Move With the Cheese: A Security Guard's Guide to Leading Through Change

Security guards occupy a unique position during organizational change. You stand at the front lines, often the first face people see when they walk in. That visibility gives you quiet influence, and it also means you absorb more anxiety than almost anyone else on the team.

Spencer Johnson's parable "Who Moved My Cheese?" offers a surprisingly useful framework for not just surviving change, but modeling composure for everyone around you.

Know Which Character You Are

The story features four characters who each respond to change differently, ranging from those who adapt immediately to those who dig in and resist. Honestly identifying where you stand is the first step. If you feel resistant, that awareness gives you the power to choose not to perform that resistance in front of others.

Your Calm Is Contagious

People in distress scan their environment for cues about how worried to be. You do not need answers. What you can offer is a consistent, unhurried presence at your post. A steady greeting and a grounded demeanor signal to everyone passing by that the situation is still manageable.

Stop Waiting for the Old Cheese

Clinging to how things used to be prevents you from finding what is available now. If protocols, systems, or structures have changed, the sooner you treat the new way as simply "the way," the more effective you become. Complaining about the old system in earshot of people already struggling adds weight to an already heavy room.

Be Curious Instead of Territorial

Security work runs on predictability, so disruption can feel personal. But curiosity serves you better than defensiveness. Learn the new system before you have to. Volunteer for updated training early. These habits mark you as someone who moves toward change rather than waiting at the entrance for a full explanation before taking a single step.

The Maze Is Always Changing

Whatever the current change is, it will not be the last. Building a personal practice of adaptability, one update at a time, is how you stop being caught off guard. You already know how to stay alert. Apply that same readiness to change itself, and you become something rarer than a rule follower. You become someone people feel steadied by just by being near.