Here’s what Lisa had to say about her experience with the Change Growth Accelerator program:

CEG: Tell us about the changes you’ve been facing and why you participated in our program.

Felicia: I took on a challenging new leadership role with a lot of change happening in the organization. I joined the Change Growth Accelerator program to better understand how to navigate change personally, and then to help guide my team.

I’m leading training for long-tenured employees, but the leadership teams are new. They’re excited about rebranding and new initiatives, but it will take a lot to implement these changes. There’s so much newness.

CEG: What was different about this program for you?

The concept of becoming a “Certified Change Enthusiast” was completely new to me. The workshop emphasized the human element of change. The activities and exercises required deep personal reflection. This was different.

At higher levels of leadership, we’re often recognized for achieving results, but we don’t always connect those achievements to the human element.

Yes, leaders are taught to develop relationships and guide teams, but it’s often framed around getting things done through people rather than connecting with them.

This workshop flipped that narrative. It focused on emotions and the choices we make as a result of them.

Understanding that connection was transformative for me. Change will happen regardless, but the outcomes depend on how we address the human aspect. This is the conversation leaders need to have.

CEG: Can you tell us about how you’ve been applying what you learned?

Felicia: This time around, I wanted to be intentional about addressing the emotions tied to change.

In the past, I’ve been more action-oriented, focusing on “What’s next?” without reflecting on how I felt, how others were feeling. Now, I’m prioritizing those emotions before taking steps forward.

Joining my new team was a significant change for them, so I spent the first few weeks having conversations to understand what changes they wanted and balancing those with what I observed and the executive team’s directives.

I made it a practice to ask how people felt rather than just their thoughts, which allowed me to uncover their emotions—whether apprehension, excitement, or concern.

For example, I had a meeting with someone whose team will undergo restructuring, meaning she’ll lose team members, one of whom may need to relocate to stay.

I asked her how she felt about the changes rather than focusing solely on logistics. At first, she seemed defensive, so we paused, had lunch, and resumed. Her attitude improved after the break, and she’s been more open since.

I believe she began to feel how I genuinely care about her and her team, even though the changes are unavoidable. And that made all the difference.

That’s a transformative shift for me—focusing on the human side of change, not just execution. It’s something I continue to apply.

For example, I plan to check in tomorrow with another leader managing a delayed location opening. It’s a challenging situation involving training, construction, and team transitions.