The Change Champion's Dilemma, When Your Enthusiasm Becomes Resistance

Sometimes your enthusiasm starts your team down the wrong path

I need to share something that might make you uncomfortable: sometimes, the biggest obstacle to successful change isn't the people who openly resist it. It's the people who are most excited about it. It's the change champions who are so enthusiastic about transformation that they inadvertently create the very resistance they're trying to overcome.

"Sometimes, the biggest obstacle to successful change isn't the people who openly resist it. It's the people who are most excited about it."

If you've ever found yourself frustrated that your team isn't as excited about a change as you are, or if you've wondered why your passion for improvement seems to make others more hesitant rather than more engaged, this is for you. Because being a change champion is more complex than it appears, and enthusiasm, without wisdom, can actually sabotage the changes you're trying to create.

The Enthusiasm Trap

"Your enthusiasm, while genuine and well-intentioned, can make people feel pressured, overwhelmed, or even manipulated."

Here's what typically happens: You see an opportunity for improvement. Maybe it's a new form of technology that could streamline workflows, or a process change that could eliminate frustration, or a reorganization that could improve collaboration. You get excited about the possibilities. You can see the benefits clearly, and you want to share that vision with your team.

So you do what feels natural, you communicate your enthusiasm. You talk about how great things will be once the change is implemented. You share success stories from other organizations. You focus on the benefits and possibilities. And then you're surprised when people seem skeptical or resistant instead of excited.

What you've unknowingly done is triggered several psychological responses that actually increase resistance to change. Your enthusiasm, while genuine and well-intentioned, can make people feel pressured, overwhelmed, or even manipulated. It can suggest that their concerns aren't valid or that you don't understand the real challenges they're facing.

When Passion Feels Like Pressure

Your passion can feel like pressure to your team

Think about the last time someone was really excited about something they wanted you to try, a new restaurant, a book, a hobby, a lifestyle change. Even if the suggestion had merit, didn't their over the top enthusiasm sometimes make you feel a little resistant? There's something about intense advocacy that can trigger our natural tendency to push back, even when we might otherwise be open to the idea.

This dynamic is amplified in workplace settings where people don't have complete choice about whether to participate in changes. When a leader or colleague is extremely enthusiastic about a change that affects your work life, it can feel like pressure to share that enthusiasm, whether you actually do or not.

Your team members might be thinking: "She seems really invested in this working out. What if I don’t like it? Will it seem like I'm being negative or resistant if I don't share her excitement?" This creates a dynamic where people either suppress their real concerns or express them in indirect ways that can be hard to address.

The Speed Mismatch Problem

"When you come at them with high energy and clear conviction, it can feel overwhelming rather than inspiring."

Change champions often operate at a different pace than the people who will be affected by the change. You've had time to think through the implications, research the options, and get excited about the possibilities. You're three steps ahead in the change process, mentally and emotionally.

But your team is just hearing about this for the first time. They need time to process the information, understand the implications, and work through their own concerns and questions. When you come at them with high energy and clear conviction, it can feel overwhelming rather than inspiring.

This speed mismatch creates what I call "enthusiasm whiplash." You're ready to start implementing immediately, while they're still trying to understand what's being proposed. The more you push forward with your timeline, the more they feel rushed and pressured, which increases resistance.

The Credibility Question

Excessive enthusiasm can also raise questions about your judgment and credibility, especially if you have a history of being excited about multiple changes or if the proposed change seems to benefit you more than the people who will have to implement it.

People might wonder: "Is she seeing this clearly, or is she just caught up in the excitement of something new?" "Does she understand the real challenges this will create for us?" "Is this about what's best for the team, or what's best for her?"

"Nothing kills credibility faster than pretending a change is all upside and perfect."

These aren't necessarily fair questions, but they're human ones. When someone's enthusiasm seems disproportionate to the situation, it can trigger skepticism rather than buy-in.

The Expertise Assumption

Change champions often assume that their enthusiasm is based on understanding the whole picture or insight. "If they really understood the benefits like I do, they'd be excited too." This assumption is problematic for several reasons.

First, it's often not true. Your team members might understand the implications just fine, they might even see problems or challenges that you haven't considered. Their lack of enthusiasm might be based on legitimate concerns rather than lack of understanding.

Second, even when you have a full understanding, the assumption that everyone should share your emotional response once they "get it" ignores the reality that people process change differently. Some people get excited about possibilities; others focus on risks and challenges. Neither response is wrong.

The Solution: Tempered Advocacy

So what's a change champion to do? Give up your enthusiasm? Pretend you don't care about improvements? Absolutely not. But you do need to learn the art of tempered advocacy, being passionate about change while also being strategic about how you express that passion.

Advocate and work WITH your team

Start by separating your emotional response from your rational assessment. Yes, you're excited about the change, but why? What specific benefits do you see? What problems will it solve? What evidence supports your optimism? When you can articulate the logical case for change separately from your emotional reaction to it, you're more likely to connect with people who don't share your enthusiasm.

Lead with Curiosity, Not Certainty

Instead of starting with your conclusions, start with your questions. "I've been thinking about how we could improve our project notification process. What frustrations have you noticed with our current approach?" This invites dialogue rather than advocacy.

When you do share your ideas, frame them as possibilities to explore rather than solutions to implement. "What if we tried approaching this differently? I'm curious about what you think the pros and cons might be." This positions you as a collaborator rather than a champion.

Your team can get their fingerprints on the idea rather than have it presented as the final answer. The really great part about that? Your team probably has some really great ideas and can probably make your idea even better.

Acknowledge the Downsides

Nothing kills credibility faster than pretending a change is all upside and perfect. Every change involves tradeoffs, challenges, and risks. When you acknowledge these honestly, you demonstrate that your enthusiasm is based on a realistic assessment rather than wishful thinking.

"I think this could really help us, but I know it would also mean learning new systems and probably some temporary disruption. Help me think through what those challenges might look like and how we could address them."

Time Your Enthusiasm

"Your enthusiasm is most effective when it feels like a natural response to collaborative exploration rather than the starting point for a one-sided pitch."

There's a place for enthusiasm in change leadership, but timing matters. Early in the process, lead with curiosity and exploration. Once people have had time to process, ask questions, and work through concerns, then you can share more of your excitement about the possibilities.

Your enthusiasm is most effective when it feels like a natural response to collaborative exploration rather than the starting point for a one-sided pitch. Plus…if you’re that excited right at the get go, you might not have thought it all the way through with all alternatives.

Make It About Them, Not You

Finally, check your motivations honestly. Like I just said, have you thought this all the way through? Are you excited about this change because of how it will benefit the team and the organization, or because of how it will benefit you? Are you passionate about the outcomes, or are you attached to being seen as innovative and forward-thinking?

When your enthusiasm is genuinely focused on serving others rather than advancing your own interests, it comes across very differently. People can sense the difference between advocacy that's self-serving and advocacy that's genuinely aimed at collective improvement.

Being a change champion is a valuable role, but it requires wisdom alongside enthusiasm. Your passion for improvement is an asset, but only when it's expressed in ways that invite others to join you rather than pressure them to follow you.

The goal isn't to eliminate your enthusiasm, it's to channel it in ways that create connection rather than resistance. Because the best changes happen when passion meets wisdom, and enthusiasm creates invitation rather than pressure.

 As always, carry social kindness with you everywhere you go. The world needs you and your positive mindset!

Connect With Me

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If you want to consult on training or coaching for your team, please reach out.

Linnea@leadwithlinnea.com

269-621-5282