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“No one likes change.”
Those are the first words of Dr Alan Watkins’ book, Step Change: The Leader’s Journey. At last, someone has acknowledged how we all feel! As a species, we are more comfortable with consistency and stability.
However, change is an inevitable reality. Many leaders recite the cliché that ‘change is the only constant’. But for many, even though we know this to be true, it still feels like something that has to be endured and suffered through rather than being embraced
The truth is that change, whether personal, in relationships or in business, does not have to be this hard. We just need to reframe how we approach it. We can transform our relationships with change, and it will enable us to become much better and more adaptable leaders. We can change our relationship with change if we reframe how we think about it.
There are 12 steps in the Step Change wheel. With each move through the steps, we become more sophisticated, more inclusive, more creative, more adaptable and more capable. The 12 steps enable us to understand and embrace change.
Within the first two steps, Comfort and Challenge are important. You can read more about these stages in Alan’s book In this article we are going to jump to step 3, resistance to change.
How to know if you’re resistant to change
Any of the following sound familiar? You’re probably at step three of the change wheel:
- Fighting to maintain the status quo
- Working longer hours to ‘handle’ the pressures at work
- Irritation at the implication you might need help
- False bravado
The first thing to recognise is that resistance to change is natural. Change can be daunting. Especially in high-pressure environments like the c-suite. Fear rarely shows up as fear, it’s more often expressed as hubris, arrogance, dismissiveness, or overconfidence.
Embrace change and move beyond resistance
Moving out of step three on the change wheel can be transformative, but it requires the right tools. It’s best done with a trusted coach that can help build out a clear, structured, evidence-based journey. Like the Step Change Wheel, a coach can help you map out and navigate this stage..
Resistance to change can be brief or, if unchecked, it can last a few days, months or even years. With the right coach and approach, you can develop quickly – vertically (read more about vertical development here) – and emerge a more complete person and leader. Change doesn’t have to be about survival. It’s an opportunity to set the trajectory for long-term success.
