You need to get your team on board with a significant strategic shift. Maybe it’s adopting new technology, expanding into a different market, or restructuring how work gets done. Whatever the change, you’re facing the same challenge every leader encounters: people don’t automatically embrace new directions, even when they make logical sense.
Here’s what I’ve learned after navigating several transitions: most change initiatives fail not because the ideas are bad, but because leaders treat change like a logical argument rather than the more multi-dimensional one it is.
The thing about leading change is that logic alone never works. People don’t resist change because they’re being difficult. They resist it because change feels risky, uncertain, and like more work piled on top of everything else they’re already doing.
After observing what works (and what fails spectacularly), I’ve developed two frameworks that actually move the needle when you need to get people on board with strategic shifts. Today, I want to share the second one: the SECURE method for managing resistance and building momentum.
The Reality of Leading Change
Let me be honest about what you’re up against. When you announce a strategic change, you’re essentially asking people to:
- Learn new skills they’re not sure they need
- Take on additional responsibilities without clear immediate benefits
- Trust that your vision of the future is worth the current disruption
- Risk their current competence and status for uncertain rewards
Viewed this way, resistance makes perfect sense. I am sure I have responded in this exact way myself many times. The mistake most leaders make is trying to convince everyone before starting. That’s not just ineffective; it’s impossible.
The SECURE method acknowledges this reality and works with human nature rather than against it.
S – Support: Get Key Stakeholders on Board First
Don’t launch change initiatives by committee. Instead, identify 2-3 influential supporters and get their private commitment before any public announcements.
Let’s say you are a privacy leader looking to expand into AI governance. It can be effective to identify two team members who are the most curious about emerging technologies and most frustrated with your current reactive approach to new technologies. Have a conversation with them, outline the opportunity, and see if they are on board with your vision.
Look for people who:
- Have influence with their peers
- Are naturally inclined toward the change you’re proposing
- Can articulate benefits from their own perspective, not just yours
- Will remain committed when implementation gets challenging
You’re starting with the people most likely to see the value, then letting their authentic enthusiasm help convince others. Let’s be honest, often when we have to propose change, it is for good reason. In many cases it is because there is a problem that needs to be addressed.
We all know running away from your problems is a bad idea. Best to face them head on.
E – Expectation: Frame Uncertainty as Normal, Not a Barrier
One of the biggest mistakes leaders make is pretending they have all the answers when launching change initiatives. When people say “we don’t know enough about this yet” or “there are too many unknowns,” the natural response is to overpromise clarity you don’t actually have.
Instead, normalise uncertainty as part of the process. For example: when team members express concerns about AI governance because “nobody really knows all the best practices yet,” It is best not to pretend otherwise. In many cases it is an argument to start building expertise now. Nobody knows everything about this space yet, which means there’s an opportunity for us to become leaders rather than followers.
This approach works because it:
- Acknowledges legitimate concerns, rather than dismissing them.
- Positions uncertainty as opportunity rather than obstacle
- Sets realistic expectations about the learning curve ahead
- Makes people feel smart for identifying challenges rather than obstructionist
Open and honest conversations and psychological safety to feel comfortable to raise concerns are foundational to a healthy culture. Frame the unknowns as reasons to act, not reasons to wait. “We don’t have perfect information” becomes “We need to start gathering information.” “This hasn’t been done before” becomes “This is our chance to figure it out first and more importantly to figure it out specifically for our organisation.”
C – Confidence: Move Forward Decisively Despite Naysayers
This is where many change initiatives die. Leaders make a decision, encounter resistance, and start hedging. They qualify everything, seek additional buy-in, or slow down implementation to address every concern.
Tentative leadership creates tentative followers. Once you’ve made the decision and secured initial support, move forward with conviction. This doesn’t mean being inflexible or ignoring valid feedback, but it means not letting uncertainty paralyse progress. Does this mean you could feel? Yes. But great leadership is rarely without risk.
When some team members expressed skepticism, you can acknowledge their concerns without letting them derail our momentum. Sometimes it may even be really important you tackle some of those concerns.
