Resistance is usually treated as a problem. Something to overcome, bypass, or push through. When people encounter resistance—internally or within a team—the instinct is often to apply more effort, more discipline, or more pressure.
But resistance is rarely random. It appears for a reason. And when it’s met with force, it tends to intensify rather than resolve.
Much of the frustration around change comes not from resistance itself, but from the way resistance is handled. When resistance is treated as opposition, it becomes adversarial. When it’s treated as information, it becomes useful.
Resistance is often a signal that something needs attention, not correction.
What Resistance Is Actually Communicating
Resistance often emerges at the edge of capacity. It shows up when systems are asked to move faster than they can integrate, or when demands exceed what feels workable.
