Leading Through Change: From Resistance to Engagement

While change is constant and inevitable, our reactions to it vary wildly. Some people embrace it, seek it out, and thrive in fast-paced environments. I had one leader tell me about a colleague who loved change so much that when he ran out of things to change at work, he'd rearrange your office furniture while you were away.

On the other hand, there are the change resistors—or as Simon Sinek calls them in his famous TED talk, the "laggards." These are the people who would still be using rotary phones if anyone still made them. They're the ones you need to bring along, sometimes kicking and screaming.

Adapting to change ourselves can be challenging, but leading others through it? That's even harder. Engagement and buy-in vary greatly. Some people are ready yesterday; others dig in their heels and you feel like you need to drag them along. Balancing forward movement with meeting people where they are takes skill, patience, and strategy.

Reactions to Change and Reasons

Not everyone responds to change the same way. Have you ever noticed someone digging in their heels while someone else is ready to race ahead?

On one end, you have the Change Seekers—the people who thrive on change. They're energized by new challenges, excited about what's possible, and often ready to move forward before you've finished explaining the plan (they often don’t even need a plan – they’re the “we’ll figure it out as we go” type). These are the team members who volunteer to pilot new systems, champion new initiatives, and get bored when things stay the same for too long. They're often the first ones to buy untested tech or try the latest productivity tool. They see change as opportunity and growth.

On the other end are the Change Resistors. These are people who prefer stability and predictability. They've mastered the current way of doing things, and change feels like starting over (they’re the ones who want the perfect plan with all the possible contingencies identified and solved before they start). They often have a hundred questions: "This can't work. Why are we doing this?" They need time to process, ask questions, and understand all the implications before they're ready to move forward.

Most of your team falls somewhere in between. They're not automatically resistant, but they're not jumping in headfirst either.

So why do people resist change?

• Fear of the unknown: "Is this going to work? Now I need to figure this whole thing out." (And let's be honest—the new thing often has bugs and it’s not seamless, regardless of what was promised)

• Loss of competence: "I'm really good at what I do now—will I still be valuable after this change?"

• Past negative experiences: "The last three changes were disasters. Why should this be different?"

• Lack of time or energy: “I don’t have time to learn and figure out something new; I’m already overwhelmed.”

• Lack of context: "Why are we fixing something that isn't broken?"

And why do some people seek it out?

• Excitement about new possibilities: "Finally, something different!"

• Growth opportunity: "I'll learn new skills and expand my capabilities"

• Variety and stimulation: "Doing the same thing gets boring"

Here's what matters: no response is wrong. They're just different. The Change Seeker isn't better than the Change Resistor. The cautious processor isn't less valuable than the early adopter (effective teams often have both represented for good balance). Understanding where people fall on this spectrum—and why—is the first step to leading them effectively through change.

Three Tips for Leading Through Change

Tip #1: Understand Change Styles (Starting with Your Own)

Before you can effectively lead your team through change, you need to understand your own relationship with it. Where do you fall on that Change Seeker to Change Resistor continuum?

We tend to lead the way we want to be led. If you're a Change Seeker, you might announce a new initiative with enthusiasm and expect everyone to jump on board immediately. When they don't, you're frustrated. If you're more resistant to change yourself, you might over-communicate every detail, delay decisions and move too slowly for your early adopters, who are ready to go.

Not knowing your own style creates a blind spot. You'll unconsciously favor people who respond to change the same way you do, while inadvertently alienating those who don't. Good leaders recognize this and adapt to a variety of styles, not just their own.

So start here: Where are you on the continuum? Do you get excited by new possibilities, or do you prefer to stick with what works? Do you need all the details before moving forward, or are you comfortable figuring it out as you go?

Once you understand your own style, you can plot your team members along the same continuum. Think about each person:

• How have they responded to past changes?

• Do they volunteer for new projects or hold back?

• Do they ask a lot of questions or trust the process?

• Do they need time to adjust or adapt quickly?

Understanding where everyone falls—including yourself—helps you see the full picture. You'll recognize that the person asking endless questions isn't being difficult; they just need more information to feel comfortable. The person who seems disengaged might just need more time to process. The person pushing to move faster isn't impatient; they're energized by progress and frustrated by delays.

This awareness transforms how you lead. Instead of expecting everyone to respond like you do, you can meet each person where they are and leverage their strengths.

Tip #2: Communicate Early and Often

One of the biggest mistakes leaders make during change is waiting until they have all the answers before communicating. The challenge is that in the absence of information, people create their own stories—and these stories can sabotage success.

When you're silent, people fill the void. And these stories tend to lean toward catastrophizing. They imagine worst-case scenarios. They assume the change is worse than it is. Rumors spread. Anxiety builds. By the time you're ready to communicate, you're not just managing the change itself—you're managing all the fear and speculation that grew in the silence.

You don't need to have all the answers. It's okay to say, "I don't know yet, but I'll find out" or "We haven't figured that out yet, but I'll make sure to tell you when we've decided." This honesty builds trust.

So what should you communicate?

