There’s a line often repeated in leadership circles:
“The only one who likes change is a baby in a wet diaper.”
It’s humorous.
It’s memorable.
And it’s also misleading.
Because people don’t actually resist change.
They resist how change is experienced.
What Research Really Says About Change
Decades of research in organizational behavior show that resistance to change is rarely about stubbornness.
It’s about:
• loss of control
• uncertainty about the future
• lack of clarity
• fear of negative impact
In fact, studies in change management and psychology consistently show that when people understand the “why” and feel involved, resistance drops significantly.
People don’t resist change.
They resist:
• being surprised by it
• being excluded from it
• being judged during it
Why the “People Hate Change” Myth Persists
The myth exists because leaders often experience resistance at the point of execution.
By then:
• decisions are already made
• timelines are already set
• expectations are already communicated
And teams are asked to comply, not contribute.
What looks like resistance is often:
a delayed reaction to lack of involvement.
The Real Insight: People Like Progress, Not Disruption
Consider this:
People adopt new technology every day:
• smartphones
• apps
• AI tools
• new workflows
Often without resistance.
Why?
Because those changes:
• provide immediate value
• are easy to adopt
• allow personal control
This aligns with research on intrinsic motivation by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, which shows that people engage more when they feel:
• autonomy
• competence
• purpose
The Leadership Mistake
Leaders often frame change as:
• a project
• a rollout
• a communication plan
But people experience change as:
• disruption
• uncertainty
• identity shift
That gap creates resistance.
Coaching Insight: Shift from Forcing to Enabling
In executive coaching, one of the biggest mindset shifts is this:
From:
• “How do we get people to accept this change?”
To:
• “How do we design this change so people can engage with it?”
That shift leads to:
• better adoption
• faster alignment
• less resistance
• stronger outcomes
What Effective Leaders Do Differently
Leaders who succeed with change:
• involve people early
• communicate continuously (not once)
• connect change to purpose
• create space for questions and concerns
• allow time for adaptation
They don’t remove resistance.
They reduce the need for it.
Final Thought
The quote is funny.
But the truth is more nuanced.
People don’t naturally love disruption.
But they do embrace:
• growth
• improvement
• meaningful progress
When change is done right, people don’t resist it.
They drive it.
