Legacy Leader’s Playbook: Breaking Through Resistance: How Leaders Inspire Buy-In for Change

Change is inevitable, but let’s face it—getting a team to embrace change often feels impossible. Resistance to change is one of the most common challenges leaders face, and it’s no wonder why. People thrive on stability, familiarity, and control, and change can threaten all three. But here’s the good news: resistance doesn’t have to be the final word. With the right approach, you can turn skeptics into allies and inertia into momentum.

One of the most effective strategies for overcoming resistance to change lies in Creating an Inclusive Understanding of the Situation, a core principle of Courageous Communication. This isn’t about demanding compliance or simply selling your vision with charisma. It’s about engaging your team in open dialogue, aligning on the facts, and addressing their concerns in a way that fosters trust and collaboration.

Why Resistance Happens

Resistance to change isn’t about stubbornness or laziness—it’s about fear and uncertainty. When people don’t fully understand the “why” behind a shift or feel their perspectives haven’t been acknowledged, they dig in their heels. Even the most well-intentioned leaders can inadvertently deepen resistance by presenting change as a foregone conclusion instead of an opportunity for growth.

Think of it this way: If your team feels like change is something happening to them rather than with them and for them, resistance is almost guaranteed. The key to overcoming this is ensuring every team member feels seen, heard, and valued throughout the process. That’s where creating an inclusive understanding becomes essential.

Applying Inclusive Understanding to Change

Inclusive understanding begins with alignment—not just on the goals but on the reality of the current situation. As a leader, you may have access to information or insights your team doesn’t. If you don’t take the time to share that context and hear their perspectives, you’re asking them to navigate based on a map they’ve never seen.

Start by inviting open dialogue about the change. Create space for team members to express their concerns, ask questions, and share their unique perspectives. This isn’t about reaching agreement immediately—it’s about making sure every voice is acknowledged. For example:

• Instead of saying, “This is the direction we’re going,” try: “Here’s what we’re seeing and why we believe change is necessary. What do you think?”
• Instead of dismissing concerns, say: “I can see how this could feel overwhelming. Tell me more about what’s worrying you.”

This process helps uncover potential blind spots and builds a sense of shared ownership over the change. People are far more likely to buy in when they feel like collaborators rather than bystanders.

Turning Resistance Into Collaboration

During a recent workshop, I coached a senior manager who was leading her team through a major organizational shift. She noticed that every time she introduced the changes to her team, the room went silent. Team members weren’t engaging, and deadlines were continuing to be missed. The problem? She was so focused on what needed to change that she forgot to address why and how the team mattered to the change and how the changes would positively impact the team.

Using the principle of inclusive understanding, we reframed her approach. Instead of rolling out pre-packaged solutions, she began by hosting small group discussions where team members could voice their thoughts. She listened without interrupting, validated their concerns, and then invited them to help co-create the implementation plan.

The result? Not only did her team feel more connected to the change, but they also became proactive problem-solvers. By the end of the transition, they were saying things like, “We made it happen”—not “She made us do it.”

The Courage to Lead Through Change

As effective professionals, our instinct is often to push through resistance with logic, authority, or sheer determination. But courageously communicating through change means slowing down, listening deeply, and building alignment from the ground up. It means being willing to engage in the sometimes messy process of creating shared understanding.? As we used to say in the Marine Corps, “Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.”

This isn’t just about managing resistance—it’s about transforming it. When your team feels included in the process, they shift from resisting change to championing it. And the best part? You don’t just get better results—you build a culture of trust, collaboration, and resilience that will serve your organization long after the current change is implemented.

Ready to Dive Deeper?

If you found this valuable, don’t miss the opportunity to dive deeper with Courageous Communication, my new book launching December 20th! It’s filled with proven strategies to help you overcome challenges like resistance to change, strengthen relationships, and lead with confidence in even the most complex situations.

And here’s the best part: you can still get 20% off when you pre-order the book before December 20th! Visit crm.tllcg.com/cc-book-order to reserve your copy today.

In the meantime, explore the free resources available at crm.tllcg.com/cc-book-resources. From downloadable worksheets to video guides, these tools are designed to help you start transforming your conversations right away.

If you’d like personalized support to tackle a specific leadership challenge, my team and I are here to help. You can schedule a one-on-one coaching session at crm.tllcg.com/cc-book-one-on-one.

Here’s to embracing change and communicating with courage,

Robert Heath, Sr.

CEO, The Legacy Leadership Consulting Group