When Workplace Upheaval Turns Into Unresolved Grief

Key points

When workplaces betray trust, employees experience ambiguous grief—mourning without closure.

Traditional change management fails when it ignores legitimate organizational loss.

Grief-informed leadership could transform how we navigate workplace change and rebuilding trust.

My client Maya represents what so many mid-level leaders are currently experiencing. Her company recently restructured as a mechanism to quietly move people out. For Maya, it was clear they were slowly pushing her out. Up until now, she had poured her heart and soul into this job, personally designing the entire strategy she was hired to execute.

Women leaders face particular challenges during organizational upheaval. They are more likely to be promoted to leadership roles during times of crisis (the