Leaders sometimes resist a needed change even when they agree with it in principle.
But people rarely protect only a plan. They may be protecting a valued relationship, an exhausted team, a promise made years ago, or an identity that once helped the organization survive.
Understanding what is being protected does not mean resistance should determine the decision. It means the resistance contains information.
Before pushing past someone’s hesitation, ask what they fear the organization might lose. Listen without treating the answer as an argument you must defeat.
The path forward often becomes clearer when people can name what should be preserved, what must change, and what deserves to be grieved.
With respect for what people carry,
Kevin