Adaptable leadership has never been more critical. Leaders must combine agility with foresight to navigate uncertainty successfully, whether leading through a strategic shift or responding to disruptive market forces.
The greatest challenge lies in balancing progress and innovation against the pursuit of perfection. Unfortunately, a risk-averse mindset often hampers the qualities needed for sustained success: calculated risk-taking, experimentation and learning from failure.
As the vice president of PPG’s protective and marine coatings business in the United States and Canada, I’ve seen firsthand the power of embracing this balance. My journey through change management has taught me the value of a “fail forward” mindset that reshapes our approach to innovation and growth while keeping customer needs at the forefront.
The Dual Role of Trust
Trust is the foundation of effective leadership in times of change. When employees feel empowered to take calculated risks and know that setbacks are seen as learning opportunities, it unlocks innovation and agility. Leaders must model the "fail forward" mindset by showing they are comfortable learning from mistakes and improving continuously.
Trust must be actively rebuilt during organizational shifts. Beyond transparent communication, leaders should reinforce their commitment to employees by recognizing contributions, celebrating resilience, and providing growth opportunities. Inviting employees to shape the organization’s future fosters a sense of ownership and partnership, while consistent feedback and open dialogue help employees feel valued and connected.
Externally, trust is equally vital for strong customer relationships. Just as internal trust drives innovation, transparent communication and consistent delivery strengthen customer loyalty, even during periods of change. Companies build enduring relationships by openly sharing values and striving to improve, as well as by encouraging customers to explore new solutions and maintain engagement.
Attempting to Balance Agility and Innovation
Balancing agility and innovation can be challenging in industries that have traditionally valued stability. However, leaders must be willing to launch initiatives that may be 80% ready, trusting their teams to gather feedback and iterate along the way.
Leaders can model this behavior by sharing their own initiatives that are still in progress or inviting teams to critique and improve their ideas, demonstrating a genuine “lead by example” approach. This transparency ensures teams see agility as an organizational priority, not just lip service.
Empowering teams to experiment with new ideas and move quickly ensures that the organization stays ahead of market trends. Agility can also be achieved by rethinking timelines and adopting parallel or series-based approaches, where activities progress simultaneously instead of sequentially.
By planning projects from a "right-to-left" perspective — working backward from end goals — leaders can add speed to execution and adaptability to unexpected changes. By embracing a “fail forward” mindset, leaders enable their companies to be more responsive, innovative, and better prepared to meet evolving customer demands.
Empowering Teams to Embrace Change
Driving progress during transformations requires leaders to be transparent, inclusive, and celebratory. Transparency involves communicating the "why" behind changes and ensuring everyone understands the goals. Including employees in the process builds buy-in and celebrating small wins keeps morale high.
Leaders with a growth mindset encourage their teams to view mistakes as learning opportunities. This cultural shift ensures that teams are empowered to take risks, iterate and remain adaptable to changing customer needs.
Breaking Down Silos and Promoting Collaboration
During organizational change, collaboration across departments is essential. Leaders can break down silos by creating opportunities for cross-functional teams to work together and understand each other’s strengths. Simple exercises, like puzzle-solving workshops, can promote collaboration and build trust.
Encouraging a horizontal mindset — where teams collaborate across departments rather than working exclusively within vertical hierarchies — can unlock new potential for innovation and efficiency. By aligning goals across functions and fostering cross-departmental accountability, leaders can break free from traditional siloed approaches and build a more cohesive, integrated organization.
Clear communication of priorities and decision-making processes also proves key. When everyone knows the direction and purpose, confusion is minimized, and trust in leadership grows. Establishing a feedback culture helps teams continuously improve and work more cohesively toward common goals.
Jenn Solcz is the vice president of PPG’s protective and marine coatings business for the United States and Canada region, where she leads her teams to drive innovation and growth.