The Hidden 'No': Uncovering Your Team's Immunity to Change
- kristian8120
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Leaders have all seen it happen. The team enthusiastically agrees to a new strategic direction, to be more innovative, collaborative, or customer-centric. Yet, weeks later, nothing has changed. Old behaviours persist, and the initiative stalls. This isn't a simple case of hypocrisy or a lack of willpower. It's often a sign of a powerful, hidden dynamic at play: a psychological "immunity to change".
Developed by Harvard psychologists Robert Kegan and Lisa Lahey, the Immunity to Change framework reveals that individuals and organisations often have subconscious commitments that run directly counter to their stated goals. Just as our biological immune system attacks foreign cells to protect the body, our psychological immune system works to protect us from the perceived risks of change, such as loss of status, competence, or belonging. This creates a powerful internal conflict where one foot is on the gas, and the other is firmly on the brake.
Mapping the Immunity: From Resistance to Revelation
The key to overcoming this paralysis is to make the invisible visible. The "Immunity Map" is a four-column diagnostic tool that helps leaders and teams uncover the hidden forces holding them back.
Column 1: The Improvement Commitment
This is the explicit, conscious commitment. It’s what the team says it wants to achieve.
Example: "We are committed to empowering our junior team members by delegating more responsibility."
Column 2: Behaviors Working Against the Goal
This column lists the actual behaviours (both actions and inactions) that undermine the stated goal.
Example: "I keep micromanaging critical projects," "I overrule their decisions," or "I don't delegate high-stakes tasks."
Column 3: Hidden Competing Commitments
This is the revelatory part of the map. It uncovers the subconscious commitments and fears that are driving the counterproductive behaviors. These are not weaknesses but self-protective instincts.
Example: "I am committed to ensuring no project ever fails," or "I am committed to always being seen as the most competent person in the room."
Column 4: The Big Assumptions
This final column exposes the deep, underlying beliefs that hold the entire system in place. These are the fundamental truths we assume about ourselves and the world, which make the competing commitments feel essential for survival.
Example: "I assume that if a project fails, my career will be permanently damaged," or "I assume that if I am not the expert, I will lose the respect of my team."
The map reveals a powerful internal conflict. The arrows show two opposing forces at work. The first force is our desire for the goal (Column 1), but it is actively undermined by our behaviours (Column 2), which are driven by our hidden commitment (Column 3).
The second, stronger force is our psychological immune system: Our big assumption (Column 4) makes the hidden commitment (Column 3) feel non-negotiable for our safety, which in turn justifies the very behaviours (Column 2) that prevent our progress. This is why pushing harder on the goal rarely works; the true leverage comes from challenging the big assumption.
Why This Matters for Leaders
The Immunity to Change model transforms how leaders approach resistance. Instead of trying to push harder against the counterproductive behaviours (Column 2), effective leaders focus on creating a safe environment to explore the underlying fears and assumptions (Columns 3 and 4).
Lead with Empathy, Not Frustration: Recognise that resistance is a form of self-protection, not insubordination. Your team aren't trying to sabotage the goal; they are trying to protect themselves from a perceived threat.
Make It Safe to Be Vulnerable: Facilitate honest conversations where team members can surface their competing commitments without fear of judgement.
Test the Big Assumptions: Once a big assumption is identified, treat it not as a fact, but as a hypothesis. Design small, safe-to-fail experiments that allow the team to test whether their deep-seated beliefs are actually true.
Lasting change is not about overpowering resistance. It is about understanding its source. By helping your team uncover their hidden immunity, you can move beyond a frustrating stalemate and begin the truly transformative work of challenging the assumptions
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