Handle hidden tension before it blows – eroding trust, culture, and leadership credibility.
Recently, my family and I vacationed in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We visited the Tetons and Yellowstone, saw wildlife moving openly everywhere, and took in some impressive scenery. It’s a majestic place for sure. What struck me more than anything was its power and volatility. As you probably are aware, Yellowstone National Park sits largely within a caldera – a massive, active volcanic basin filled with steaming vents, colorful hot springs, mud pots, geysers, and more. Boardwalks guide you across these geyser basins, and while the surface looks solid enough, you never forget the fact that just beneath your feet lies a tempest of scalding water and steam churning through fragile rock. You’re literally walking on top of a giant, unpredictable volcano, where things can go south fast and without warning.
I don’t know about you, but that’s a good metaphor for how leadership can feel at times – especially when you’ve got people who just aren’t on board with things. Everything might look calm to the casual observer, but just below the surface, there’s tension, resistance, and bubbling volatility until suddenly you’re dealing with a geyser-like situation. These people exist, to one degree or another, in every firm I’ve been exposed to. You know who they are – they’re the loners, the ones who can’t, or won’t, buy into your firm’s direction. Most leaders deal with them in one of two ways: They either pretend the problem doesn’t exist and hope it magically resolves, or they exhaust themselves trying to win them over – even when it’s clear they’re not coming around. There’s a better way to handle this.
Let me just pointedly say that it’s a myth that good leaders can (or should) get everyone to agree with them. The truth is, some people just aren’t going to want to ride your bus, and a few will even try to steer it in a different direction altogether. Now, it’s true, some of them just need a little more communication, context, or reassurance to come around. No problem – those folks are worth your time. But there’s another group: people whose core beliefs, priorities, or personal agendas just don’t and won’t line up with things. They might not say it outright because that would take courage, but it shows in how they behave. They question decisions constantly, they complain, they derail, and they stir up doubt. They focus only on what could go wrong instead of what’s going right. They drain your time, energy, and resources, and the longer you tolerate it, the more it chips away at your momentum.
As a quick aside and practical encouragement, one tool I lean on – and suggest to clients – is the classic “Nine-Box Assessment,” which helps you look at people through two lenses: how well they perform and how strongly they align with your firm’s direction and values. It’s a simple framework that quickly reveals who’s thriving, who’s drifting, and who might be a quiet geyser undermining your culture. I won’t map out every box here, but if you haven’t used the nine-box before, it’s worth exploring. It’s eye-opening – and it makes the conversations we’re talking about a lot clearer (reach out to me directly if you’d like to discuss it further).
The point is, not all resistance is created equal. Some people are simply uncertain or nervous, but others are fundamentally opposed and resentful. Your job is to figure out which is which. You have to ask yourself whether someone still believes in your firm’s objectives and values, even if they disagree with how you’re getting there. You have to consider whether they’re willing to adapt and evolve. You have to look hard at whether they’re just processing fear or if there’s a deeper misalignment that’s unlikely to change.
People who are just anxious deserve your time. But those who are deeply misaligned usually won’t change, no matter how many conversations you have. Waiting around, hoping they’ll suddenly bloom, is wishful thinking. If someone’s hesitant but fundamentally aligned, invest the time. Sit down. Listen. Explain why changes are happening. Help them see where they fit. Sometimes that’s all it takes. But if someone is persistently resisting – if they’re actively working against the direction of the firm – it’s time to stop tiptoeing around them.
Here’s my rule of thumb: everyone deserves one real chance to align. After that, consequences matter. Those consequences don’t always mean letting someone go. Sometimes it means redefining a role, reducing influence, or setting clearer expectations about behavior and performance. But sometimes, the only option is parting ways, and that’s where many leaders freeze up, especially in our industry, where the path of least resistance seems to be the path, and no one wants to be unpopular. Yet it’s crucial to remember that keeping someone who refuses to align can become volcanic, building pressure beneath the surface that eventually drags the entire team down and can damage your credibility as a leader. This isn’t just a people issue. It’s a business issue, folks. Your team is watching how you handle these situations. If you acquiesce rather than confront and deal with it, your people will start questioning whether all the talk about “team” and “collaboration” is real – or just words on a wall in your lobby.
So if you’re standing on your own metaphorical geyser basin right now, sensing the heat under your feet, remember this: Your job isn’t to drag people into the future kicking and screaming. It’s to build a team of people who believe in where the firm is going – and to ensure no one’s going rogue in an attempt to steer things off course. Have the hard conversations. Make the tough calls. Be courageous. It’s better for the firm, your clients, and your own peace of mind – with a lot fewer surprises bubbling up from beneath the surface.
Jeremy Clarke is COO and managing director of Talent consulting at Zweig Group. Contact him at jclarke@zweiggroup.com.
