Resistance is information, not defiance

Resistance is information. It tells you something about where a person is in the change and what they need next. Treated as defiance, it hardens. Treated as data, it becomes useful.

Listen to what resistance actually sounds like and you'll notice it comes in different forms:

• "Nobody's told us anything about this." "Isn't this just the latest fad?" This person may not yet understand what's changing or why it matters to them.

• "My way works fine. Why change it?" "Is this going to replace us?" This person understands the change but hasn't made peace with it.

• "I tried it once and it got it wrong." "I don't have time to learn this properly." This person has started, but it isn't sticking.

These are three very different situations. The first needs information and connection. The second needs listening and honesty. The third needs time, practice and support. Respond to all three with the same push and you'll get more resistance, not less.

This is where leadership capability makes or breaks adoption. It's a skill many Leaders haven’t been taught. The good news is that it's very learnable.

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