What to do when our team resists change
My 5 leading through change steps
Hey hey, happy Tuesday team,
I’m in a very sunny Brighton today, running my full Leadership Level Up day with a brilliant sales team down here.
But before I step out, I’m sat in my hotel room thinking about something that keeps coming up in leadership conversations lately.
Change.
More importantly, our team’s resistance to any kind of change or newness.
And how the hell, as their leaders, do we lead through it? Especially if we don’t agree with the change ourselves?
Do we just lie, and pretend it’s all rosy? Or admit we don’t agree either, at risk of causing more resistance?
Let’s unpack…
Firstly, change is necessary. It’s what keeps businesses growing, teams improving, and results getting better.
But even with that in mind, it rarely has a positive reception.
If you’ve ever tried to introduce a new system, process, or way of working, you’ve probably been met with some (or all) of these responses:
“This won’t work.”
“We tried something similar before, and it failed.”
“But this won’t work for me because…”
OR silent resistance (more frustrating) where people just don’t do the new thing because they silently don’t believe in it.
Sound familiar?
As a leader, your job isn’t just to announce change. It’s to make it happen. And that means overcoming pushback, getting buy-in, and making sure the change actually sticks.
Here’s some ways I navigate change without pulling my hair out in the process:
Step 1: Understand why humans resist change (It’s not just stubbornness)
Before you can fix the resistance, you need to understand it. People don’t usually resist change just to be difficult. They resist because of how it makes them feel.
Common Reasons for Resistance:
Fear of the unknown - We don’t know what this change means for us.
Loss of control – They feel like something is being forced on them.
More work upfront – Even if the change will help in the long run, it feels like extra effort now.
Lack of trust – They don’t believe leadership is making the right decision.
Comfort with routine – They know the old way, and change is uncomfortable.
Example:
I worked with a company last year who had just moved from fully email-based and office based communication to Slack, and the longer-standing team members resisted. They saw it as “just another tool” and didn’t want to invest time into something new.
After some digging, we found they actually felt left behind. Some of the older team didn’t quite understand the new tech.
But once they were shown why it was useful (fewer lost emails, quicker responses) and were given proper training, resistance dropped.
Step 2: Make it their idea (even if it was yours)
Fact: People are more likely to embrace change if they feel like they were part of the decision.
Instead of telling your team what’s happening, bring them into the process.
How to do it:
Ask for input early. Even if the decision is already made, involve them in how it’s implemented.
Frame it as an opportunity. Instead of “We’re changing this”, say “We have the chance to improve X - what do you think we should do?”
Let them identify problems. Ask: “What’s frustrating about the current way we do things?” then position the change as the solution to that.
Let’s say this is something they’re really against, like coming back into the office for more days. We can’t change it, but we can ask questions like…
”Look, I know this isn’t ideal, but the change is happening. So what could we do to make it more enjoyable or less frustrating for you? What could we put in place?”
Step 3: Connect it to what they care about
People don’t care about company goals anywhere near as much as they care about how something affects them personally.
If you want them to buy in, you need to know the answer one simple question:
“What’s in it for me?”
How to Do It:
Show how the change makes their job easier, not harder.
Connect it to something they’re already frustrated with.
Make it personal. How does this help them, not just the company? Does it help make them more valuable? Make a process smoother?
Example:
My friend who runs an accountancy business, rolled out a new reporting tool for her team recently that would save hours of manual data entry.
In her email to the team, instead of saying, “We’re implementing a new tool”
She said, “We’re eliminating 90% of the boring admin work - so you’ll have more time for the stuff that actually matters.”
Now, people wanted the change.
Step 4: Over-Communicate (Seriously, way more than you think you need to)
Change feels the most scary when we don’t have enough information. If they’re left in the dark, they’ll assume the worst.
We need to:
Explain the ‘why’ repeatedly. People need to hear it multiple times before it sticks.
Answer objections publicly. If one person raises a concern, chances are others have the same question. Address it openly. Most leaders shy away from this.
Give updates often. Keep people in the loop so they don’t feel blindsided.
Step 5: Reward early adopters
Change spreads when people see it working.
If early adopters start to thrive and we help others to see that, they will soon follow.
Here’s a few ways i’ve done this in the past:
Recognise and reward the people who embrace the change.
Share success stories - make it clear that the change is actually helping.
Final thoughts: What stance do we take?
You don’t lie. And you don’t pretend you love it either.
You can acknowledge the change, and even name that it’s not favourable, without turning that discomfort into permission to resist it.
Great leaders don’t need to agree with every decision from above, but they do need to create clarity, steadiness, and direction through it.
You validate the feeling, you don’t validate opting out.
That’s the line.
If your team is resisting change, it’s not always because the change itself is bad or annoying. It’s often because they don’t understand it, trust it, or see how it benefits them.
Over to you
H x
P.S. If you’re looking to raise the standards of leadership inside your business, My Leadership Level-Up Days may be right for you. Enquire here.