Why Your Team Pushes Back (And How to Change That)
In any organization, change is inevitable.
Whether it is a shift in company strategy, a leadership transition, or the adoption of new technologies, businesses that fail to adapt risk stagnation and decline.
Yet, one of the biggest challenges leaders face is team resistance to change.
Employees often push back against change because they fear uncertainty, disruption, or increased workload. They may feel like they are losing control over their work environment or that the change is unnecessary.
In some cases, resistance stems from a lack of trust in leadership’s vision or communication.
Jorge Loebl, founder of Revolving Change, explained this phenomenon in a recent podcast, saying,
“People are not afraid of change. They are afraid of their own change, but they love everybody else changing. When you ask in a business, at a client, ‘Well, we need to change this and this and this,’ everybody says, ‘Yeah, great, but start with somebody else, not with me. I’m okay. I don’t need to change.’”
This mindset is a major hurdle for leaders trying to implement transformation.
If teams view change as something that is being forced upon them, rather than a collaborative process, they will resist it.
The key is not to enforce change, but to inspire it.
The Shift: Leading Change Without Creating Resistance
As a leader, your role is to provide clarity, confidence, and a clear roadmap for your team.
The most successful change initiatives are those where employees feel included in the process, understand the reasons for the transition, and see personal or professional benefits from embracing change.
This article will help you:
- Understand why employees resist change and how to address their concerns
- Develop a clarity-driven leadership approach that minimizes pushback
- Implement practical strategies to secure team buy-in and engagement
Let’s break it down using our Discover, Design, Deliver (3‑D) process.
Discover why your team resists change—even if they say they’re “fine”
When Vision Is Missing, Fear Takes Over
One of the biggest reasons employees resist change is because they do not understand it.
When leadership fails to provide a clear vision for change, employees fill in the gaps with their own assumptions, often assuming the worst.
Jorge captured this idea well, saying,
“The more clarity you have, the more you are going to be willing to modify the way you do things, maybe increase the speed at which you do them, or change another path, another way of doing things. But when people don’t understand why they need to change or where the change is going to take them, hesitation and fear set in.”
The takeaway: Employees need clarity on what is changing, why it is necessary, and what the expected outcomes are.
Emotional Resistance: The Hidden Cost of Change
People do not just resist change in the workplace, they resist it in life.
It is human nature to stick to what feels safe and familiar, even when change is beneficial in the long run.
Jorge expanded on this concept, saying,
“A tiny sting is not painful, right? As long as it remains a tiny sting, we can live with it. We can put a band-aid on it, we can take a painkiller, we can think the pain away. So people will tolerate small frustrations rather than embrace change because the fear of the cure is often greater than the pain itself.”
The takeaway: Leaders need to acknowledge and address employees' emotional concerns about change, rather than simply presenting logic and data.
Design a leadership strategy that earns trust and buy-in
Lead with the “Why,” Win the “How”
Leaders often make the mistake of jumping straight into action steps without first explaining why change is happening.
But if employees do not see the need for change, they will resist every step of the process.
Jorge emphasized the importance of this approach, saying,
“If we start talking about the steps, people are going to get scared. If we talk about everything that will be different, everything that will change, employees start thinking, ‘Oh my God, I don’t want that.’ But if we first show them the pain of staying the same, then they become willing to discuss the steps to move forward.”
The takeaway: Begin by highlighting the risks of stagnation and the opportunities of transformation before explaining the process.
What Stays the Same: Your Secret Weapon for Trust
Not everything in a company needs to change.
A leader’s job is to identify what stays the same and emphasize those areas to provide employees with a sense of security.
Jorge introduced the concept of Zones of Stability, explaining,
“Very often, people say, ‘Change? I need to change everything.’ But that’s not true. Understanding what does not need to change is just as important as identifying what does.”
The takeaway: Leaders should make it clear what will remain stable to reduce unnecessary resistance.
Deliver momentum with confidence-building, low-risk actions
Change in Action: Use LAT™ to Build Confidence
Change is best learned through real-world application rather than theory.
Leaders should provide hands-on experiences where employees can practice new ways of working without fear of failure.
Jorge described this as Life Application Training, explaining,
“We experiment on how each individual can cross that bridge, find the bridge, and cross it. Often, when you see the bridge from a distance, you think, ‘Oh, I can cross it.’ But when you get close, you freeze. So we create controlled, safe experiences that allow people to take the first step before fully committing to change.”
The takeaway: Encourage small, low-risk experiments so employees can gain confidence in the change process.
Use Future Regret to Motivate Present Action
One of the most effective ways to reinforce change is to help employees visualize both the consequences of staying the same and the benefits of transformation.
Isaac, one of the podcast hosts, explained how he applies this personally,
“I try to zoom out and look backward. What will happen if I keep going down this path of not changing? What will my life look like if I continue suffering with this for the next ten years? That perspective often scares me into action.”
Jorge agreed, adding,
“You are creating the pain before it happens, and that is a powerful motivator.”
The takeaway: Encourage employees to reflect on the future impact of inaction and contrast it with the opportunities that change can bring.
Final Thoughts: Leadership Is the Bridge Through Fear
Change will always create resistance if it is poorly communicated, forced, or unclear.
But when leaders provide clarity, listen to concerns, and make employees feel like active participants in the transformation process, resistance is significantly reduced.
Jorge summed it up well,
“Leaders do not just enforce change, they inspire it. They guide people through uncertainty, making sure they do not feel lost or isolated in the process. The goal is to turn fear into empowerment.”
As a leader, your job is to be the light in the darkness of change, providing your team with the direction, confidence, and clarity they need to move forward.
Lead Change Without Losing Your Team
You don’t have to push your team through change alone.
Our various Membership gives you hands-on strategies, expert support, and real-life applications like LAT™ to help you lead with clarity and confidence—without the burnout.
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