Do you – or the leaders you work with – ever resist an important part of your role?
For several of us partners at HCL, our resistance showed up around business development. It carried associations with sales approaches that didn’t feel aligned with who we are. As a result, we found ourselves putting off an essential aspect of our work.
As leaders, we often resist responsibilities not because the work itself is wrong, but because we’ve attached a meaning to it that conflicts with our values.
During our recent HCL partner retreat, we explored what business development meant to each of us. Together, we discovered a new way of framing it: not as selling, but as “contribution to the world”. The shift gained real momentum when we connected it to one of our shared values: human wellbeing.
Suddenly, the focus was on reaching out to support individuals, leaders and teams to lead with greater awareness and intention, achieve meaningful goals, and thrive without sacrificing their wellbeing. This reframe reconnected us to who we are and the impact we want to have.
When leaders find a way of seeing their work that aligns with their deepest values, resistance often gives way to energy and purpose.
Whether we’re leading ourselves, a team or an organisation, the meaning we give our work shapes how we show up for it. What are you resisting right now? Try looking at it through the lens of one of your core values, and notice what new possibilities emerge.
