Why Change is Hard, Understanding the Human Side of Transformation
- linnearader
- Jul 28
- 5 min read
Change is inevitable. We hear it all the time. "The only constant is change." "Adapt or die." "Embrace the new norm."
But here's the thing, knowing change is inevitable doesn't make it any easier. And as leaders, we often find ourselves frustrated when our teams resist the very changes we know will benefit them. Why do smart, capable people dig in their heels when faced with something new or changing how they do something? Why does change feel so hard, even when we logically know it's necessary?
The answer isn't simple but understanding it is crucial for any leader who wants to guide their team through transformation successfully.
Our Brains Are Wired for Stability
"Long story short, being afraid of or nervous about change isn't a character flaw or a sign of weakness. It's human nature."
Let's start with the basics: our brains are literally designed to resist change. From an evolutionary perspective, this makes perfect sense. For thousands of years, staying with the familiar and predictable meant survival. Venturing into the unknown could mean danger, or even death.
That same wiring exists in our modern brains. When we encounter change, our amygdala, the brain's alarm system, sounds the alert. It doesn't matter if the change is a new way to fix a road, a new software system, or even a reorganization that will ultimately make our work easier. Our brains interpret change as a potential threat, triggering our fight-or-flight response.
Long story short, being afraid of or nervous about change isn't a character flaw or a sign of weakness. It's human nature. As leaders, recognizing this biological reality is the first step toward leading change more effectively.
The Comfort of the Known
Beyond biology, there's something deeply comforting about routines and established patterns. When you get in the shower in the morning, you have a routine, I know I do. My process is the same every day; shampoo, wash my face, rinse the shampoo, conditioner, body wash, rinse the conditioner, done! Now, if I get in the shower and put the shampoo in my hair and grab my loofa to wash my body, there’s two things that could happen…
One, I do NOT wash my face. Legit, I will probably completely miss that step because I didn’t do it in order. Or two, when I get done washing my body I’ll think I’m rinsing out the conditioner and be completely confused.
I am not crazy (well, at least not for this reason) and most of us have autopilot going for simple tasks like our shower routine, deciding which shoe to put on first or whether to brush your teeth before or after washing your face. These automated behaviors free up cognitive resources for more important decisions.
"Here's where it gets really interesting: psychologically, we experience losses more intensely than gains."
Our work lives operate similarly. When we know our processes, understand our role, and can predict outcomes, we feel competent and confident. Change disrupts this comfort zone, forcing us to think consciously about things that used to be automatic. It's mentally exhausting.
I see this all the time. A manager might introduce a new way to install drainage systems that will ultimately make the system last longer, but initially, it requires learning new processes, breaking old habits, and accepting a temporary dip in efficiency. That temporary discomfort feels overwhelming, even when the long-term benefits are clear.
Loss Feels Bigger Than The Gain
Here's where it gets really interesting: psychologically, we experience losses more intensely than gains. This phenomenon, called loss aversion, means that even positive changes can feel threatening because we focus on what we're giving up rather than what we're gaining.
You announce a change that will give someone the ability to use their professional discretion to make decisions on their own. In the past, they were frustrated that they were not trusted to make these decisions. They might still resist because they're focused on the change itself. That someone isn’t telling them what to do and how, that the change puts responsibility in their court. The loss feels immediate and tangible; the gain feels uncertain and abstract.
As leaders, we often get frustrated by this response because we're focused on the benefits of change. We see the bigger picture, the strategic advantages, the long-term improvements. As in this example, we think we are giving our team what they’ve asked for. But our team members are experiencing the emotional weight of loss, and emotions are more immediate than logic.
The Illusion of Control
"The irony is that resistance to change is often an attempt to regain our control. By pushing back, questioning, or slowing down implementation, team members are asserting their control in a situation where they feel powerless."
Change often strips away our sense of control, and control is fundamental to our psychological well-being. When changes are imposed upon us, even good changes, or changes we’ve requested in the past, we can feel powerless and reactive rather than proactive and capable.
This is particularly challenging in organizational settings where change is often decided at higher levels and rolled out from the top down. Even when leaders communicate the reasons behind changes, team members can feel like passive recipients rather than active participants in shaping their work environment.
How does this work when we’ve requested change? At that point don’t we feel like we are in control? Not always. Someone ELSE made the decision to make the change, which leaves us still feeling like we are on the side of defense rather than offense.
The irony is that resistance to change is often an attempt to regain our control. By pushing back, questioning, or slowing down implementation, team members are asserting their control in a situation where they feel powerless.
Identity and Professional Self-Image
Perhaps most fundamentally, change challenges our identity. Over time, we develop a professional self-image based on our skills, relationships, and role within the organization. We become "the person who handles client relationships" or "the team member everyone comes to for technical questions."
"Change rarely happens in isolation. One change often triggers multiple adjustments, creating the domino effect of uncertainty."
When change threatens these identity markers, it threatens our sense of self. A shift to automated systems might make someone feel like their expertise is no longer valued. A new supervisor might eliminate the informal leadership role someone has cultivated over years.
This identity threat goes deeper than just job security, it touches on our fundamental sense of who we are and where we belong. No wonder change feels scary.
The Ripple Effect of Uncertainty
"Understanding why change is hard isn't about making excuses for resistance, it's about recognizing that the human response to change is predictable, normal, and workable."
Change rarely happens in isolation. One change often triggers multiple adjustments, creating the domino effect of uncertainty. When leadership announces a new process, team members don't just worry about their specific role, they wonder about career advancement, team dynamics, workload, and work culture.
This uncertainty multiplication effect means that even small changes can feel overwhelming. People's minds naturally go to worst-case scenarios, imagining all the ways things could go wrong. And in the absence of clear information, our brains fill in the gaps with anxiety-inducing possibilities. I call that MSU, and not my favorite version of MSU (Go Green), but as in Make Stuff Up.
Understanding why change is hard isn't about making excuses for resistance, it's about recognizing that the human response to change is predictable, normal, and workable. When we approach change with empathy for these fundamental human realities, we set ourselves up to lead more effectively through any transformation.
Change is such a huge topic, so this isn’t all I have to say about it. Stay tuned to MORE about change in later blog posts.
And, as always, carry social kindness with you everywhere you go. The world needs you and your positive mindset!
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