Last week, I talked about how change used to make me feel on a personal level — the disruption, the stress, the desperate need to control the chaos.
But there’s a big difference between going through change and leading through it.
Right now at my company, we’re experiencing a lot of transition after an acquisition. In the past month alone, the pace of change has accelerated, and there’s no “normal” to return to yet.
It’s been… a lot.
The other night, I was venting about it to my husband — how hard it is to manage expectations, energy, and emotions all at once — and he reminded me of something simple but wise:
“Change isn’t good or bad. It’s just different.”
He followed it up with a Bruce Lee quote I can’t stop thinking about:
“Be water, my friend.
Water takes the shape of whatever holds it.
It can flow. It can crash.”
And that’s exactly how I’m trying to lead right now — learning to be water.
This week, I’m sharing what that looks like in real life: staying flexible in uncertainty, managing my own reaction while helping others navigate theirs, and what leading through change is teaching me about trust and adaptability.
Enjoy the read, share it with your friends, and let me know what you think.
— Dina
☕️ The Refill
🤧 A recent episode of Good Hang with Amy Poehler revealed that Gen Xers are still unlearning the concept of hustle culture.
🎙️ A good friend recommended the Leading Outward podcast, and the description alone excited me. Check it out.
🌿 And a tiny life hack: every morning, ask yourself “what’s one thing I can influence today?” — it keeps your focus fluid and realistic.
When I first started leading teams, I thought my job was to have answers — to make change easier for everyone else.
Now I know my job is to make it navigable.
The last month at work has been full of shifts — new systems, new org structures, new faces, new expectations. It’s the kind of change that tests not just strategy, but stamina.
And like everyone else, I felt the ripple effects: the unease, the uncertainty, the quiet “what does this mean for me?” moments.
That’s when my husband’s reminder hit me: change isn’t automatically good or bad. It’s just different.
Different requires adjustment — not judgment.
He told me the Bruce Lee quote about water, and it stuck.
If you pour water into a cup, it becomes the cup.
Pour it into a bottle, it becomes the bottle.
Pour it on the floor, it flows and finds its way.
That’s leadership in a season of change. You can’t force things back into the old shape — you have to learn to adapt to the new one.
Being water doesn’t mean being passive. It means staying flexible enough to move with what’s happening instead of getting cracked by it.
That’s what I’ve been trying to model for my team:
flow when you can, crash when you need to, and always keep moving.
🔌 Unplugged Truth
Leadership during change isn’t about being unshakable — it’s about being steady enough for people to find their footing beside you.
Your calm becomes contagious. So does your panic.
When you lead, you’re not just managing workflows; you’re managing energy.
And the best leaders I know don’t fake control — they create safety.
🧯 Sh*t That Helped
Three quick check-ins for managing through change:
1️⃣ What does my team need to hear from me right now?
Be transparent but measured — they don’t need every update, just the ones that anchor them.
2️⃣ How am I modeling adaptability?
If you treat change like chaos, your team will, too. If you treat it like iteration, they’ll learn to flex with it.
3️⃣ Where can I “be water” today?
Pick one place to flow instead of resist. It’s a small mindset shift that builds resilience over time.
🖊️ Closing Thought
Change will always expose what’s rigid — in systems, teams, and ourselves.
But it’s also what makes leadership real.
As Bruce Lee said,
“Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless, like water.”
So maybe that’s the real goal.
Not to manage change perfectly — but to move through it wisely.
Until next time,
Dina