A Note from LaTonya

I've been sitting with something I'm hearing across all clients and within coaching groups. This year has been hard. And, for those of us who are navigating decently well, we are immediately hit with the next change. It never stops. That's exactly what today's issue is about.

I'm opening up a group this November: Applied Leadership: Below the Surface. It's a 5-session group experience for leaders who need practical tools now, especially if you're navigating pressure, unclear authority, or a workplace that keeps shifting under you. If today's article resonates, this might be exactly the space for you.

The group is capped at 10, and it's anchored in the Below the Surface methodology, moving from self to others to integration. It starts with building the self-awareness and regulation to lead under pressure, then moves to strengthening how you build trust and influence with the people and you. We end with bringing it all together into an integration plan you can act on.
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In addition to listening to challenges, I have also been listening to budgets. This one is priced at $2,000, which is professional development budget-friendly, both for you and your team.

If this is something that is calling you, reply to this newsletter or send a note to info@changecoaches.io with "Applied Leadership" in the subject or body. I'll send you a one-pager. And, now for this issue's reflection.

This Issue's Reflection

A few years ago, I started working with a leader at a small private college. It was the kind of place people don't leave. A mission-driven organization that was very tight knit. People tended to come there and stay for a long time.

But, underneath it all, the college had been struggling for years. The leadership team knew it. They just didn't know what to do about it. Instead of really taking an honest look at the problem, they threw expensive personnel at it.

The next couple years became a revolving door. First, they fired the president who had the most tenure and had built the culture that I mentioned. He was replaced with a president who specialized in turnarounds. On paper, exactly the right hire. In practice, he'd never worked in higher ed a day in his life, and it showed. He didn't last long.

Next came an internal promotion. Someone the whole campus respected, and actually understood the institution.

But, it didn’t work.

I’m convinced that she was great at the job. However, she was never really given a fair shot to lead before the next shake-up came.

Next up was a consultant from the private sector. She had advised other colleges through something similar. As my client often put it, “she would’ve been helpful from the beginning.” It was like she was hired two years too late. She could’ve been brought in for strategy without breaking the culture, avoiding the entire revolving door. That’s not how it went.

My client sat through all of it. At first, she was patient. She believed that the organization would turn around. She kept her job the whole time and was considered indispensable, which, on paper, sounds like a win. But she also had to make layoffs she didn't believe in, watch people she respected get pushed out or push themselves out, and hold a team together through a leadership carousel she had no control over.

She loved that college. I want to be clear about that. This isn't a story about someone who stopped caring.

She gave herself two years. Told herself: if things stabilize, I'll stay. If they don't, I'll know it's time.

Nothing stabilized.

And when she finally looked for a way forward internally, there wasn't one. So she left for a competitor. A competitor with a strong balance sheet. A place that wasn't in a constant state of attempting to become something else.

Fast forward to today. When we think about what’s most challenging in the workplace right now, we expect to hear the usual suspects: budget cuts, uncertainty and burnout.

And those are real. They're not wrong.

But increasingly, that's not the phrase people reach for first. They don't say "I'm burned out." They say something closer to: I can't do one more change.

That's change fatigue, which is different from burnout. And, that’s what this article is about.

What change fatigue actually looks like

It’s common to conflate change fatigue and burnout so I’ll start with the difference between the two. Burnout is often about too much, including too many hours, too much output, not enough recovery.

Change fatigue is different. It's about constant reaction and reinvention. Rinse, repeat. Another reorg. Another new leader. Another "this time it'll be different." Our nervous systems stop believing it.

We enter survival mode. Instead of thinking ahead, the goal is to get by. We shift to just making it through the day. There is no flow. It’s impossible to connect with what we actually need. It’s hard for us to see possibilities.

So burnout can be an effect of change fatigue but the two are different. The next question is how do you know you are in it?

Signs you might be in it

Some of us know something is off, but we don’t know how to name it. What does it look like to be trapped in change fatigue? Here are a few signs:

• You find it hard to get fully invested in a new initiative, because deep down a redirect is imminent
• You're still doing the job well, but something still feels off
• You still love the people, the mission, the work itself but instability taints this
• You've quietly given yourself a deadline: "I'll stay through X. Then I'll know."

This isn’t an exhaustive list so if you are caught in change fatigue, what are your symptoms?

