Shift Your Team From Resistors To Advocates
I’ll admit something to you right now.
I’m a creature of habit.
Part of that works in my favor — I’ve built strong health routines, morning rhythms, and leadership disciplines over years of intentional practice. But here’s the shadow side no one talks about: routines can quietly calcify into ruts.
And ruts are where growth goes to die.
It’s surprisingly easy to resist change — even necessary change. To wave off new ideas before they’ve had a chance to breathe. To fire off a quick “No” or “Not yet” just to stay inside the comfortable walls we’ve built around ourselves. To deny reality because reality is asking us to stretch.
Sound familiar?
The Adobe Pivot — and the Pushback That Almost Stopped It
When Adobe made the bold announcement that it was moving from boxed software to a subscription-based cloud model, the reaction wasn’t applause.
It was resistance. Hard, vocal, emotional resistance.
Customers were angry. “Why should we rent software we used to own?” Employees were skeptical. “This will destroy us. Customers will leave. The company will collapse.”
The fear was real. The resistance was loud.
Here’s where emotional agility changed everything.
Adobe’s leadership made a critical choice in that moment. They didn’t interpret the pushback as negativity or disloyalty. They recognized it for what it truly was — fear. Fear of uncertainty. Fear of losing the familiar. Fear of identity shift.
So instead of forcing blind compliance, Adobe leaned in. They launched listening tours. Invested in education and open communication. Invited employees into the transition process rather than dragging them through it.
And something remarkable happened over time.
Former skeptics became advocates.
Why? Because they could see the benefits. Exciting updates. New revenue streams. Raving customer loyalty. Sustainable, compounding growth.
Today, Adobe’s cloud model is widely regarded as one of the most successful business model pivots in the history of tech.
The resistors became the advocates — because they were heard, involved, and given a vision worth believing in.
The Emotional Agility Lesson
Resistance isn’t the enemy. It’s information.
When your team pushes back, they’re not being difficult — they’re being human. The leaders who understand that unlock something most never do: the ability to transform skeptics into champions.
That transformation requires three things: Involvement. Communication. Vision.
Now — Your Turn
Take a few minutes with your team and wrestle with these questions:
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“The purpose of Leadership Quest is to help professionals develop their personal leadership, vision and emotional intelligence. Everyday I strive to help leaders and teams achieve their desired goals in sales productivity, leadership, time maximization, and life-balance. ”
About the Author
Steve Gutzler is the President of Leadership Quest, a premier leadership development company based in Scottsdale. As a dynamic and highly sought-after speaker, Steve has delivered over 2,500 impactful presentations to renowned organizations such as Microsoft, Starbucks, the Seattle Seahawks, Spotify, Boeing, Cisco, Starwood Hotels, Ritz-Carlton, and the U.S. Department of Commerce.
A published author and thought leader on leadership and emotional intelligence, Steve lives near Scottsdale with his wife, Julie. Together, they cherish time spent with their three adult children and six grandchildren.
