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When our reality is challenged by a painful or uncomfortable ‘home truth’, we can be reluctant to face it and to change. We may have a natural desire to go back to our comfort zone, we might even justify that desire with a fake sense of nostalgia. But this is futile.
In the third of our change series of articles, we discover what consolidates our forwards movement.
We’re at the third step of the Complete Step Change Wheel –.Resistance to Change.
As a reminder, the Complete Step Change Wheel is a 12-step (four phase) developmental framework that guides leaders through the complexities of personal and professional transformation. Each stage builds on the last, helping you overcome obstacles like resistance to deliver at a new level. By understanding where you are on the wheel and what steps you need to take, you can more effectively move your way through the developmental framework at greater pace.
How to know you’re at step three of your change journey
Step three is characterised by resistance. You might feel yourself fighting to maintain the status quo. You’ll probably believe that you don’t need help and be a bit irritated at the suggestion that you do.
As a senior leader, you might resist this change by working harder, becoming a workaholic is a classic response. You might in some way admit to the pain you’re facing but dismiss it with false bravado, ‘what you see is what you get’ or ‘this is the way things are, it is what it is’. It’s hard to admit it, but this bravado could be hiding unconscious fear, a fear that is completely understandable and one that most of us have experienced.
Of course, in the c-suite fear is rarely expressed as fear. It’s more likely arrogance or dismissiveness. There is a lot of ‘shooting the messenger’ at step three.
Moving on and up
Some people are so skilled at resisting change that they stubbornly dig in, almost as a matter of principle.
Moving on from resistance often takes a mentor or guide. In the book ‘Step Change: The Leader’s Journey’ Alan Watkins gives plenty of examples from pop culture – Gandalf, Dumbledore, Obi Wan, Morpheus all show the hero the truth and help them overcome the resistances they feel; we’ll discuss more about ‘Step 4: Overcoming Resistance’ in the next article in our series.
In the real world, sometimes a good chairman or non-executive director can provide this sort of guidance. However, more often a high-quality, experienced developmental coach is needed to provide the requisite thinking challenge to drive that leader’s development.
At step three, the guide, coach or mentor has arrived to support the acceptance of change. The arrival of this helper may not be welcomed, but it will provide the breakthrough needed. Resistance to change is the last step in the discovery phase of the Change Wheel.
Are you ready to say ‘yes’ to your adventure starting in step four? If you are, you can open new levels of happiness and performance. As leaders we can become ‘more complete’. We are better able to meet those demands of fast-paced business environments.
If you’re change curious, Dr Alan Watkins’ book, Step Change: The Leader’s Journey is a useful guide. It has some useful guidance on how to choose the right coach to mentor your change journey from step three to four and beyond.
