79. Why people resist change (and how to lead them through it)
Change isn’t just hard—it’s biologically, psychologically, and culturally designed to be hard. In this episode, Chris and Jeremy break down why teams resist change, especially in legacy organizations like parks, conservation agencies, and natural resource departments.
Whether you’re rolling out digital campground registration or shifting from a mow-everything mentality to a pollinator-friendly rewilding approach, resistance is guaranteed. But it’s also manageable—if you know what’s driving it.
Drawing from behavioral science, real-world field examples, organizational leadership concepts, and another elephant analogy, this episode gives you a practical framework anyone can use to guide their team through change without burnout, frustration, or unnecessary conflict.
This isn’t about forcing people to change. It’s about guiding them through it—using clarity, psychology, and purpose.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
The three types of resistance you’ll encounter in organizational change
Why “loss aversion” makes change feel threatening
How to spot emotional, cognitive, and cultural pushback in your team
What rewilding and campground QR codes can teach us about real-world change
Why change fails without clear purpose and storytelling
How to reduce friction so the new behavior becomes the easy behavior
Why celebrating early wins creates cultural momentum
Ten practical tools you can use to lead teams through change
Why identity—not logic—is often the real barrier
Download the free Change Leader’s Field Guide
A PDF summary with the three types of resistance and ten concrete strategies to lead your team through change.
Key Takeaways:
People don’t resist change—they resist loss
Confusion is one of the biggest sources of resistance
Culture shifts when identity shifts
Pilots and small wins build psychological safety
Leaders guide change by reducing fear, increasing clarity, and reinforcing identity
Change sticks when the conditions for growth are right
About Parks and Restoration
Parks and Restoration is a story-driven podcast for aspiring leaders who care about the outdoors and the organizations that protect it. From leadership lessons and workplace culture to ecology, fieldcraft, and community impact, each episode helps parks and natural resource professionals thrive in the work they love.
