Every organization faces resistance during change. We label it, measure it, hold meetings about it. But we rarely talk about the truth underneath it: resistance isn’t just a phase to “manage through.” It’s a mirror.
How leaders handle resistance reveals more about their maturity than their strategy. In my experience, you really only have three options when people resist change: convert them, alter the change, or fire them. Most leaders pretend there’s a fourth, which is to wait it out, but that one always costs more in the end.
Option 1: Convert Them
This is the ideal. When a change makes real sense for the company, you owe it to people to make that case clearly. You explain the “why,” articulate the benefits, and give people tools to adapt. A strong change management approach can help even the most skeptical employees come around when they see what’s in it for them and how they fit into the future state.
But that only works when the change truly adds value and is something you can stand behind.
Option 2: Alter (or Abandon) the Change
Sometimes resistance isn’t defiance; it’s wisdom. It’s your organization saying, “This doesn’t make sense for us.”
We once had a client planning to relocate a manufacturing plant. On paper, the move was flawless: lower costs, higher efficiency, millions saved. But when the plan was announced, the team realized most employees weren’t willing to relocate. This was a small town where people had built their lives and worked together for decades. The company would have lost 80% of its knowledge base overnight.
They made the hard call to abandon the move. The spreadsheet didn’t account for loyalty, identity, or institutional memory, but the resistance did.
Sometimes, when pushback is widespread and genuine, it’s not a sign to double down. It’s a signal to pause and ask: Is this change really worth it?
Option 3: Fire Them
Then there’s the uncomfortable truth. When you’ve done the work, clarified the why, addressed concerns, and built support, and people still refuse to move forward, you have to let them go.
It’s not about punishment; it’s about protection. Keeping active resistors in place is like trying to build a house while someone quietly removes the nails. They’ll slow progress, erode morale, and make every win harder than it has to be.
Many companies hesitate here, hoping time will soften the opposition. It rarely does. It just spreads it.
The Real Test
The goal of change isn’t blind compliance; it’s alignment with purpose. Resistance isn’t something to “fix.” It’s feedback.
Strong leaders know when to listen, when to adapt, and when to let go. Weak ones avoid the choice altogether and call it patience.
November 21, 2025
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