{"id":27397254,"date":"2025-10-17T11:05:37","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T09:05:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitedstateofminds.nl\/?p=27397254"},"modified":"2025-10-17T11:05:37","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T09:05:37","slug":"dont-fix-the-system-understand-the-script-resistance-isnt-dis-functional-it-is-a-signal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitedstateofminds.nl\/en\/dont-fix-the-system-understand-the-script-resistance-isnt-dis-functional-it-is-a-signal\/","title":{"rendered":"Don’t fix the system – Understand the script – Resistance isn’t dis-functional it is a signal"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ custom_padding=”0px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” max_width=”800px” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n

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Resistance isn’t dysfunctional. It’s a signal!<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

That line; Don\u2019t fix the system. Understand the script, doesn\u2019t sound good.<\/p>\n

It explains<\/em> half the sh# I see when I\u2019am working with ambitious commercial leaders who are stuck mid-change. What most transformation programs treat as something to “manage” or “minimize,” I\u2019ve come to see it not as pushback \u2013 it\u2019s a message. It doesn\u2019t screa, \u201cHell no\u201d. It whispers. I\u2019am lost in this new story you\u2019ve written for me\u201d. Resistance is how the system speaks. People are trying to figure out where they fit in the new version of reality.<\/p>\n

And that shifts everything.<\/p>\n

Because if you’re a commercial leader driving transformation, your job isn’t j\u00fast<\/em> to hit targets and crash numbers or manage on deliverables. Your job in leading change and transformation also \u00a0meaning-making. Translating the identity shifts that your people are going through. Making the invisible transition visible.<\/p>\n

In one boardroom conversation, I heard it said: “We\u2019ve rolled out the structure, but people aren\u2019t stepping into it.”<\/p>\n

Exactly. Because people don\u2019t step into diagrams. They step into stories. And when those stories threaten their sense of value, relevance, or belonging, they resist \u2014 not to sabotage, but to survive.<\/p>\n

When I work with commercial leaders, I don\u2019t start with KPIs or new org charts. We start with this question: What is this change asking your people to let go of?<\/p>\n

Not just the operational layer, but the deeper layer \u2014 their status, their expertise, their relationships, their identity.<\/p>\n

Because without acknowledging that loss, any new behavior will be cosmetic.<\/p>\n

Change demands grief before it gets to growth.<\/p>\n

The most effective<\/em> leaders for change I know don\u2019t bulldoze through resistance. They listen to it. They translate it. They recognize it as the system\u2019s way of preserving meaning. And then they create space for a new narrative to emerge \u2014 one that bridges the old with the new, without pretending the gap doesn\u2019t exist.<\/p>\n

So the next time you\u2019re tempted to “overcome resistance,” pause. Don\u2019t fix the system. Understand the script.<\/p>\n

Because the people in your team aren\u2019t just navigating change. They\u2019re navigating identity. And if you want to lead them through, you\u2019ll need to stop performing certainty and start holding complexity.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not a soft skill. That\u2019s the job.<\/p>\n

Resistance isn\u2019t the enemy of change. It\u2019s the gold buried underneath it.
It tells you what people care about.<\/p>\n

What they fear losing.<\/p>\n

What they\u2019re still loyal to.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re willing to listen \u2014 really listen \u2014 resistance will show you the story that needs to be heard before the next chapter can begin.<\/p>\n

So, the real question is how to turn resistance into your gold when leading change and transition.<\/p>\n

If this strikes a chord \u2013 let\u2019s talk.<\/p>\n

No pitch, no prep needed. Just a call to explore how you can turn resistance into gold.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, one honest conversation is enough to shift the lens. Book your precious personal time via this link; https:\/\/calendly.com\/margerieth-visser\/discovery-meeting<\/a><\/p>\n

————————————————————–<\/p>\n

About the Author<\/strong><\/p>\n

Margerieth is a Consultant for Leading Commercial Change and Transition, INSEAD lecturer, and coached to over 1,500+ senior executives navigating commercial change. She has worked with clients like TCS (Tata Consulting Services), TechMahindra, and Stellantis on leading innovation and transformation. <\/em><\/p>\n

Her work blends commercial excellence, system dynamics, and deep human insight to help leaders shift from control to presence \u2014 and unlock lasting change.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Resistance isn’t dysfunctional. It’s a signal! That line; Don\u2019t fix the system. Understand the script, doesn\u2019t sound good. It explains half the sh# I see when I\u2019am working with ambitious commercial leaders who are stuck mid-change. What most transformation programs treat as something to “manage” or “minimize,” I\u2019ve come to see it not as pushback […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"\n

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