09/09/2025

Reframe Resistance to Drive Positive Business Changes

Lead your teams through change by creating transformative conversations

There’s a common myth that people resist change. The truth is, people change all the time: They move across the country, start families, end relationships or shift careers. What people actually resist isn't change itself, but the conflict, uncertainty and difficult emotions that certain kinds of change bring.

For leaders, managing change is a constant. Yet not all change looks the same. Some changes feel like breakthroughs, others like setbacks. Sometimes, you see them coming; sometimes, they arrive without warning. The real leadership test isn’t whether change happens as it always does, but how you navigate through change.

When you map change on two axes, wanted vs. unwanted, expected vs. unexpected, you get the four quadrants of change. Each quadrant comes with its own leadership trap, but also an opportunity. The key is learning how to shift the conversation so that disruption becomes a pathway to growth.

Please select this link to read the complete article from SmartBrief.