I recently got into a conversation with a pastor about how to best facilitate change in a church. He wanted to know how to stop a tradition that has been practiced since the church’s inception. I felt like he had just asked me how to get through a mine field. And so I stuck an […]

In the past change was a slow process, like the gradual eroding of the shoreline. When a cycle of change was completed, things settled down to “normal.” The world is different now, as author and educator Jeanenne LaMarsh has observed: “Change is a constant; multiple changes happen simultaneously with no ‘normal’ in sight.”

It would be easy to think the best leaders are those who have a track record of uninterrupted success. Accepting that as a pressing truth, many leaders feverishly work to cover up failures and magnify their successes.

If you’re a leader it may surprise you to hear that many of the people you lead think you know exactly what the future looks like. The problem is they don’t think you’re telling them because you’re afraid they won’t like the future you have planned.

In light of this amazing reality, it’s a good idea to tell everyone in the organization where you’re going. A failure to do so is a mistake you don’t want to make. It’s crucial you repeatedly share the blow your socks off vision. Fill in as much detail as possible, but be careful to only tell what you know while honestly admitting what you don’t know. If the picture is fuzzy, admit it. Tell them you can’t fill in the missing gaps or pull off the dream without their help.

A lot of men think the best leaders are those who have a track record of uninterrupted successes. With that in mind they feverishly work to cover up past failures and magnify every success. And yet, nothing inspires others more than seeing a man who not only won a few battles but lost a few as well.