In times of uncertainty, many leaders focus on managing change. Dr. Bill Owen, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC), believes there is a better approach: help people adapt. During his conversation on How I Lead Change, Dr. Owen shared why trust, purpose, and clear communication are the foundations of successful leadership in an ever-evolving world.

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Start With Why

One theme surfaced repeatedly throughout the conversation: people are more likely to embrace change when they understand its purpose. Drawing from both his experience as an educator and as a university leader, Dr. Owen emphasized the importance of clearly articulating the "why" behind any initiative. When people understand the outcomes, relevance, and purpose of a decision, they are far more willing to engage and contribute.

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For Dr. Owen, this principle extends beyond the classroom and into the boardroom. A leader's role is not simply to define a direction, but to help people understand why that direction matters. Alignment begins when purpose is clear.

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Lead With Trust

As UNBC navigated a period of significant leadership transition, Dr. Owen stepped into the role of Interim President and Vice-Chancellor during a time when stability was critical. Through that experience, he learned a powerful lesson: people do not always need leaders to have every answer. What they need most is trust, transparency, and confidence that their voices are being heard.

Trust is built through communication, listening, and consistency. Leaders who are honest about what they know, what they do not know, and how decisions are being made create the conditions for people to move forward together, even amid uncertainty.

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Adaptation Over Change

Dr. Owen prefers the language of adaptation rather than change. While change often feels disruptive and unsettling, adaptation recognizes that organizations are constantly evolving in response to new realities. It shifts the conversation from what is being lost to what can be learned and achieved.

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Whether responding to policy shifts, economic pressures, evolving workforce needs, or emerging technologies such as generative AI, adaptation has become an essential leadership capability. The objective is not to manage people through change, but to create an environment where they can successfully adapt and help shape the future.

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Turning Strategy Into Action

One of the most practical insights from the episode was Dr. Owen's approach to strategy execution. Strategy, he argues, only creates value when people can see how it connects to their everyday work. At UNBC, strategic priorities are reinforced through ongoing communication, stakeholder engagement, and alignment across plans, initiatives, and reporting processes.

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By connecting strategic goals to meaningful actions and involving people throughout the process, organizations can transform strategy from a document into a shared commitment. Transparency and participation help create ownership, momentum, and long-term success.

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The Leadership Lesson

Perhaps the most important takeaway from this episode is that leadership is not about having all the answers. It is about creating clarity around purpose, building trust through transparency, and empowering people to contribute to meaningful outcomes. When leaders start with why and lead with trust, adaptation becomes less about managing change and more about collectively shaping the future.

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As Dr. Owen reminds us, people are far more likely to embrace uncertainty when they feel understood, connected to a shared purpose, and empowered to help create what comes next.

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