Let Them See the Future They Belong To

We talk about transformation as if it’s a system.
A structure. A sequence of steps you follow like a recipe:
diagnose the issue, define the process, cascade the information, track the rollout. Done.

But people don’t move because of plans.
They move because of meaning.
And meaning doesn’t come from the leader’s excitement or a kick-off deck.
It comes from the quiet, careful question:
"Do I belong in what you’re building next?"

We forget this too easily, especially in leadership.

We decide, we announce, we implement.
And when people hesitate, resist, or slow down, we blame it on “mindset,”
on culture, on the team not being “ready.”
Rarely do we ask whether we created something they could genuinely want to be part of.

The truth is, people don’t resist change because they’re difficult.
They resist change because they were excluded from the why.
Or worse, because they’ve seen it all before.
Processes rolled out for the sake of structure. Metrics introduced for the illusion of progress.
New directions born not from clarity, but from confusion.

And then we call that resistance.
And we make it theirs.

I’ve seen it happen over and over again,
leaders who build without listening, then demand commitment.
Leaders who want alignment, but not conversation.
Leaders who create a future, but forget to invite people into it.

And I’ve seen what happens when that changes.

When you stop asking people to “adapt” and start asking them,
What would make this real for you?
What would help this feel worth it?
What could you take ownership of if it were yours to shape?

When you make space for those questions,
not in workshops or one-off meetings, but in the culture,
you begin to rebuild trust in something deeper than process.
You begin to build actual momentum.

Because now, they’re not following instructions.
They’re following purpose.

Change fails when it becomes automatic.
When we lead out of habit.
When the process becomes the product.
And people become an afterthought.

But real transformation happens when we lead with the discomfort of slowness,
the openness of questions,
the courage to admit:
Maybe it’s not the people who resist change. Maybe it’s the way we’ve learned to lead it.

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This photo was taken in Haapsalu, Estonia. A friend called me over to capture the trees. Bare, dramatic, caught in that moment when winter hasn't quite let go, and spring is just beginning to insist. And then, this bloom.
One bold blossom, pushing out ahead of the rest. A quiet act of bravery. A bit of stubbornness. A decision to grow.
But no tree grows without a reason. Maybe change should be seen the same way.