The Leadership Book, 2nd Edition

Resistance to change

‘We have always done things this way’ is an example of a statement made in resistance to change – you must be acutely sensitive to such signals and demonstrate that you don’t accept them.

Frequency – constant reinforcement.

Key participants – everyone you meet.

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Objective

Nothing should concern you more than statements such as:

• ‘this is the way we do things here’;
• ‘this has always worked for other clients’;
• ‘we have always done things this way’.

Hearing any one of them should be like a red rag to a bull, and – fairly or unfairly – always lead you to believe that whoever is making the statements is defending a status quo that is ripe for change.

Leadership is always and inevitably about change ...