People don’t resist change because they’re stubborn or negative. They resist because their internal architecture is overloaded.

Every person has a limited capacity for:

• processing new information

• making sense of ambiguity

• holding competing priorities

• managing uncertainty

• learning new routines

When that capacity is full, even small changes feel threatening.

This isn’t emotional weakness. It’s structural.

Just like a ship can only hold so much load before it becomes unstable, people can only hold so much cognitive load before they lose readiness.

Why this matters to leaders

Leaders often assume:

• “They’re resisting.”

• “They’re not motivated.”

• “They don’t understand the vision.”

But the real issue is usually:

• too much load

• too much ambiguity

• too many competing priorities

• too little clarity

• too much drift

When the internal structure is overloaded, people can’t adapt — even if they want to.

This reframes the problem from “fix the people” to “fix the conditions.”

Real‑world example 

A clinic introduces a new digital intake form. It’s simple. It should save time. But staff are already juggling:

• high patient volume

• unclear priorities

• constant interruptions

• inconsistent leadership signals

Their internal architecture is full.

So what happens?

• they revert to old processes

• they create workarounds

• they delay adoption

• they feel frustrated

Not because they’re resistant — but because their internal structure has no capacity left.

Practical takeaways leaders can use immediately

1. Reduce load before introducing change

Ask: “What can we remove, pause, or simplify before we add something new?”

Even removing one low‑value task can free enough capacity for change.

2. Increase clarity to reduce cognitive strain

People adapt faster when they know:

• what matters most

• what doesn’t matter

• what the next step is

• who decides what

Clarity is a structural intervention.

3. Stabilise routines before adding new ones

If routines are chaotic, people can’t absorb new ones. Stabilise first, then change.

4. Reduce ambiguity wherever possible

Ambiguity consumes cognitive bandwidth. Replace vague instructions with concrete expectations.

5. Build Change Fitness over time

Small, well‑supported changes build internal capacity. Large, rushed changes deplete it.