Most leaders avoid the people who resist change. They work around them, try to build coalition without them, or hope momentum will eventually bring them along. Kristi Henderson does the opposite. She seeks out the naysayers and asks directly what they're worried about. Then she does something even more unexpected: she either changes the plan to address their concerns or has a direct discussion about why their assumptions aren't fact.
It sounds simple until you try it. Because it requires being unafraid of confrontation and secure enough to admit when criticism reveals genuine problems with your approach. But what Kristi has discovered is that this process doesn't slow transformation down. It accelerates it. Because once you've addressed the real concerns and separated them from unfounded resistance, you create something unstoppable: a group of people who are bullheaded and relentless about making something happen.
"It creates an energy. There's just a determination to make it happen."
That energy doesn't come from avoiding hard conversations. It comes from having them early, directly, and with genuine willingness to course-correct. This is essential listening for anyone leading change who keeps hitting the same resistance patterns.
Listen to this week's episode now - https://taplink.cc/inspiringwomen