The Why: Connect the change to bigger goals. Help people understand the context. What problem are we solving? What opportunity are we pursuing? When people understand the "why," they're more likely to engage with the "what." You want to unite the whole team against the goal, and clear communication helps you do that.

What You Know: Share the information you have, even if it's incomplete. What's changing? When? How will it affect the team?

What You Don't Know Yet: Be honest about the gaps. When you commit to finding out or updating the team, make sure you follow through—even if the answer is "we're still working on it or we haven’t decided that yet."

Consistency and transparency reduce anxiety. Establish a rhythm—weekly updates during major transitions, even if it's just to say "We're still on track." Keep the same meeting times. Follow through on what you promise. When people know they can count on you for information, they spend less energy worrying and more energy adapting.

Communication—even imperfect communication—keeps your team grounded and engaged. Ensure you invite questions too.

Tip #3: Adapt Your Approach

One-size-fits-all leadership doesn't work. The approach that motivates your Change Seeker might overwhelm your Change Resistor. The timeline that feels comfortable to someone who needs stability might feel painfully slow to someone ready to move yesterday.

Meeting people where they are on the continuum means tailoring your messaging, your timeline, and your support to different needs.

For your Change Seekers:

• Give them the headline first—they don't need every detail upfront

• Let them run with it—give them authority to pilot or lead parts of the change

• Keep them engaged by letting them help bring others along

For your Change Resistors:

• Provide more context and reasoning—they need to understand the "why" thoroughly

• Give them time to process and ask questions

• Offer step-by-step guidance and reassurance that they'll have support

• Acknowledge that their concerns are valid

For everyone in between:

• Pay attention to what they need—some will want more details, others want reassurance, others want to see early wins

• Check in regularly and adjust based on how they're responding

• Recognize that people might move along the continuum as the change progresses

One practical trick: Break out your communication into "Highlights" and "Details." This allows people to absorb what works for them—seekers can grab the highlights and go, while resistors can dig into the details they need. You might also need more meetings with your resistors to answer questions and provide support. Invite everyone but make attendance optional—your seekers likely won't need the extra sessions.

Adapting your approach doesn't mean having a different conversation with every single person. It means being intentional about how you communicate and support different groups. When you adapt your approach, you stop fighting against people's natural tendencies and start working with them. That's when change moves from something you're forcing on your team to something you're navigating together.

Using DISC to Lead Through Change

Understanding the change continuum is powerful, but DISC gives you even more insight into how to adapt your approach.

DISC is a behavioral assessment tool that helps you understand how people prefer to communicate, make decisions, and respond to their environment. When it comes to leading through change, DISC gives you great insight into how the different styles react to change so you don’t have to guess and can lead more effectively and efficiently.

Here's how different DISC styles typically respond to change:

D Styles (Dominance)

These are often your Change Seekers, but they need change to make sense from a results perspective. They want the bottom line: What's changing? Why? What's the impact? They don't want lengthy explanations—they want the key facts so they can make decisions and move forward.

How to support them: Give them control over their piece of the change. Let them lead implementation in their area. Keep communication concise and focused on outcomes. They'll appreciate efficiency over hand-holding.

I Styles (Influence)

These folks can be Change Seekers too, but their concern is about people and relationships. They want to know: Will we stay connected? How will this affect the team dynamic? Can I be involved?

How to support them: Make them change ambassadors. Leverage their enthusiasm and ability to bring others along. Keep communication upbeat and collaborative. Reassure them that relationships will remain strong through the transition.

S Styles (Steadiness)

These are often your Change Resistors—not because they can't change, but because they value stability and need time to adjust. They want step-by-step guidance, clear timelines, and reassurance that they'll have support.

How to support them: Provide detailed transition plans. Give them advance notice whenever possible. Check in regularly to see how they're doing.

C Styles (Conscientiousness)

These folks resist change until they're convinced it's the right move. They need data, evidence, and logical reasoning. They want to understand the research, see the analysis, and know that risks have been considered. They want it done right—they don't want to have to clean up a mess later.

How to support them: Give them access to the information they need to evaluate the change. Involve them in planning where you can. Answer their questions thoroughly—they're not being difficult, they're being thorough. Once they're convinced, they'll be your most reliable supporters.

The Bottom Line

Leading through change isn't about having all the answers or getting everyone on board immediately. It's about creating an environment where people feel informed, supported, and engaged throughout the transition.

Start by understanding where people fall on the change continuum—including yourself. Recognize that different responses aren't right or wrong; they're just different. Communicate early and often, even when you don't have all the answers. Adapt your approach to meet people where they are, using tools like DISC to understand what different team members need from you.

These strategies transform change from something disruptive into something developmental. You move from managing change to truly leading through it. And you build a team that doesn't just survive transitions—they grow stronger because of them.

What's Next?

• Sign up for my Leadership Toolbox

• Do a DISC assessment (and debrief) on yourself

• Do a DISC workshop for your team so you understand each style

• Learn more about DISC

• Watch Simon Sinek’s TED Talk