Why Leaders Must Master the Art of Endings

“Change is not the same as transition. Change is situational. Transition is psychological.” — William Bridges

In business, we often talk about change: digital transformation, reorgs, new competitors, new strategies. But what we don’t talk about enough is endings, and every change starts as soon as something ends.

According to William Bridges, whose work in Managing Transitions has shaped modern change management, successful transformation begins not with a vision of the future, but with the recognition of what must end.

People don’t resist change because they’re lazy or closed-minded. They resist because something valuable is being lost—an identity, a routine, a sense of control. This process is deeply human. It’s grief. As Bridges puts it:

“Before you can begin something new, you have to end what used to be.”

This idea is echoed in psychology. Elizabeth Kübler-Ross' Change Curve, originally developed to understand grief, is now used in organizations today. It teaches us that individuals often move through denial, anger, and even depression before they reach acceptance.

If we ignore this emotional journey, we risk leaving our people stuck in limbo, unable to move forward, and deeply disconnected from the change we’re trying to lead.

Symbolic Endings Matter

Research from organizational behavior scholars like Trice & Beyer highlights how rituals and symbols help organizations navigate transitions. Ceremonies, recognition events, or even removing old branding can give people a way to say goodbye. Think about layoffs with no closure, product sunsets without reflection, or “reorgs” dropped via a Friday email. These are missed opportunities to help teams grieve and grow.

Even small gestures like a farewell note to a deprecated process or acknowledging what a previous team structure accomplished, can create the psychological clarity needed to move on.

As I heard from a professor in my Executive MBA at SFU Beedie School of Business:

“We are psychologically pre-disposed to move on when something clearly ends.”

Real-World Example: GE & Identity Shifts

When Jack Welch took the reins at General Electric, he dismantled layers of hierarchy, closed underperforming units, and boldly declared an end to the “old” GE. It was painful, but it worked. He didn’t just change strategy, he redefined identity. Welch knew that before people could embrace a new culture of performance and innovation, they had to let go of what GE used to be.

Leaders often rush into future-state thinking: new org charts, new tools, new goals. But change without closure creates confusion, resentment, and quiet quitting. “When managers try to create change without managing endings, it reduces their effectiveness.” is another great quote from my class.

What Leaders Can Do

In a world obsessed with innovation and agility, we sometimes forget that the first step forward is often a step back, have a moment to reflect, grieve, and honor what came before. Leaders must become fluent in endings. Only then can we lead meaningful, long lasting changes.