
Neuroscience of Resistance: How to Use ‘No’ as a Way In With the Transformation Expert Who’s Led Change at Google & Salesforce
Every leader, parent, and consultant runs into the same wall: resistance. Someone pushes back on an idea or a change, and the instinct is to push harder. Travis Hahler, who has led transformation work inside Google and Salesforce and worked with over 100 organizations, says that instinct is exactly backwards. In this conversation, Howie Chan sits down with Travis to unpack why the human brain treats change as a threat before it treats it as an opportunity. Travis breaks down the six neurological barriers behind every no, from routine and ambiguity to loss and exclusion, and explains why treating resistance as a personal attack only makes it worse. You'll learn why leaders who spin their message trigger more resistance, how to influence people who outrank you using data, why "no" can actually be a doorway instead of a dead end, and how to apply this same framework to your own resistance to change. Chapters: 00:00:00 Why We Resist Change 00:04:33 The Spin Trap Leaders Fall Into 00:06:59 Cultural Differences to Change 00:09:54 The 6 Neurological Barriers to Change 00:15:14 Why Resistance Isn't Personal 00:18:15 Change in Action: Getting People to Attend Events 00:22:10 How Coaches Can Help Participants Be Successful 00:28:05 Influencing Up Without Authority 00:33:59 Using "No" as a Way In 00:39:01 How to Change Your Own Behaviors 00:45:39 Peaks & Pitfalls from 100+ Organizations 00:50:47 Say This, Not That (Quick Fire) 00:52:51 Final Advice: Get Curious, Not Combative From Travis Hahler: Website (https://travishahler.com/) LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/travisdhahler/) Book (https://travishahler.com/book/) Mentioned in this episode: Owen Fitzpatrick’s episode: How To Create Any Reality (The Belief Blueprint) (https://www.howiechan.com/podcast) (Aug 4) Your Expertise Deserves to Be Known The Behavioring Lab is a new community for experienced professionals who want to build a professional brand that gets them known, trusted, and chosen by the right people. → http://behavioringlab.com/ Join the founding member waitlist. — Produced by Ideablossoms (https://ideablossoms.com/)

