Boldness Amid Opposition

Leadership is about change. In fact, the phrase “change-agent” is often used to describe the work of a leader. Change is usually met with resistance if not outright opposition because leaders challenge the status quo. They challenge what is, and provide us a vision of a desirable future that appeals to our head and our heart. Yet, no matter how appealing that vision may be, change always creates stress and discomfort. In fact, change may create severe resistance and active opposition.

In spite of this opposition, leaders must have the courage to boldly continue to lead.

Paul exemplified this courageous persistence throughout his ministry. He states that “we had the boldness [italics added] in our God to speak to you the gospel of God amid much opposition [italics added]” (1 Thessalonians 2:2).

Leaders must be bold. But boldness is not bullying. Sometimes boldness is standing firm. And sometimes it is standing firm, quietly.

I came across a wonderful example of this kind of boldness while reading a collection of David Halberstam's sports writing, Everything They Had. He recounts the following conversation between Jackie Robinson and Branch Rickey during their first meeting:

Robinson: "Mr. Rickey, what do you want? Do you want a player with guts enough to fight back?"

Rickey: "I want a player with guts enough not to fight back."

That's a different - and refreshing -take on boldness. Leaders with strong personalities have a tendency to to steam roll over opposition and treat resistance as something to be eliminated. They view resistance as a whack-a-mole game at Chuck E. Cheese.

A more constructive approach is to view resistance as feedback.

While it is rarely stated this explicitly, resistance is actually a call for greater communication.

Those who resist change are doing so out of one or more types of fear: Fear of loss – of job, status, or relationships or fear of the unknown. Leaders need to reframe this resistance as a form of feedback. Resistance is telling the leader that there are concerns, fears, and underlying issues that have not been fully addressed.

A perceptive leader will recognize this as an opportunity to build commitment by proactively seeking to understand and address these issues.

Do you have that kind of boldness?

Do you have "guts enough to not fight back" and reframe resistance as feedback?