If there’s one leadership challenge that’s defining 2025, it’s this: navigating complex, uncertain change.
It’s everywhere.
It’s the #1 topic we are being brought into teams to explore, without question.
In fact, I was just speaking with a group of loggers (yes, loggers and I love them!) about this. I started by saying: I don’t think all change is good, but I do know that change is inevitable.
And yet, too often, when leaders talk about resilience and adaptability, what they really mean is compliance.
Resilience is about helping people adjust, learn, and contribute meaningfully in the face of change. Compliance is about getting people to fall in line.
One builds commitment, collaboration, and co-creation. The other breeds resentment, frustration, and disengagement.
How can you tell the difference?
Signs you’re leading from compliance:
❌ You expect people to adapt without questioning or pushing back.
❌ You frame resistance as a problem instead of a signal to explore.
❌ Decisions are made behind closed doors, and employees are just expected to “get on board.”
❌ You focus on enforcing rules rather than helping people make sense of change.
Signs you’re leading for resilience:
✅ You acknowledge that change brings loss and create space to process it.
✅ You involve people early so they feel a sense of ownership.
✅ You encourage curiosity, not just compliance, by making room for questions.
✅ You help people develop the capacity to navigate change, rather than just demanding that they accept it.
Because here’s the truth: People don’t fear change. They fear loss.
Loss of stability.
Loss of clarity.
Loss of control.
Loss of identity in their role.
And when leaders don’t acknowledge those losses, they lose something too—trust.
So here’s the real question:
Are you leading in a way that fosters commitment—or are you unintentionally pushing for obedience?
This year, we’re working with more leaders than ever to navigate this tension, because the stakes are too high to get it wrong.
If your team is struggling with change—or you’re noticing resistance that you don’t fully understand—let’s talk.
Because people don’t resist change. They resist the way they’re being changed.
Are you leading for commitment or just compliance? Let’s make sure it’s the right one.
Sarah and her new forestry family at Ponsse this weekend after their workshop in humans and change.
Sarah Noll Wilson is on a mission to help leaders build and rebuild teams. She aims to empower leaders to understand and honor the beautiful complexity of the humans they serve. Through her work as an Executive Coach, an in-demand Keynote Speaker, Researcher, Contributor to Harvard Business Review, and Bestselling Author of “Don’t Feed the Elephants”, Sarah helps leaders close the gap between what they intend to do and the actual impact they make. She hosts the podcast “Conversations on Conversations”, is certified in Co-Active Coaching and Conversational Intelligence, and is a frequent guest lecturer at universities. In addition to her work with organizations, Sarah is a passionate advocate for mental health.