How Do Successful People Typically React When Asked to Change?
They follow a three-part response:
- Assuming the critic is confused
- Denying the feedback applies to them
- Attacking or discrediting the messenger.
These surface defenses combine with optimistic interpretations of past, present, and future performance to harden resistance.
Metaphor
It’s like asking a seasoned chef to rewrite their signature recipe—first they assume you don’t know what good food tastes like, then they insist the dish is perfect, and finally they question your palate entirely. The common thread is self-protection: defending past success feels safer than admitting the recipe might need tweaking.
In the workplace, these defensive layers make it hard for even high performers to recognize that old habits could be blocking new growth.
Works Consulted
In addition to any sources cited above, the following works informed my thinking: (1)
1.
Goldsmith M. What Got You Here Won’t Get You There [Internet]. Profile Books; 2013. Available from: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84525.What_Got_You_Here_Won_t_Get_You_There