Human-Centered Leadership: Leading People Through Change

The Leadership Shift

I had the unique opportunity to lead the Turknett Leadership Group (TLG) from 2018 to 2022, during which we coached thousands of leaders worldwide. Some were rising into bigger roles, and others were fighting to hold on. One universal truth is that change devours the old models of leadership. Great leaders practiced human-centered leadership, putting people at the center of every decision. They understood that in times of rapid disruption, teams thrive when they feel safe, supported, and grounded. Google’s landmark Project Aristotle study reached the same conclusion. After analyzing roughly 180 teams, researchers found that the single strongest predictor of team performance was psychological safety. 

The best technology leaders build that safety deliberately. As Rob Milstead, CIO at Intertape Polymer Group, said,

“I try to build trust with my teams by showing empathy, encouraging autonomy, and creating psychological safety through regular check-ins, transparent communication, and being an exceptional listener.”

Why People Matter More Than Ever

That instinct of leading people first isn’t new to me. Even before my time at TLG, I spent twelve years running the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), where I watched firsthand as CIOs and CTOs confronted wave after wave of internal and external change. That experience shaped my belief that the best technology leaders are defined by their ability to lead humans through complexity. 

From my days at TAG to my work today at Retained, the pace of change has only accelerated. CIOs and CTOs are being asked to modernize platforms, secure increasingly complex ecosystems, and harness AI responsibly. All while guiding teams that are stretched and uncertain. The leaders who thrive are the ones who understand people. The data backs this up. In research from Oxford’s Saïd Business School, they found that a human-centric approach improves a leader’s odds of meeting their objectives from just 28% to 73%. 

And to be clear, this isn’t about going easy on people.

“Human-centered leadership isn’t about lowering expectations,” says Paula Moody, CEO at Families First. “It’s about creating an environment where people feel respected, challenged, and supported. When leaders invest in trust, empathy, and meaningful relationships, high performance becomes more sustainable.”

What Boards Are Looking For

Boards have figured this out, even if they don’t always articulate it well. In our C-suite searches at Retained, we see boards and CEOs want leaders who build cultures where people feel valued, heard, and inspired especially in technical environments. They consistently select leaders who understand how people think and how they feel. Gartner’s research shows 90% of HR leaders say success today requires focusing on the human aspects of leadership. Employees who report to a “human leader” show a 37-percentage-point jump in engagement. Yet only 29% of employees say they actually have one. That gap is exactly what the best boards are trying to close. 

Leading Through AI and Constant Change

Nowhere is that gap more visible than in how organizations handle AI. It’s rightly dominating today’s conversations, but anyone who has spent time in technology knows that change is accelerating. Some leaders default to a “get on the bus or get run over” mentality. The best leaders remember the truth that people transform organizations not just technology. As Dominic Savio, Co-Founder and CEO of Relevantz, puts it,

“Human-centered leadership isn’t about protecting people from change. It’s about preparing them for it. When people grow faster than the rate of change, organizations become resilient.”

The stakes of getting this wrong are enormous. As highlighted in research compiled by Mahat Advisory, roughly 70% of digital transformation initiatives fail to meet their objectives. An estimated $2.3 trillion in wasted investment every year, and study after study points to the same root cause that it’s not the technology, but the people and culture side of change. People follow leaders who never lose sight of that. Larry Williams, President & CEO at Technology Association of Georgia, learned that lesson leading through COVID and sees it again with AI:

“People can handle change better than we sometimes give them credit for. What they need is clarity, honesty, and confidence that their leaders have a plan and genuinely care. Technology will continue to evolve, but trust will always be a leader’s greatest asset.”

People First Is the Point

Successful  CIOs and CTOs pair technical vision with human connection. They will build cultures where innovation is safe, change is supported, and AI becomes a tool for empowerment rather than fear. Or as Scott Schemmel, CIO at Construction Resources, summed it up:

“Ambiguity is exhausting, more so than change itself. When people don’t understand the reasoning, they fill the gaps with worry. At the end of the day, performance holds up when people feel like people first.” 

I’ll close with this: human-centered leadership isn’t soft, and it isn’t easy. It requires intentionality, courage, and consistency. It’s essential if you want the best from your people and the best for your company.