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How Staff Can Navigate Leadership Resistance to Change

Change is rarely easy—and when you hear the phrase “we’ve always done it that way” from leadership, it can be especially discouraging. In many organisations, particularly in the nonprofit sector where traditions, history, and legacy run deep, resistance to change is not uncommon. But if you’re a staff member trying to drive innovation, improve processes, or respond to shifting community needs, this mindset can become a major roadblock.

So how do you respond professionally and productively when leadership seems stuck in the past? Here are some approaches that can help you move the conversation forward.

1. Understand the Fear Behind the Resistance

Often, “we’ve always done it that way” is less about the status quo and more about fear—fear of risk, failure, or the unknown. Change can feel threatening, especially when it challenges practices that have brought success in the past. Acknowledge that fear respectfully. This creates empathy and opens space for dialogue, not confrontation.

2. Lead with Evidence, Not Emotion

Data can be a powerful ally. If you’re advocating for a new approach, bring examples, benchmarking data, or case studies from peer organisations. Show how similar changes have delivered results elsewhere. For example:

“Other nonprofits our size who’ve adopted CRM-integrated donation forms saw a 25% increase in conversion rates.”

Facts shift mindsets better than frustration.

Leadership is more likely to listen when the change is clearly aligned with the organisation’s goals. Reframe your idea as a mission-enabler, not a disruption:

“This shift will allow us to reach more people experiencing housing insecurity with faster support.”

When change is presented as a path to greater impact, it’s harder to ignore.

4. Start Small: Pilot, Prototype, Prove

If you’re facing outright resistance, don’t try to overhaul the system all at once. Instead, suggest a small-scale pilot or prototype to demonstrate the potential:

“Can we trial this with one campaign before committing organisation-wide?”

This minimises perceived risk and builds confidence through early wins.

5. Frame Change as a Continuation, Not a Rejection

Sometimes resistance stems from the fear that change means everything done previously was wrong. Counter that by affirming what’s worked—and positioning your idea as an evolution, not a repudiation:

“We’ve done great work under the current model. This is about building on that foundation to stay relevant and effective in a changing environment.”

6. Engage Allies and Champions

Change rarely happens alone. Find others within your team or network who share your vision and can support your case. Better still, find a champion within leadership—someone more open to innovation—who can advocate with you from the inside.

7. Keep the Conversation Open and Professional

Avoid passive aggression or workplace grumbling. Stay respectful, clear, and focused on solutions over blame. Document your ideas and revisit them at the right time—sometimes the context or urgency shifts, and ideas that were rejected once gain new traction.

Final Thoughts: Persistence with Patience

Institutional change takes time, especially in mission-driven environments. If you’re encountering the “we’ve always done it that way” mentality, you’re not alone—but you’re also in a position to be a catalyst for meaningful evolution. Approach resistance with empathy, bring evidence, align your goals with the mission, and be ready to prove your case through action.

Progress often begins with a simple question:
“What if we tried it this way, just once?”