What happens when the very thing meant to steady the ship starts holding it back?

Over the last two months, we’ve used a ship as our leadership metaphor. First, we talked about the rudder—ensuring leadership structures are proportionate to the size and complexity of the team they’re steering. Then we explored the importance of a clear bearing—alignment and shared direction among leaders so the organization actually reaches its destination.

This month, we look at one final component of the ship: the anchor.

The anchor’s purpose—and its risk

An anchor is essential when you need to hold position. It provides stability, safety, and control. But if it’s dropped at the wrong time, in the wrong place, or left down too long, it doesn’t stabilize the ship—it limits its ability to move forward.

This is where the anchor becomes a powerful analogy for change management.

Today’s organizations are in constant motion. Change is no longer episodic; it’s continuous. The last two months focused on ensuring a properly sized and aligned leadership team is guiding the organization. Without that foundation, change efforts struggle from the start.

But even with strong leadership alignment, progress can stall if the anchor is dragging.

Change management and the adoption curve

Most change management models reference an adoption curve: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority—and laggards.

Leaders are often encouraged to focus their energy on innovators and early adopters, then build momentum through the early and late majority. That’s sound advice. But what often gets overlooked is the impact of the laggards—whether they sit on the leadership team or at the frontline.

This is where the anchor analogy comes in.

A relatively small anchor can exert tremendous force on a ship. In the same way, a small number of resistant individuals can disproportionately slow, derail, or exhaust a change effort if not addressed thoughtfully.

When the anchor drags

Leaders can’t ignore laggards—but they also can’t allow them to dictate the pace of change.

Effective leadership means:

• Meeting people where they are

• Engaging them with empathy and clarity

• Helping them understand their role in the journey

At the same time, leaders must recognize a hard truth: there may be moments when someone’s role on the ship needs to change. Not every role fits every phase of the journey.

Supporting people does not mean allowing resistance to stop progress.

Leading through the tension

Our job as leaders is to help teams navigate change—regardless of where individuals fall on the adoption curve or how excited they are about the journey. That requires patience, communication, and intentional engagement.

But leadership also requires courage.

We cannot allow the anchor to slow or stop the journey the rest of the ship is on. Doing so doesn’t just stall progress—it risks the morale and momentum of those who are ready to move forward.

Actionable takeaways

• Know when stability is needed—and when movement matters more.

• Focus energy on momentum-builders, not just resistance-managers.

• Engage laggards with empathy, but set clear expectations.

• Address misalignment early before it becomes organizational drag.

• Be willing to adjust roles when necessary to protect the mission.

Anchors have a purpose. They keep ships safe when conditions demand it. But leaders must be wise enough to know when to raise them—because a ship that never lifts its anchor will never reach its destination.