Facing the Confusion, Doubt and Fear of Change

by Ed Morler, M.B.A., Ph.D.
(excerpted from the Leadership Integrity Challenge)

When problems grow requiring change, will doing anything less than making those changes resolve the issue? The simple and obvious answer is no! Yet we continually avoid needed changes. Why? Because it means moving into the unknown, doing something different—not doing what is familiar or comfortable. It means not being able to rely on the old skills, connections, images, and pretences that previously seemed to work. Change, therefore is threatening because always associated with it is some degree of confusion, doubt, and fear.

Leadership is about motivating others to move beyond their comfort zone into the unknown, to let go of some old ways of being, doing and having, and to try on new, often initially awkward, attitudes and behaviors. Consequently, from those asked to change, there will always be some level of resistance; some responsively appropriate and helpful, some reactively inappropriate and not helpful.

Substantive change therefore requires commitment—the willingness to face and deal with all the predictable resistances that confusion, doubt and fear generate—from both leader and follower. Key to effective leadership is the underlying commitment to learn to differentiate and evaluate responsive versus reactive resistance and decide and act accordingly. Without responsible (versus reactive) commitment, our desires and dreams remain little more than fantasy. Without integrity, there is no real responsive commitment.

Too often, fearful, emotionally immature individuals are not willing to confront the predictable resistance to even desperately needed change. They claim that they will—then don’t follow through. They are stymied by fear. They rationalize a decision to stay with what is familiar because it feels much safer than facing their fears and dealing with the inevitable resistance to change.

The familiar may have been perfectly adequate and appropriate in the past, but today, that familiar environment may not support the desired result. Change will occur, but unless the discernment and flexibility of emotionally mature leaders are truly present, that change is unlikely to be the change needed.

Emotionally immature people are paralyzed by their fear and reactively resist and fight change. Mature people face their confusion, doubt, and fear, and appropriately respond. They demonstrate resilient, proactive behavior in the face of change.

We must never lose time in vainly regretting the past
nor in complaining about the changes which cause us discomfort,
for change is the very essence of life.

—Anatole France

Meaningful change requires a positive self-image, courage, and commitment. These qualities are inherent to integrity. Without integrity, meaningful change is impossible. When real change is needed and is ignored, or only “fixes” are applied, both leadership and integrity are missing.

We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves;
otherwise, we harden.

—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

It is only when we believe things to be permanent,
that we shut off the possibilities of learning from change.

—Sogyal Rinpoche