Advice on Embracing Change: 8 Insights from Those Who’ve Adapted and Grown
Change is an inevitable part of life and business, often presenting both challenges and opportunities. This article brings together valuable insights from those who have successfully adapted and grown through periods of change. Drawing from the experiences of experts in various fields, readers will discover practical strategies for embracing change and leveraging it for personal and professional development.
- Treat Change as Training for Future Success
- View Change as an Opportunity for Growth
- Lean Into Change to Drive Innovation
- Continuously Learn to Stay Relevant in Business
- Step Outside Your Comfort Zone
- Transform Setbacks into Valuable Learning Experiences
- Build Your Own Value in Your Field
- Make Incremental Progress Towards Embracing Change
Treat Change as Training for Future Success
If I could give my younger self one piece of advice about embracing change, it would be this: stop treating it like an interruption. Change isn’t there to sabotage your plans. It’s the training ground that prepares you for what’s next.
When you’re starting out, it’s natural to want everything to be steady. You think success will come from locking down the right system and just running it on repeat. But the reality is harsher: the market shifts, people leave, cash dries up, and suddenly the plan you believed in so deeply doesn’t hold up. That’s why adaptability matters more than the perfect blueprint.
You need to learn to let go of your ego, of your old plans, of the belief that you can control every outcome. That’s uncomfortable. But it’s also where growth happens. Each time you accept a setback as a signal instead of a failure, you give yourself a chance to pivot into something better.
One practical strategy I’d recommend is building habits that force you to step back regularly. That could mean weekly check-ins where you honestly ask yourself, “Is this still working?” or creating space in your schedule for reflection instead of nonstop execution.
Adaptability has paid off in every stage of my journey. It’s the reason I was able to navigate financial uncertainty, shift strategy when markets moved, and keep my team motivated through rough patches. More importantly, it kept me from burning out. When you accept that change is inevitable, you stop wasting energy resisting it and start using that energy to build smarter responses.
Nir Appelton
CEO, Adorb Custom Tees
View Change as an Opportunity for Growth
If I could give my younger self one piece of advice, it would be: don’t fear change but embrace it as an opportunity.
Earlier in my career, I saw change as disruption, as it meant uncertainty, risk, and often a period of discomfort. But over time, particularly working internationally and leading teams across different cultures, I realized that adaptability isn’t just a nice-to-have skill, but something that can be a real advantage.
Every major shift in my career has taught me something new.
Moving between industries, stepping into unfamiliar roles, or navigating different cultural expectations has compelled me to approach problems in new ways and learn more quickly than I thought possible. What once felt daunting often turned out to be the catalyst for growth.
I’d tell my younger self that change doesn’t mean you’re unprepared; it just means you’re being invited to expand and develop yourself.
The key is to approach it with curiosity rather than resistance. Ask questions, seek out the opportunities within the shift, and don’t be afraid to adjust your plan. Change might close one door, but it nearly always opens another, and most importantly and often forgotten, is to try and find enjoyment in what you do.
In hindsight, the times I’ve leaned into change rather than resisting it have been the times that shaped my leadership style the most. It gave me resilience, empathy, and a broader perspective. I’d recommend treating change as training for the next opportunity, especially to those just starting, because the ability to adapt will carry you further than any single skill set.
Christopher Wells
Gm/Business Development Manager
Lean Into Change to Drive Innovation
If I could give my younger self one piece of advice about embracing change, it would be this: stop fighting it and start leaning into it earlier. Early in my entrepreneurial journey, I viewed change as disruption—something that derailed the systems and processes I had worked so hard to build. I thought stability was the goal, when in reality, adaptability has always been the true advantage.
I remember one particular moment that shaped this perspective. A few years back, a client’s industry shifted practically overnight due to new regulations. The campaign we had built so carefully became irrelevant in a matter of weeks. My instinct at the time was to double down, to “fix” what was broken. But that approach wasted valuable time. What ultimately worked was stepping back, acknowledging the new reality, and building a strategy that fit the change rather than resisting it. That pivot not only saved the project but deepened the client’s trust because they saw us as partners who could navigate uncertainty with them.
Since then, I’ve realized adaptability isn’t about abandoning structure—it’s about staying anchored in purpose while being flexible in execution. The entrepreneurs and leaders who thrive aren’t the ones who avoid turbulence; they’re the ones who recalibrate quickly and keep momentum.
