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When
the railroads were first introduced to the United States, some folks
feared they would be the downfall of the nation.
President Andrew Jackson received a letter dated January 31,
1829: "As you may know, Mr. President, 'railroad' carriages are
pulled at the enormous speed of 15 miles per hour by 'engines' which, in
addition to endangering life and limb of passengers, roar and snort
their way through the countryside, setting fire to crops, scaring the
livestock and frightening women and children. The Almighty certainly
never intended that people should travel at such breakneck speed."
It was signed Martin Van Buren, Governor of New York. While
most of us find security in the familiar, change is a painful fact of
life you cannot deny. We live in a time unlike any other, in which
changes occur in quantum leaps. Peter Drucker has observed, "No one
born in 1990 could possibly imagine the world in which one's
grandparents had grown up, or in the world in which one's own parents
had been born." If you were to look over the past year or two, I
suspect the times you found most troubling, most irritating and most
paralyzing were times of great change. This is true for countries,
companies, churches, ministries or individuals. And whether we are
referring to a mode of transportation or a methodology of ministry, the
familiar becomes comfortable and routine as we seek to isolate ourselves
from an ever‑changing world. We are fearful of change. Fearful
that the cost of change may be too high, fearful of the fatigue factor,
or fearful of other unknowns. Fear paralyzes us as we are apprehensive
to adopt new ideas, new procedures or new visions and all the while we
are losing our effectiveness to speak to this generation. Yet
change can be a great gift. Change has a way of loosening our grip on
what cannot last and gives us a fresh appetite for improvement. As we
face change we are forced to weigh our values, our commitments and our
goals. And although the process of change may be disquieting it remains
as a certainty in our times. As leaders we need to espouse the following
principles if we are to remain effective in the face of change: 1.
Embrace change as the context for leadership. While
many leaders long for peaceful, calm waters, the great adventure of
leadership is always in the midst of the fast moving rapids. Change is
the context for leadership as well as the goal of leadership. This means
you face reality as it is, not as it was or as you wish it were. Don't
spend more time looking through the "rearview mirror" than you
do the "windshield" 2.
Adopt a change attitude. Some
people will change when they see the light, others change only when they
feel the heat. The future of your ministry and your effectiveness as a
leader is found in change. Long term effectual leaders realize change is
necessary and develop a change attitude. Change shouldn't be seen as a
threat but the key to a promising future. 3.
No matter how you manage it, be sure to lead. Our
tendency is to attempt to manage change while those around us need to
see leadership and character displayed. Leadership aims at movement and
transformation, which requires leaders to keep their focus on the
outcome, not the process. As leaders we must enjoy the adventure of
leading while seizing the future. Change
is at the heart of the Christian life. The Apostle Paul reminds us,
"For if a man is in Christ he becomes a new person altogether - the
past is finished and gone, everything has become fresh and new." (2
Corinthians 5.17, Phillips). That describes a radical and total change!
I am certainly not comparing the changes in our world to the
transforming power of God, but change is at the heart of our walk with
Christ as well as in our leadership A
commitment to lead an organization or ministry is an adventurous
challenge. As leaders we have been granted the tremendous privilege of
influencing those around us. The future of your ministry is found in
change. Long-term effective leaders realize change is necessary, they
develop a change attitude and they lead through it all. Don't view
change as a threat but the key to an exciting and promising future! [Adapted
and selected from Leadership Dynamics, Greg Morris.]
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