The Neuroscience of Resistance: How to Use ‘No’ as a Way In
Every leader, parent, and consultant runs into the same wall: resistance. Someone pushes back on an idea or a change, and the instinct is to push harder. Travis Hahler, who has led transformation work inside Google and Salesforce and worked with over 100 organizations, says that instinct is exactly backwards.
In this conversation, Howie Chan sits down with Travis to unpack why the human brain treats change as a threat before it treats it as an opportunity. Travis breaks down the six neurological barriers behind every no, from routine and ambiguity to loss and exclusion, and explains why treating resistance as a personal attack only makes it worse.
You'll learn why leaders who spin their message trigger more resistance, how to influence people who outrank you using data, why "no" can actually be a doorway instead of a dead end, and how to apply this same framework to your own resistance to change.
Chapters:
00:00:00 Why We Resist Change
00:04:33 The Spin Trap Leaders Fall Into
00:06:59 Cultural Differences to Change
00:09:54 The 6 Neurological Barriers to Change
00:15:14 Why Resistance Isn't Personal
00:18:15 Change in Action: Getting People to Attend Events
00:22:10 How Coaches Can Help Participants Be Successful
00:28:05 Influencing Up Without Authority
00:33:59 Using "No" as a Way In
00:39:01 How to Change Your Own Behaviors
00:45:39 Peaks & Pitfalls from 100+ Organizations
00:50:47 Say This, Not That (Quick Fire)
00:52:51 Final Advice: Get Curious, Not Combative
From Travis Hahler:
Mentioned in this episode:
Owen Fitzpatrick’s episode: How To Create Any Reality (The Belief Blueprint) (Aug 4)
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The Influence Anyone Podcast
The #1 podcast on applied influence psychology. Each episode, Howie Chan, a veteran brand and behavior strategist sits down with world experts and practitioners to uncover the hidden psychology that helps you influence yourself (mastering your mindset, habits, and decisions) and get buy-in from others (your team, clients, and audiences.) Together, we turn science into playbooks you can apply to lead, persuade, and create extraordinary success.
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