The #1 Mistake Leaders Make When Facing Change (and How to Avoid It)

Change is happening faster than ever before.
AI, new technologies, shifting markets, and increasing mental health challenges on teams have made one thing clear: leaders who resist change drain energy from themselves and their organizations.

Positive leadership isn’t about ignoring challenges. It’s about recognizing that change can be the very fuel that makes leaders and their teams stronger.

Fear of Change Saps Leadership Energy

When leaders resist change, the ripple effects are real:

• Mental health suffers → Team members feel stuck and anxious.

• Engagement drops → People stop caring and start complaining.

• Productivity declines → Performance and focus diminish.

• Culture erodes → Complacency, backstabbing, and water-cooler gossip take over.

The truth is, change isn’t optional.

Yes, change is tough.
Yes, it comes with resistance.
But the best leaders know that change is what keeps an organization alive.

Powerhouse View: Let Change Be the Breakfast of Champions

Here’s the reality:

• Complacency = failure waiting to happen. When leaders refuse to make necessary changes, they invite disaster. Teams lose trust. Innovation stalls. And when change is finally forced? It’s often too late.

• Positive change builds resilient teams. When leaders approach change with optimism, their teams rise to the occasion. They mirror your resilience, your creativity, and your energy.

The Mouse and the Cheese — A Lesson in Adaptability

Remember the classic Who Moved My Cheese? Here’s the gist:

Researchers observed a mouse navigating a maze. At first, he found cheese in tube #2. Success! So, naturally, he kept going back there day after day.

Then one day, the scientists moved the cheese to tube #3. Eeek!

What did the mouse do?
He kept going back to tube #2… waiting for the cheese that would never return.

The lesson? Comfort zones kill potential. Leaders who resist change are like that mouse—stuck in old patterns while opportunities pass them by.

The Powerhouse Leader’s Edge

To lead through change with energy and clarity:

• Motivate your team away from complacency.

• Embrace change when things are good—not just when forced.

• Build trust through open, transparent communication.

• Stay positive under pressure—your team mirrors your energy.

Positive Leadership Is Contagious

Your attitude as a leader sets the emotional climate of the organization.

• Positive leaders → engaged, resilient teams.

• Negative leaders → stressed, unhealthy teams.

As I teach in Lead Stronger Longer and through the Powerhouse Leaders programs: Your team is a reflection of you.

Change isn’t something to fear—it’s something to harness. The longer a problem festers, the more energy it drains. Step in early. Lead with positivity. And you’ll not only protect your team’s mental health—you’ll ensure your organization thrives.

✨ Want to strengthen your leadership energy and guide your team through change with clarity?
👉 Download the free Executive Energy Brief and book your complimentary Executive Energy Strategy Session today at powerhouseleader.com.