Leading Through Change: Understanding the Three Brains of Change

Why Leaders Must Understand the Human Response to Change

Miscommunication and unmet expectations remain top reasons employees struggle at work today — making “leading through change” one of the most important leadership skills you can develop.

There is one constant in life and at work: things change. Like it or not, change is happening—or it’s on the way. From a leadership standpoint, it’s important to recognize what is happening to those around you as change is introduced, implemented, or unfortunately, sometimes shoved down people’s throats.

Human beings essentially have three brains:

1. The Reptilian Brain Handles basic survival: breathing, heart rate, safety, and fight-or-flight. It is deeply ingrained and resistant to change.

2. The Mammalian Brain (Emotional Brain) Houses our feelings, empathy, bonding, and habits. It pushes us toward pleasure and away from pain. It is slow to change and highly reactive.

3. The Human Brain (Neocortex) Responsible for problem solving, language, reasoning, creativity, and decision-making. It is the most adaptable and gives us the ability to override emotional impulses.

Here’s the challenge: These three brains don’t always agree — and the emotional brain often drives the reaction to change.

Why Change Feels Threatening

From a leadership standpoint, understanding this internal conflict is crucial. When change is introduced without context, the emotional brain reacts 24:1 compared to the logical brain.

That means:

• Expect emotion.

• Expect pushback.

• Expect discomfort—even from strong performers.

But it also means you can prevent unnecessary resistance by changing the order of how change is rolled out.

Introduce Before You Implement

If you alert your people to what’s coming—and more importantly, why it’s coming—you can stop much of the emotional negativity that occurs when people feel blindsided.

Give them time to:

• React

• Vent

• Process

• Ask questions

• Let the logical brain begin its work

This prevents a “shutdown” reaction and opens the door to meaningful discussion.

When Change Is Forced Upon You

Sometimes change arrives without warning, without explanation, and with immediate demands. And then it lands in your lap. Looking forward to that meeting, are you?

Here’s the leadership move:

Don’t make the change the issue. Make the measurement the issue.

Acknowledge the emotional reaction first — because it’s human, normal, and expected. Then bring the group together and tell them: “We don’t know yet how this will impact us. But together, we can measure it, understand it, and give clear feedback.”

Then collaboratively build a plan to assess:

• How the change affects the workplace

• Whether it aligns with policies

• How it impacts customer relations

• What it does to the bottom line

• What the group is learning through the process

Set a time frame — 30 days, 60 days, six months.

Suddenly, the change becomes a project, not a threat. A measurement, not a crisis. A team effort, not a source of division.

That is leadership.

Lead Change With More Clarity, Confidence, and Calm

If you want structured tools to help you guide your team through uncertainty, reduce emotional resistance, and strengthen adaptability, our Leading Through Change & Adaptability workbook is the perfect next step.me time, still be working for the good of the organization and your team.