Confidence in this context isn’t about being right about everything. It’s about being decisive about direction while remaining open to feedback on execution. You’re confident about the destination, flexible about the route.
U – Unity: Focus on Your Supportive Coalition, Not Detractors
Here’s the counterintuitive truth: you don’t need 100% buy-in to succeed. In fact, spending all your energy trying to convince the most resistant people is usually a waste of resources that would be better spent supporting your advocates.
Focus your time and attention on the people who are willing to try the new approach. Give them the resources, support, and recognition they need to succeed. Let their success stories do the convincing rather than exhausting yourself in endless debates with skeptics.
This doesn’t mean ignoring concerns or being dismissive of resistance. It means being strategic about where you invest your leadership energy. When someone consistently opposes the direction despite good-faith efforts to address their concerns, stop trying to convert them.
It is often the case that when people see positive outcomes such as the enthusiasts speaking at conferences and developing valuable new skills, they either come around or find new areas of focus.
R – Results: Let Success Prove the Critics Wrong
The most powerful argument for change is demonstrated success. Early wins matter more than perfect execution because they build momentum and confidence.
Identify opportunities for quick, visible victories that validate your direction. These don’t have to be complete implementations: they can be pilot programs, proof-of-concepts, or early adopter successes that demonstrate value.
You can absolutely plan for these early successes:
- Choose initial projects with high probability of positive outcomes
- Make sure wins are visible to stakeholders, not just your immediate team
- Connect successes back to the strategic change you’re implementing
- Use results to justify additional resources and expand the initiative
Let the critics explain why success isn’t really success. Meanwhile, keep building momentum with people who see the value.
E – Energy: Maintain Enthusiasm Throughout Implementation
Change is exhausting, and teams take emotional cues from their leaders. If you start seeming uncertain, burned out, or frustrated by resistance, that negativity will spread faster than you can counteract it.
This is probably the hardest part of leading change because it requires sustaining genuine enthusiasm even when implementation gets challenging. You can’t fake this: people can tell when you’re going through the motions versus when you’re genuinely excited about where things are heading.
Some strategies that have worked for me:
- Regularly remind yourself why the change matters beyond immediate business metrics, stay focused on your vision and how things will work in the future. Often a great way of working means a ton of upfront effort for smooth sailing in the long run.
- Celebrate small progress rather than waiting for major milestones
- Stay connected to the people who are most energised by the change
- Take care of your own energy through whatever means work for you
- Remember that resistance often increases right before major breakthroughs
Focus on those who are positive. Their enthusiasm will be contagious and help you maintain the energy needed to push through implementation challenges.
The Hard Truth About Change Leadership
Not every change initiative will succeed, and not every form of resistance is unreasonable. Sometimes the timing is wrong, the resources aren’t available, or the change truly doesn’t make sense for your organisation.
But most change failures happen because leaders underestimate the emotional and political dimensions of getting people to embrace new directions. They present logical arguments and expect logical responses, not understanding that change feels risky and uncertain even when it makes rational sense.
The SECURE method acknowledges these human realities and provides a framework for building momentum despite resistance. It’s not about manipulating people or steamrolling opposition; it’s about working with human nature to create conditions where good ideas can succeed.
Why This Matters More Than Ever
In our current business environment, the pace of change is only accelerating. The organisations that thrive will be those that get good at implementing strategic shifts quickly and effectively. That means leaders who understand that change management is as much about psychology as it is about strategy.
The leaders who succeed won’t necessarily be those with the best ideas. They’ll be those who can turn good ideas into organisational reality by building coalitions, managing fear and opposition, and maintaining momentum through the inevitable challenges that come with any significant change.
Change is hard. Leading change is harder. But with the right approach, you can build the support and momentum needed to turn strategic visions into operational success. The key is understanding that you’re not just changing processes or systems; you’re helping people navigate the uncertainty and risk that change represents.
And sometimes, that means accepting that not everyone will come along for the journey. Your job isn’t to convince everyone. It’s to create enough momentum that the direction becomes inevitable, regardless of who initially thought it was a terrible idea.
Wishing you great success!
Emerald