Remove Hidden Blockers to Unleash Momentum

When a global software giant named a new CEO, he inherited a leadership team filled with highly skilled yet deeply skeptical executives. Many were comfortable with the status quo and resisted any deviation. Early on, the CEO facilitated anonymous surveys that asked, “What’s stopping you from embracing our new strategy?” Over 70% cited fear of losing influence and unclear career paths.

Instead of firing them wholesale, he organized personal off-site lunches. Those managers aired frustrations about change fatigue and new performance metrics. The CEO listened, then quickly offered them new mandates: one would become the champion for a digital-learning platform, another would lead integration for a key acquisition. Their roles shifted from obstruction to ownership.

Simultaneously, vocal proponents were promoted to visible seats at weekly leadership councils. Their energy balanced the skeptics’ gloom. Within two quarters, the collective mood swung dramatically. Employee surveys flagged a 40% drop in “change aversion” scores and a 25% gain in “optimism about the future.” Previously stalled initiatives began to move again.

By purposefully identifying, listening to, and realigning both skeptics and advocates, the CEO converted cultural blockage into new momentum. That nuanced approach unlocked far more energy than any single layoff could have achieved.

You’ll send a simple anonymous poll asking for doubts about the new direction, then follow up with genuine one-on-ones to uncover hidden fears. By offering blockers a stake in the initiative, you shift them to allies. Simultaneously, elevate eager supporters into lead roles. That balancing act will turn resistance into renewed drive—schedule your first poll this week.