Leadership through tension isn’t easy. It challenges your team’s thinking, attitudes, and emotional responses. It requires a relational shift from pleasing people to pushing them toward growth. Managing this process effectively is critical for achieving success.

The 25-50-25 Principle of Change

When casting vision and encouraging people to join a new endeavor, you’ll typically find that individuals fall into three groups:

• 25% will be fully on board (“all in”).
• 50% will be undecided, caught in the middle.
• 25% will resist change entirely.

Your role as a leader is to focus on the middle 50%, guiding them to align with the supportive top 25%.

How to Influence the Middle 50%

1. Accept the Reality of Resistance
   • The bottom 25% will resist no matter what you do.
   • Tip: Avoid wasting energy trying to win them over.
2. Avoid Catering to Resistance
   • Don’t give the resistant 25% credibility or a platform.
   • Tip: Redirect focus to those who are open to change.
3. Create Opportunities for Influence
   • Encourage the middle 50% to interact with the supportive top 25%.
   • Tip: Exposure to positive mindsets can inspire undecided individuals to move forward.
4. Leverage Peer Support
   • Enlist the “all-in” top 25% to actively influence and encourage the undecided middle.
   • Tip: Peer influence is often more effective than top-down leadership.
5. Give the Supportive 25% a Voice
   • Amplify the supportive group’s credibility by allowing them to share their success and excitement.
   • Tip: Use their enthusiasm as a catalyst for momentum.

By understanding where people stand and channeling efforts toward those open to influence, leaders can create progress even in the face of tension. The goal is not to please everyone, but to inspire the majority toward meaningful action.

_{Reference: John C. Maxwell, Leadershift}