A Different Approach to Change
The goal isn't to eliminate resistance. It's to understand what it's trying to tell us.
How Change Resistance Is Often Addressed (or Rather, Ignored)
When resistance shows up during change, most leaders feel it as an obstacle. It needs to be removed, avoided, or waited out. People will eventually get on board. They always do…right?
Sometimes waiting seems to work. People seem to get on board, or at least act that way.
But resistance does not happen without reason. Even if the reason is difficult to assess, knowing it is the first step to changing it — both for the immediate change and future ones.
The Many Faces of Change Resistance
Resistance does not announce itself. It does not call itself resistance. It often doesn’t even feel like resistance to those exhibiting it. In fact, sometimes resistance can even look like agreement. There’s nodding without any commitment to action; everyone implicitly believes the change needs to happen to others.
Any number of expressions of resistance can happen, even to the same person at different times. Just because someone is on board now does not mean they will remain so.
So how can we take on the multifaceted challenge of change resistance without being overwhelmed?
Understanding The Foundation of Change Resistance
Underlying almost every expression of resistance to change is some form of fear. Sometimes it expresses as anger, and even then, the anger is most likely a reaction to an intrinsic fear.
Depending on the person, it may be a fear that responsibilities will be taken from them, team members will shift, there will be no place for them in the future landscape, or they will be asked to do more work without any change in compensation or recognition. They may be frustrated that they had no say in this change to their reality, and the loss of autonomy can spark feelings of helplessness or anger. It could be that the issues they repeatedly experience will not be addressed by this proposed transformation.
The list of possibilities is endless. Ultimately, any change means the present will cease to exist in some form, and something new is taking its place - this inevitably means that there will be some amount of grief involved, even in “positive” changes.
When leaders dismiss these facts, they find themselves confused and taken off guard when resistance bubbles up. Acknowledging the basis of change resistance allows leaders to turn frustration into opportunity.
Inclusion: The First Line of Defense
One of the most powerful tools to productively address fear is to include people. The future always holds some degree of uncertainty, and people are naturally inclined to consider the worst-case scenario they can imagine, so they can be prepared in case it comes to pass. This is not a bad survival instinct, but it can wreak havoc on morale, culture, and change adoption.
When people believe there will be a negative outcome in the future, particularly as a result of a decision made without their say, it triggers both fear of loss of autonomy and fear of future uncertainty. Getting feedback from people, involving them wherever possible in the planning phases, and genuinely taking feedback to heart are all great ways to get ahead of the disaster scenarios people may be running in their heads. If they feel involved in the change, they are more likely to take ownership, evangelize it to others, and maintain their energy when inevitable challenges arise.
Feeling like they are part of a change — not simply on the receiving end of one — fosters problem-solving and growth mindsets, rather than survival and fear mindsets.
Venting as an Opportunity
Including people in the change is especially easy when they see the benefits of the change. Sometimes, however, the change involves some sacrifice, either in the journey to a better future or in the future itself. On these occasions, inclusion alone will not stop the fear and anger that may emerge from the grief of the change.
Leaders may feel most comfortable turning away from or invalidating their people's strong emotions during change. The leader may hope they are modeling a “let’s just get through this” attitude, or they may feel they had no say in the change and just need to push others through it the way they feel on the inside.
Unfortunately, while it can feel difficult to turn into someone’s emotional reaction, the truth is that ignoring emotions does not make them go away. They always come out later — and generally at an inopportune time, much stronger than intended.
Letting people vent — to simply express their frustrations and worries — is a powerful tool for acknowledging a feeling, giving them a chance to address it, and preventing it from exploding later. This may mean taking 1-on-1 meetings to just listen, or holding a listening tour or town hall where feedback is documented and followed up on. It does not mean that every complaint or fear can be addressed, but simply sharing it can take the wind out of its sails before it destroys morale, culture, and outcomes.
Calling out the “Weird”
It’s understandable for leaders to feel unsure in the face of change resistance and to hope that it will just dwindle on its own. It can feel counterproductive to call out the resistance as leaders see it, and give it space. What if it gets stronger? What if more people join the resistance?
While these fears can prevent leaders from engaging with change resistance, this method can actually build more strength in the resistance than naming and addressing it.
When leaders call out the discomfort, acknowledge the concerns, and give a name to it, they give themselves a leg up. People will be able to express that fear directly, rather than indirectly challenging a change, or finding other ways to sabotage the effort. They also feel the relief of being acknowledged and can place greater trust in leadership.
Consider any relationship you’ve had where you feel like the other party is hiding something. You become alert, defensive, and on the lookout for what is not being stated directly. When truths are acknowledged, even the uncomfortable ones, people can face difficulties together and directly, rather than feeling defensive and waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Change Resistance is Natural…and Useful
Ultimately, change always comes with some emotions, and when leaders allow this to be a natural part of change rather than a side effect to be avoided, they can use resistance as the information that it is.
This means they understand the nature of what people are resisting, allow for it to happen, and use the opportunity both to build trust with their people and get people on board to move towards the vision they have laid out.
This is the challenge, the opportunity, and the goal of successful change leadership.
Change is never just about the process. It's about the people living through it.
If your organization is experiencing resistance to change, it may be an invitation to listen more deeply—not push harder. We partner with leaders to build the trust, conversations, and human connection that make lasting change possible.