How to break Elitist and Protectionist Silos

When Ego or Fear Builds the Strongest Silos

In this final part of the Skill Bolts silo series, I’m drawing from both research and real-world experience to explore the two hardest silos to break—Elitist and Protectionist. They’re emotionally charged. And technical solutions alone won’t fix them.

At EliteMed Pharma (shared in HBR), the R&D team kept key insights from process engineers—convinced their complexity couldn’t be understood.
At ProtectParts Inc., a plant team delayed automation and withheld BOM data—afraid it would expose costs and risk their future.
I’ve seen versions of both—across continents, industries, and leadership levels.
Often, it’s not resistance to change—it’s resistance to loss. Or worse: resistance to being misunderstood, undervalued, or displaced.

Science Meets Experience:

Social dominance orientation explains why some groups hoard knowledge to preserve status. It’s rarely spoken, but deeply felt.
Loss aversion (Tversky & Kahneman) shows that fear of loss—status, job security, control—can outweigh logic or potential gain.
Add psychological reactance—people push back when they feel their autonomy is threatened. The harder you push, the more they dig in.
And identity threat theory: when a change initiative threatens someone’s sense of who they are at work, even data becomes political.

Signs to Watch For:

Elitist Silos:
Teams dismiss others as “non-technical” or “not strategic enough”
Persistent rework in downstream teams
Silent competition over recognition or “ownership”

Protectionist Silos:

Data becomes “pending,” “in review,” or “coming soon”… forever
High caution wrapped in language of collaboration
Private fear driving public compliance

What Works (and What Doesn’t):To dismantle Elitist Silos:

Build mutual visibility through cross-functional immersion
Create “co-ownership” projects with shared accountability
Recognize that technical teams need psychological safety too—not just frontline staff

To dismantle Protectionist Silos:

Frame transparency as a path to relevance, not a risk
Use signal-safe pilots—small wins where data-sharing leads to support, not scrutiny
Narrate change with empathy: “This isn’t about exposing flaws; it’s about building resilience together.”

Inspired by a March 2025 HBR article. In this post, I’ve layered in field insights and behavioral science to help decode the invisible forces that make some silos the toughest to break.
#SiloEffect #PsychologicalSafety #LeadershipCulture #BehavioralScience #ChangeLeadership #TrustMatters

What’s the hardest silo you’ve ever had to break? Was it driven by ego—or fear? Let’s share notes