Navigating the Challenges of Middle Management

BONUS: Why Your Teams Really Resist Change, The Neuroscience of Leadership That Nobody Taught You With Andra Stefanescu

In this BONUS episode, we explore the challenges leaders face during transformations with leadership coach Andra Stefanescu. Drawing from her extensive research and coaching experience, Andra shares powerful insights on fostering psychological safety, understanding brain-based responses to change, and developing the emotional intelligence needed to lead effectively. She reveals practical frameworks and techniques that help leaders navigate resistance and build meaningful connections with their teams.

The Leadership Challenge of Transformation

"People are giving resistance... and in general, leaders are feeling overwhelmed in times of changes, whatever those changes are."

Resistance and overwhelm are the two biggest challenges leaders face during transformations. Through her research and coaching work across different industries, Andra has found that leaders often feel powerless when their teams resist change. This resistance stems from basic psychological needs not being met. Leaders can overcome these challenges by understanding the different psychological needs of their team members and adapting their communication accordingly. By using specific frameworks, leaders can address resistance more effectively and rediscover their passion for leadership.

Understanding the Brain's Response to Change

"When something is changed, whatever that is... what your brain perceives is like a threat because the one question that we put all day long in our brains is: is this safe for me?"

The brain naturally resists change because it prefers routine and automation. When facing transformation, people instinctively question whether the change is safe, which triggers resistance. This creates a challenging dynamic where leaders experiencing their own fear and resistance become less able to empathize with their team's concerns. Andra emphasizes the importance of leaders "putting their own mask on first" by acknowledging their own feelings and ensuring they're in the right state of mind before attempting to lead others through change.

The Middle Manager's Dilemma

"Middle managers are in the middle, they have high pressure from above, high pressure from down... And this is where they arrive in this powerless situation, where they ask themselves, how can I make this work?"

One common scenario Andra encounters is middle managers feeling trapped between conflicting demands. They face pressure from upper management to implement changes quickly while experiencing resistance from their teams below. This position often leads to feelings of powerlessness and diminished job satisfaction. Andra notes that despite the depth of this challenge, it can be addressed through techniques that help leaders recalibrate themselves and improve communication with others.

Fostering Psychological Safety Through Emotional Intelligence

"Employees who report to have a leader with low emotional intelligence are four times more likely to leave the company within one year."

Emotional intelligence is increasingly recognized as a critical leadership skill. Andra's research shows that 31% of employees who experience burnout report lacking support or recognition from leadership. She approaches developing emotional intelligence through guided self-reflection rather than external assessment, helping leaders gain insights about their communication patterns and relationships. Psychological safety doesn't happen by default—it requires active work and maintenance from leaders.

The SCARF Model for Better Leadership

"There are specific buttons that you press positively or negatively, and when you press them positively, you are most probably meeting also the psychological needs of the people."

Andra recommends the SCARF model developed by Dr. David Rock as a practical framework for leadership communication. This model identifies five key domains that affect how people collaborate: Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, and Fairness. By understanding and addressing these domains positively, leaders can better meet their team members' psychological needs. Additionally, she recommends the Process Communication Model (PCM), which helps leaders identify different personality types and adapt their communication accordingly.

Connect Before Collaborate

"Put the relationship above your agenda because it's more important to have a long-term relationship than to achieve whatever you wanted to go through with."

One powerful principle Andra teaches is to connect before attempting to collaborate. Too often, leaders jump straight into tasks or discussions without first establishing a connection, failing to consider the other person's current state of mind. By asking simple questions like "What's on your mind today?" or "What is your intention for this meeting?", leaders can build psychological safety and maintain relationships that endure beyond immediate goals. This approach recognizes that workplace relationships should be viewed as long-term investments rather than transactional encounters.

Sustainable Leadership Development

"Ask: why do I get resistance? How can I communicate in a way that I get followers instead of resistance?"

For sustainable growth, Andra encourages leaders to reflect on why they encounter resistance and how they might communicate differently to inspire followers instead. Self-awareness is crucial—leaders need to understand their own communication patterns and leadership styles before they can effectively influence others. By learning frameworks based on neuroscience and practicing new communication techniques, leaders can create environments where both they and their teams thrive during transformations.

Recommended Resources

To better understand how change affects our brain, Andra recommends Your Brain at Work by Dr. David Rock.

 

About Andra Stefanescu

Andra is a leadership coach and facilitator specializing in brain-based ways to foster psychological safety and team collaboration. She helps leaders navigate transformation challenges with playful, neuroscience-driven techniques. Passionate about creating healthy workplace relationships, Andra empowers teams to resolve conflicts, make better decisions, and experience meaningful growth through customized training experiences.

You can link with Andra Stefanescu on LinkedIn and follow Andra Stefanescu on Substack.