Looking back, embracing change earlier would have saved me countless sleepless nights and opened doors faster. Today, I see adaptability not just as a survival skill but as a growth engine. It has allowed me to lead teams with more confidence, to support clients across industries facing unpredictable shifts, and to turn uncertainty into opportunity. If I had understood that sooner, I think I would have moved with far less fear and far more creativity.
Continuously Learn to Stay Relevant in Business
If I could give my younger self one piece of advice about embracing change, it would be this: stop getting comfortable. The moment you think you know everything in this trade is the moment you’re getting left behind. When I first started, the electrical world was a lot simpler. Then all the new stuff started coming in—LED lighting, solar PV, smart home automation—and a lot of the old-school blokes just grumbled about it and stuck to what they knew.
I was a bit like that myself at first. You get set in your ways, and you think the old methods are the best. But I learned pretty quickly that if you don’t adapt, you won’t survive. The technology and the wiring rules are always changing. You can’t just keep doing the same job the same way for thirty years and expect to stay on top. The moment you stop learning is the moment your value starts to drop.
My adaptability has been the main reason for my success. It’s allowed me to take on new types of work and stay relevant in a changing market. When I was younger, I never would have thought I’d be installing a complex solar system or programming a smart lighting setup for a client. But I had to learn it all, and I had to keep learning. That willingness to embrace new technology and new methods has opened up entire new parts of the business for us. It means we don’t just do basic re-wires; we’re a full-service business that can handle the latest and greatest tech.
It’s not about being a tech geek; it’s about being a professional who is always ready for the next thing. That adaptability has helped us build a reputation for being reliable and knowledgeable, not just with the old stuff but with the new stuff too. That’s a huge part of what keeps the phone ringing. It’s what separates a tradie from a business owner who is in it for the long haul.
Alex Schepis
Electrician / CEO, Lightspeed Electrical
Step Outside Your Comfort Zone
I would advise my younger self to embrace change more readily instead of fearing the unknown. My decision to move to Hong Kong without knowing anyone was initially intimidating, but it became one of the most transformative experiences of my career. This experience taught me that adaptability isn’t just about surviving change but thriving through it by remaining open to different perspectives. Throughout my professional journey, this willingness to step outside my comfort zone has repeatedly opened doors to opportunities I couldn’t have anticipated.
Yoan Amselem
Managing Director, German Cultural Association of Hong Kong
Transform Setbacks into Valuable Learning Experiences
If I could advise my younger self about embracing change, I would emphasize the importance of viewing setbacks as opportunities for growth rather than failures. When my company went under years ago, I was forced to pivot quickly, which initially felt devastating but ultimately opened doors I never would have discovered otherwise. That experience taught me that flexibility isn’t just a nice quality to have—it’s essential for both professional survival and personal growth. Looking back, my willingness to adapt during that challenging period became one of the most valuable skills that shaped my subsequent success.
Alex Cornici
Marketing & PR Coordinator, Flow Digital
Build Your Own Value in Your Field
My younger millennial self thought that success was defined by the values instilled by my Baby Boomer parents. This meant that goals were achieved by staying with one lifelong employer—an organization that offered a progressive succession plan ending with the metaphorical golden watch and a post-retirement plan. Rather than restricting my outreach to career fairs—and otherwise waiting passively—I built my own value in my field and leveraged small wins toward client acquisition and other opportunities. If I could speak to that person, who might as well live on a different planet, I would tell him that change breeds opportunity and that ingenuity ultimately wins.
Jeremy Golan SHRM-CP, CPHR, Bachelor of Management
HR Manager, Virtual HR Hub
Make Incremental Progress Towards Embracing Change
One piece of advice to give my younger self? You don’t have to do it all at once. Change can seem scary and overwhelming when it’s a massive shift of behaviors, lifestyle, routines, etc. However, it all comes down to incremental progress. Being adaptable and able to go outside of your comfort zone is a major skill, and it doesn’t happen all at once. Take your time with it, and as long as you are making incremental progress – that’s what matters! As you meet new people, travel to new places, and generally explore life – being adaptable becomes a critical asset.
Colton De Vos
Marketing Specialist, Resolute Technology Solutions
