Resistance is the Price of Leadership

When I first started sharing content on social media back in 2017, something unexpected happened.

A lot of people loved what I was putting out there about psychology, leadership, personal development, and even spirituality to some degree. But I also faced resistance. Real resistance from people who knew me before started questioning what I was doing.

It wasn’t about the content itself, it was deeper than that. These people looked in the mirror, questioned themselves, and then projected that onto me.

At first, I was aghast.

I started questioning myself. I was confused. Why are people resisting this? For me, this is so natural and makes complete sense. Why is it that people are questioning me?

And then I realised something. Actually, that is the price of leadership.

Every Leader Faces This

I don’t know of any leader, whether it be Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, or business leaders who have made positive change, who have not faced resistance.

So I realised the fact that I’m getting some resistance means I’m onto something here.

This is something that’s super important when it comes down to being leaders at home, in the workplace, and in our own lives. We are always looking to progress and make some form of positive change or improvement.

Whether it be changing things up in the business model and facing resistance from the board or from your employees. Humans are creatures of habit.

You know that sinking feeling when you present your vision and see the blank stares? The doubt that creeps in when your team pushes back? The isolation of being the only one who sees what’s possible?

Or implementing a new routine in the family home and hearing “oh my god, here we go again.” That moment when you feel like you’re crazy for wanting something different.

Or making a change in your own life. A transition. A relationship. A career shift. You might face your own internal resistance, with the small mind fearing and doubting.

The 3am thoughts, the paralysing fear of getting it wrong, the loneliness of the path.

Resistance is a good sign.

The Physics of Transformation

I’ve never met a leader who has not faced resistance. As we go through change and transition, resistance is natural.

Basic physics provides reassurance here. When any system moves from one state to another, it requires activation energy. Think about water transitioning from liquid to steam. It doesn’t just happen. It requires heat, energy, resistance against the current state before the transformation occurs.

Whenever we are moving from one form to the next, there always has to be some form of resistance to overcome to get into the new order.

The Reported World vs The Created World

Here’s my favourite distinction I share with my executive teams when I’m coaching.

Most people are operating in the reported world. How things are, how things always have been, how things have been in the company. That’s generally where people are stuck, in their own minds and their own systems.

The reported world feels safe. It’s familiar. “This is just how we do things here.” “The market won’t accept that.” “We’ve tried that before.”

As a leader, yes, you need to understand the reported world. But you need to be aware that it is the reported world.

What you need to put your mind on is the created world.

The created world is where you are creating a new order. A new way of being. A new operating system. A new culture. A new habit. A new model.

Most people are stuck in the reported world, but you as a leader have to be in the created world. Your mind has to be in possibility.

Yes, you will face resistance, and you’ll be back in the reported world. But you need to be able to share and stand in the possibility of the creative world.

What To Do When You Face Resistance

Recognise it as validation. Resistance means you’re creating something new, something that challenges the current order. If everyone immediately agreed with you, you’re probably not going to change much.

Stay anchored in the created world. When resistance pulls you back into doubt, return to the possibility you’re creating. Write it down. Speak it out loud. Keep your mind there.

Expect internal and external pushback. Your own small mind will question you. Others will project their fears onto you – this is natural – this is the activation energy required for transformation.

Actively curate your environment. Surround yourself with people who are also leading change and going from the reported to the created world. Your environment will either reinforce the reported world or support the created world. Choose wisely.

Resistance is the price of leadership.

If you’re facing it right now, congratulations. You’re onto something.

And guess what, the people that initially resisted my work, became fans and some even clients. So don’t judge the resistance, carry on with your mission, do it for them, and lead the way.

Jaineel

P.s. here a few ways I can support your journey:

1) BRAND NEW 2026 Program!! Join Living From Within 5 week Group Journey – a quiet and reflective space with no hype to help you navigate 2026 from an aligned, calm, and powerful place. ​

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4) 📞 Let’s talk – If you’re ready to do this work 1:1 or in a group setting, book a call with me ​