Our Iceberg is Melting

John Kotter and Holger Rathberg have written a great book for leaders: Our Iceberg is Melting: Changing and Suceeding Under Any Conditions. Nothing may be more important for leaders today than the ability to lead change. The book is a parable in the genre like Who Moved My Cheese? The authors illustrate eight steps to lead the change. The principles apply to those who lead in the church today:

1. Reduce complacency and increase urgency. Leaders who lead change cannot be content with the status quo and spread a contagious case of holy restlessness.

2. Pull together a team to lead the change. To bring the change necessary is to understand you can't do it alone. Who should be on your team? When working with churches I use the "mission to Mars model." Who would best represent your church on a mission to Mars? That's your team.

3. Create a vision of a new future. Begin with the end in mind and preach it, teach, share it and model it everyday of the week and twice on Sunday.

4. Communicate the vision all the time. No I didn't jump the gun with #3! My point is you can't overcommunicate the vision.

5. Make everyone feel empowered. That's the best way to win allies for change and get people on board. Want change? Let people be the change.

6. Create short-term wins and celebrate. One of my mentors Ron Lewis use to remind us, "process always preceeds product." Celebrate those small victories along the process. It creates momentum.

7. Don't let up. Keep going. I served once with a minister of music from Mississippi who often said, "I ain't never been licked! just set back a time or to!" Be unconquerable. Never! never! never give up!

8. Ensure the change will not be overcome by hard-to-die traditions. Protect the change by making it part of the new culture in your church. This will take time and diligence but it's worth it!

Be the change. Lead the change!

Until next time....