Leading After Layoffs

The start of the year often brings a sense of momentum for leaders. We are setting strategy, recognizing performance, and looking ahead to what’s next.

And yet, for many organizations, the new year is also when hard decisions come into focus. Budgets and headcount plans are finalized, and shifting priorities sometimes lead to the word no leader wants to hear: layoffs.

Whether anticipated or not, reductions in force can have a lasting impact on teams if not handled with care. How leaders show up in the days and weeks after layoffs often shapes engagement and retention more than the layoff itself. Layoffs can erode morale, focus, and trust. Or, handled well, they can become an opportunity to demonstrate true leadership and strengthen a team over time.

Why leadership after layoffs matters so much

Layoffs disrupt more than org charts; they disrupt trust.

Employees may not say it out loud, but many are asking the same questions. Am I safe here? Does my work still matter? Can I trust leadership? What happens next?

Leaders are often expected to stabilize their teams while they are still processing the change themselves. Without support, many default to avoidance, over-optimism, or pushing forward as if nothing happened.

Leadership in this moment matters. How leaders respond can either deepen uncertainty or help teams regain a sense of steadiness, clarity, and care.

Start with the leader: put your own life mask on first

Before leaders can manage others through change, they need space to acknowledge their own experience of it.

In many organizations, leaders learn about layoffs with limited notice due to confidentiality. They may be asked to communicate decisions before they have had time to fully process their own reactions.

Pausing before moving into action is critical. Processing emotions is not a detour from leadership. It is what allows leaders to show up grounded rather than guarded. That pause creates space to choose a thoughtful response rather than react in the moment.

When leaders suppress their reactions, those emotions often resurface later as detachment, irritability, or inconsistency. Identifying a trusted outlet, whether an HR partner, peer, or coach, can help leaders move through the experience with greater clarity and support.

Acknowledge the change early and honestly

After layoffs, silence creates anxiety.

Leaders do not need to have all the answers, and they should not pretend to. What matters is acknowledging what has happened, naming that it is difficult, and reinforcing commitment to the team and the organization’s future.

Avoid minimizing the impact or rushing too quickly to reassurance. People can sense when leaders are skipping over reality.

Prioritize transparency, even when it feels uncomfortable. Honesty builds trust and helps teams focus on what can be accomplished next.

Make room for emotions before pushing for performance

Employees often have very little time to process layoffs before being expected to return to work.

Team members may experience sadness, guilt, anger, or fear. They may be grieving colleagues who were also friends. These reactions are normal, even when layoffs are understood intellectually.

Normalize emotional responses and allow flexibility as teams regain their footing. Different people cope in different ways. Some may want to stay busy, while others may experience a short-term dip in productivity. Create space for teams to recalibrate in the ways they need.

Leading after layoffs is not a one-time conversation. There will be reminders of loss through increased workloads or new expectations. Emotions can resurface weeks or months later.

This is not about lowering standards indefinitely. It is about recognizing that emotional recovery supports sustainable performance.

Re-establish clarity around roles and priorities

Once emotions have been acknowledged, teams need direction.

Leaders should clearly articulate what is known about shifting roles, responsibilities, and priorities. Just as importantly, they should name what is not changing.

If decisions are still in progress, that uncertainty should be shared honestly. Lack of information is often easier to tolerate than silence or speculation.

Share specifics where possible, and commit to continued communication as plans evolve.

Reinforce value through gratitude and recognition

After layoffs, remaining employees often question their value and their future.

Expressing sincere, specific appreciation helps stabilize teams. Gratitude should reflect not only output, but also effort, adaptability, and how people are showing up during a difficult time.

This is not about forced positivity. It is about reinforcing purpose and contribution when confidence may feel shaken.

Leading after layoffs is a leadership capability

Leading after layoffs is one of the hardest responsibilities leaders carry. It requires honesty without oversharing, empathy without avoidance, and clarity without false certainty.

When leaders build in regular individual and team check-ins, communicate with transparency, and clarify roles and responsibilities, teams have the opportunity to move from disruption toward strength.

Are you leading through layoffs? Use and share these reminders:

• Acknowledge the change and invite conversation
• Hold a team check-in quickly, allowing flexibility with cameras
• Meet individually with each team member to listen and answer questions
• Revisit team norms and ways of working if structure has shifted
• Reconfirm priorities and adjust expectations where needed
• Validate employee contributions and value

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If you are supporting teams through layoffs, restructures, or ongoing change, you do not have to navigate this alone. Contact Ashley at ashley@brightwellleadership.com to continue the conversation.

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