Emotional agility during times of change.

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Change doesn’t just disrupt plans and processes. It disrupts people. 

In this episode of Positiviq, Penny Ward explores emotional agility during times of change and why it’s essential for navigating uncertainty, sustaining resilience, and leading with steadiness through the messy middle. 

Drawing on behavioural science, positive psychology, and the work popularised by Susan David, this episode unpacks why change amplifies emotional responses, what’s happening in the brain and body when certainty drops, and how emotions can spread through teams during times of disruption. 

You’ll learn how emotional agility helps you work with emotions rather than being driven by them, for yourself, and as a leader creating stability for others. 

In this episode, you’ll explore: 

• why change intensifies emotions and increases reactivity 

• how cognitive load and nervous system responses affect emotional regulation 

• the role of emotional contagion during uncertainty 

• why naming emotions restores clarity and steadiness 

• simple tools to build emotional awareness and regulation during change 

• how emotionally agile leadership creates trust, safety and adaptability 

• the Iceberg Model as a practical lens for understanding reactions beneath the surface 

This episode is for leaders, professionals, and anyone navigating sustained change who wants to respond with awareness rather than react on autopilot, and move through uncertainty with clarity, compassion and intention. 

Subscribe and listen: Apple Podcasts and Spotify.