Embrace the Battle or Get Left on the Sidelines: Don’t Let Resistance Block Your Growth
"The truth is that when facing important decisions and transitions we all go through some degree of internal discord."
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Get Comfortable With Discomfort To Find Your Transformational Path Forward
Recent profound events around racial unrest have galvanized, inspired, and awakened you. You are convinced. There are tremendous advantages that come with transforming your organizational culture into an inclusive and equitable place. You’ve made a commitment to yourself, to your organization, and to your team. You feel excited and poised to begin. Then, suddenly, you feel an impulse to run away, or at least duck under your desk until things clear up. Questions arise:
Do I have what it takes to challenge the status quo in my organization? What if this puts too much strain on my leadership role? What if things feel confusing, awkward, overwhelming, or stressful along the way? What if this impacts my credibility, and likeability, as a leader? What if I stumble? If I mess this up, will I do more harm than good?
Amid a looming shadow of doubt, moving forward seems daunting. In reaction, you pick apart your commitment and convince yourself, unconsciously or otherwise, that the process is too hard and too risky. You think, “I may as well just give up.” Your doubt leads to avoidance as you shelve your good ideas and focus on other responsibilities. And yet, part of you knows the need for constructive change is now. If you avoid it, you know that you will again face this inner battle, soon enough . . .
You’re not alone
Sound familiar? The truth is that when facing important decisions and transitions we all go through some degree of internal discord. Psychologists call this cognitive dissonance, the experience of inner tension and discomfort when our minds are grappling with conflicting, contradictory ideas and beliefs. It can show up in personal settings and at work—especially in the face of changes we believe are necessary, worthy, and hugely beneficial in the long term–but, not easy. In diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, resistance often manifests as crippling self-doubt.
Resistance within the mind-set of leaders often hits hardest when they’re poised to take transformational steps forward. Their fear intensifies immediately before critical personal and professional development.
The good news is, resistance is not a bad thing. Allowing it to get in the way is what becomes a problem. Awareness is the key. By rising to the challenge, a determined leader can see the early signs of resistance and proactively set the wheels of change in motion for growth.
“Resistance is not a bad thing. Allowing it to get in the way is what becomes a problem.”
Lean into–and conquer–the battle within
Resistance can be elusive. At times it seems to originate with other people or external circumstances. From there, we are prone to blaming a plethora of situational barriers, or acting as if the blocks are coming from others. But, more often than not, resistance actually arises from within ourselves.
As an inclusive leader striving for meaningful change, it’s important that you cultivate self-awareness and lean inward. With practice, you’ll find internal resistance becomes much more within your reach to recognize, respond to, and work with. Without self- awareness, you may end up projecting it onto areas outside of your control, deflecting your personal responsibility and making excuses not to make the effort to change. This ability to work productively with internal resistance differentiates one acting as a leader of transformation versus one reacting as a victim of circumstances.
This ability to work productively with internal resistance differentiates one acting as a leader of transformation versus one reacting as a victim of circumstances.
Are You Ready To Push Forward?
Realizing that resistance is a common roadblock–and at the same time the sign of a potentially positive turning point in personal and professional development– is one of the most important insights on your journey as an inclusive leader. By identifying the manifestations of resistance that seem most familiar and relatable to you, your transformational path forward of leveraging your internal resistance and putting your values into action will become clearer and much less daunting.
Stay tuned for our next blog where we will review the most common and tangible examples of resistance mindsets and behaviors we encounter when working with leaders.
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