How to manage change fatigue while you are still in it

Change fatigue can't really be cured, because the stimulus is out of our control. Take the college with the revolving door. There really wasn't much my client could do about the different people being hired, fired, reorged, or departing. So the first step is naming it. The second is identifying what you can control. I know that sounds cliché, but it's often one of the biggest mistakes we make when we're in change fatigue: we focus on what we can't control, try to predict the next move, fixate on it, or manage damage that hasn't even happened yet.

For example, one thing my client realized was that she could control what happened on her own team. She could create a supportive environment for them, almost acting as a buffer between them and the chaos above her. Some of what she did: providing development opportunities, instituting no-meeting days, and visioning with her team so they could stay creative and connected to the mission. She couldn't predict the next change, but she could focus on what made her team gel. Her team had expressed real discouragement, and reconnecting with the mission, through development and visioning, helped them find a flow.

Third, some body work will help. Understanding your patterns, and how you actually react, matters more than most of us give it credit for.

A few prompts to explore:

• When are you in flow? How can you stay in that space more often?
• How do you react when there's a sudden shift? Are you in a state of acceptance, or fighting every change?
• Who do you want to be, both for yourself and your team?

Bottom line

Change fatigue doesn't mean something is wrong with you. It means you are caught in constant change, and that takes something out of anyone, no matter how resilient or committed they are.

Naming it is the first step. Protecting what you can control is the next. And however this season resolves for you (i.e. staying, adapting, or eventually choosing something else) it starts with being honest about what you're actually carrying.

If you want a way to check in with yourself on this, I put together a quick worksheet to help you name where you're at right now. As a newsletter subscriber, you can access it for free here [link].
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​Before you go
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• Join our first open community gathering. On October 20th, we're bringing the Change Coaches community together for a conversation on Coaching Clients through Death and Loss: What Happens at the Threshold of Growth and Grief, co-hosted by Dr. Sherri Taylor. [Register here]
• Join our Applied Leadership: Below the Surface group coaching experience. A 5-session program for leaders who need practical tools now, including recognizing and navigating change fatigue. The group is capped at 10. It starts with self, then moves to connecting with others. Session focus includes building the self-awareness and regulation to lead under pressure, strengthening how you build trust and influence with others, and integrating all of the learnings into an action plan. It's priced at $2,000, which is professional development budget-friendly for you and your team. We kick off in November and are filling seats now. Email ​info@changecoaches.io​ with "Applied Leadership" in the subject to learn more.
• Curious about Coaching Below the Surface (CBTS)? We're now running cohorts on a rolling basis, and our next one kicks off in November. Email ​info@changecoaches.io​ with "CBTS" in the subject to learn more.

Not sure where to start? Email us at ​info@changecoaches.io​.
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Let’s Reflect

I didn't mention this in the article, but there's a version of change fatigue I haven't fully named yet: the fatigue that comes from waiting for things to get worse. We are bracing for a change before it even happens.

I've caught myself doing this. Reading a vague email from someone and immediately assuming the worst. Hearing "we need to talk" and spiraling before the conversation even starts.

I don't think there's a clean fix for this. But naming it has helped me catch myself in the act more often, which is at least a start.

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Journal Prompts

Take 10 minutes with one or all of these in your journal, notes app, or voice recorder.

1. Where have you found yourself bracing for a change that hasn't actually happened yet?
2. If you could tell your team one honest thing about what this year has cost you, what would it be?
3. What would it look like to protect one small piece of your day, regardless of what's happening around you?

Book Insight

In Chapter 9 of Leading Below the Surface, I write about Building a Below the Surface Culture. The chapter discusses what works and what doesn't at a high level. I also discuss things that you may be able to control in an organization that is filled with constant change. If you are experiencing change fatigue, it might be a good time to revisit this chapter.

Upcoming Events

Our First Open Community Gathering — October 20th 🗓️

We're kicking off something new: a space for our community to connect: coaches, leaders, alumni, and anyone who's been part of this journey with us. This event is free and open to the public.

This first gathering will feature a session co-hosted by Dr. Sherri Taylor (Spring 2026 cohort): Coaching Clients through Death and Loss: What Happens at the Threshold of Growth and Grief. We'll explore how to support people through grief, loss, and significant change, and how to stay grounded and present when the path forward isn't clear. After the presentation, we'll break into small groups for further discussion and to apply what we've talked about together.

If this one resonated, forward it to someone who needs to hear it too.

And if you want to talk through what's coming up for you, just hit reply. I love reading your responses.
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Talk soon,
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LaTonya
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Find me on the Leading Below the Surface Podcast and YouTube for more below the surface conversations. ​
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