Creating vulnerability-based trust during change

About this event

A practical session exploring vulnerability-based trust, emotional assertiveness, and how to create psychological safety during change.

Change often brings uncertainty, emotional reactions, and shifts in behaviour that are easy to misinterpret. This interactive session explores how vulnerability-based trust and emotional assertiveness can help individuals and teams navigate change more openly, safely, and productively.

Drawing on real workplace behaviours, participants will reflect on how people experience and express change differently, including the often unseen pressures and emotional responses that sit beneath the surface. Through discussion, reflection, and practical activities, the session encourages participants to examine how trust is built (or eroded) through everyday interactions, communication styles, and assumptions we make about others.

Participants will:

• Explore the emotional stages of change and what people need from leaders and colleagues at each stage
• Understand how introversion and extroversion can influence behaviour, energy, and communication during change
• Recognise “quiet screams” for support and how behaviour can signal unmet needs
• Reflect on what they personally bring to a team, what they need from others, and what happens when those needs aren’t met

The session is designed to be participative and practical, with opportunities to share perspectives and learn from others’ experiences. Participants will receive the session slides following the event, enabling them to reflect on the content and, if appropriate, use the materials to support similar conversations within their own teams or organisations.

David Bowerman

David Bowerman is a leadership development specialist, facilitator, and creator of immersive leadership simulations. He has extensive experience designing and delivering leadership training across a wide range of organisations, working with leaders at different levels to build confidence, emotional intelligence, and practical leadership capability.

David’s background spans leadership development, organisational development, and experiential learning. He is particularly passionate about helping leaders navigate complexity, change, and human dynamics at work — creating spaces where people can have honest conversations, build trust, and better understand the impact of their behaviour on others.

He is the founder of Simulate Leadership, a leadership development practice that uses interactive, scenario-based simulations to help leaders learn through experience rather than theory alone. His work focuses on psychological safety, vulnerability-based trust, communication, and supporting people through change in realistic, engaging ways.

David is also a CIPD volunteer and regularly works with HR professionals and people managers, bringing a pragmatic, human-centred approach to leadership that balances emotional insight with practical action.

Please note:

1. Webinar joining instructions will be sent to you again 1 day before the event, with a further reminder 15 minutes prior to the event starting.
2. The session may be recorded and shared with people afterwards. Please bear this in mind and have your camera off if you do not wish for your image to be shared.
3. The chat function will be used for participants to engage with the webinar, so just be mindful of the login name you use and ensure you are happy for other people to see this.
4. For security reasons, it is requested that participants join the live session 10 minutes prior to the scheduled start time and with the same name as registered on Eventbrite - not doing so may cause a delay or non-admittance to the event.
5. This event may include an external speaker who has prepared their own presentation. Any views or opinions expressed by the speaker are their own and do not reflect those of the CIPD.
6. If you require any reasonable adjustments to enhance your experience, please get in contact with us by responding to this email and we will do our best to accommodate.