Are you forcing change - and nothing changes? Let's allow change instead

I recently came across this quote:
"When we are forcing change, this will automatically create resistance.
This effort is keeping things in place and preventing things from flowing.
Instead, we want to create the conditions that allow things to change, based on their own flow."
- Headspace

And in a few simple words this quote is expressing what many people do wrong in managing change. And in many modern leadership concepts, I can observe the same mantra: let's move from competition and conflict towards cooperation and unity.

As a leader you want change to happen - typically fast. And we go about telling people what to do, identifying the people that support and block the change. And in a way, we are forcing people to change. And this is naturally triggering resistance.

Instead of forcing, a better way to facilitate change is to ask yourself questions like:
What is the current situation the people are in? What does their past experience look like? How do they see the future? How would I feel about the proposed change in their shoes?
How do I need to behave that people feel comfortable with the upcoming change? What is the environment that allows change to happen? What is a respectful and exciting way to engage with the people?

And in my experience - and it's my conviction - this is not a nice-to-have approach. This will lead to higher retention, higher productivity & efficiency, and to more creativity & innovation. Good leadership is a must-have.