When Experience Becomes Resistance – How To Un-Stick Stubborn Leaders

A CEO we were working with found themselves increasingly frustrated by a highly skilled, long-serving employee who was beginning to drag down the culture of the organisation. This individual knew their role inside out and had been with the company longer than the CEO. At first, the relationship seemed positive, but over time it soured. This was especially difficult due to the extensive experience this employee, and leader, had in this and other organisations.

 

By the time we stepped in, the CEO was exhausted and on edge. They admitted they were close to losing their temper with this experienced leader who, in their words, was “bringing the team down, and taking pleasure in it.”

 

And in our decades of experience, it is a more common challenge than many leaders like to admit. The real question is: when a seasoned, capable employee becomes resistant and starts to undermine culture, what can you do about it?

 

Start with Understanding

The first is to start with understanding, not judgement.

 

Resistance from senior staff often comes from a place of pride in past success. This can be intertwined with fear of failure and a sense of losing control – especially relevant with the advent of new, modern and faster tech tools.

 

It is important to begin by listening. And we mean really listening. Understanding their perspective, listening to the experiences which shape their stance and what they may feel is at risk if they change. Because by knowing where they are, and taking time to understand their perspective helps build trust and opens dialogue.

 

Reframe the Change

Next, when the time is right start to focus on reframing change as evolution, that changes will deliver improvements and not a rejection of the past.

 

Senior leaders can feel threatened if new approaches dismiss the past completely. So positioning change as building on their legacy, an evolution which honours their experience whilst ensuring development to solve future challenges is crucial to ensure the leader knows how important their perspective and relevance is for the future.

 

Which is where having clear, and relevant data can also help. This can be financial, cultural or market-driven, but an relevant data can help make the case for change more compelling.

 

Linking changes in data, or different areas of focus can link proposed shifts to measurable outcomes such as efficiency, engagement, customer trust and profitability all of which may have changed overtime. Which is why open discussion is crucial, especially in open settings where concerns can be voiced without judgement. This helps reduce defensiveness, and helps surface valid risks, which can then be managed rather than ignored.

 

This also helps stop the ‘I told you so’ mentality.

 

Co-create the Future

It is vital that experienced staff are engaged as co-creators of the future.

 

Senior staff are more likely to shift behaviours if they feel ownership in the process, and they are involved in designing the change. Helping ensure they use their expertise to shape solutions, so they become contributors rather than resisters, can be crucial.

 

Asking what legacy they would like to be known for when people speak about them in years to come is always a great conversation starter when someone is ‘one foot out of the door’ already.

 

Design Incremental Change

As humans, we need to ensure we make progress, and incremental change reduces overwhelm and can increase buy in.

 

Showcasing quick wins, especially ones that illustrate benefits without demanding a wholesale leap, helps by building momentum and credibility.

 

Tools such as one-to-one coaching, reverse mentoring or facilitated peer groups can help senior staff reflect on blind spots they, like we all, have.

 

Exploring alternative approaches, different perspectives and helping senior staff understand different views can be crucial because often rigidity can be built into habits, rather than rational reasons as shown in the video of Monkeys & Bananas. This popular video shows some of the theory of how people can behave irrationally due to historic or social pressures and the need to conform.

 

Conclusion

Ultimately, the most effective way to overcome rigidity is to reconnect senior leaders to the bigger purpose of an organisation, which could be delivering value to customers, improving culture, or leaving a positive legacy.

 

When the “why” is powerful, the “how” becomes negotiable. Because in the end, no amount of skill or experience can outweigh the need to move with purpose, be able to adapt, and lead the culture you want others to follow.