When you make a big change in your business—whether it’s scaling up, adding infrastructure, hiring leadership, or evolving into a version of the company you’ve been building toward—there will be disruption.
And not the bad kind.
Disruption is not failure. It’s growth—with all the friction and stretch marks that come with it.
Think of it like puberty. Uncomfortable. Awkward. Necessary. You’re shedding what no longer fits so you can make space for what’s next. And as with any growth spurt, not everyone is going to want to come along for the ride.
Some People Will Leave—And That’s Okay.
This part is often unspoken. Or worse, framed as if you have done something wrong. You haven’t. When things start to change—when your business begins to grow into something new—some people will opt out. Some quietly. Some loudly. Some in ways that catch you completely off guard. And most of the time (because you’re being a thoughtful leader), it won’t be because of you.
It will be because:
- They liked what things used to be
- They’re scared of losing their footing
- They don’t want to relearn, rebuild, or be a beginner again
None of that makes them wrong. It just means the match is no longer there. And sometimes, change gives people the perfect reason to move on to something that is right for them. Or to go find something that feels exactly like what your company used to be.
Either way? Progress.
And Yes—They’ll Tell You They’re Fine With It
When you start announcing change—big moves, new structures, new leaders, new systems—people will nod along. They’ll say all the right things. They’ll want to believe they’re excited. They’ll want to believe they’re adaptable.
And they’ll lie. But not out of malice, and sometimes not even consciously. Here’s my “leading through change” halftime speech: “You are building something that will look unrecognizable to the team that’s here now–who likely enjoy how things are. And that means a bunch of them might not stay. Because you’re not creating more of what they signed up for. You’re creating something new.”
Your Job? Grace and Preparation
Don’t panic. Don’t assume everyone will leave. But don’t be shocked when some do. And most importantly, don’t withhold change just to keep people comfortable. You are building the business. The job is not to hold still. The job is to move.
So here’s the philosophy I live by: Prepare like everyone is coming.
- Give the context.
- Share the why.
- Facilitate the training.
- Walk through the transition with empathy and clarity.
- Help them practice stepping fully into the change.
Then let the chips fall where they may.
You are not here to force people into alignment. You’ve decided that growth is in the cards. So you have to let your foundation of alignment do its job.
Not everyone is coming with you. And the ones that are? They’ll be exactly who you need.
If you’re stepping into a new phase of your business and want to make sure your structure, your people, and your leadership are all moving in the same direction—Align Your Business was built for exactly this moment.
Get it here.
About the Author
Lauren Michele Fields led teams in sales and marketing, managed P&L, and opened new markets before she ever wrote a playbook. Then she did that too—sales processes, hiring frameworks, onboarding systems, leadership development, people operations, new product development, and training programs across every function of a growing company. Not as an HR professional. As the operator who needed it to scale.
She built The Modern Small Business Platform because the tools she used in corporate don’t exist at small business scale—and they should. Hiring, Simplified and Align Your Business are the systems she wishes someone had handed her earlier.
She writes about hiring, leadership, and what it actually takes for a business to thrive at laurenmichelefields.com/blog.
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