quiet disruption.

This month felt disruptive.
Not in a dramatic or visible way, but through a steady undercurrent of resistance. The kind of disruption that shows up when change is present — or even just implied — and the system (people) reacts by tightening.

From a change leadership lens, disruption often signals friction between what is emerging and what is trying to remain fixed. That friction was felt daily, in small moments rather than big events.

What I noticed

A strong push to stay “in my box” kept appearing.
Unspoken expectations that roles, behaviours, and outcomes should remain familiar. People needing things to stay the same, even as circumstances quietly shifted around us.

There were power struggles — not always overt. Much of it happened in quiet back rooms: side conversations, withheld information, subtle resistance. This is often where change work becomes most visible, not through open conflict, but through silence, delay, and control.

What stood out was how these dynamics don’t just shape systems — they test the people inside them.

The shift

By the end of the month, something small but meaningful had shifted.

I found more resilience to stand in my own space as a leader.
To trust my read of the environment without absorbing it.
To stay oriented to what I know, even when others preferred familiarity over movement.

Boundaries became an act of leadership rather than defense. They helped me stay steady and positive without pretending things were simpler than they were. Instead of pushing against resistance, I focused on staying coherent within it.

This wasn’t about forcing change. It was about not disappearing inside the pressure to maintain the status quo.

Why it matters

Change leadership isn’t only about strategy, vision, or momentum. It’s also about regulation — of self, of relationships, of expectations.

When systems resist change, the quiet work is learning how to remain present, clear, and grounded. To notice power dynamics without being consumed by them. To lead from alignment rather than reaction.

That kind of leadership rarely gets named, but it shapes what becomes possible next.

A last thought

As the month closes, one question lingers:

Where am I being asked to shrink — and what would it look like to stay in my own space instead?

No need to answer quickly. Change unfolds at the pace it’s ready for.