Jul 15

Written by: ctaylor
7/15/2009 9:45 AM 

  Deep Change or Slow Death

"We must continually choose between deep change or slow death."   That is the opinion of author Robert Quinn in his book Deep Change. The truth of that statement for many Transitional Leaders and Coaches is true in that many of the churches we work with need to experience deep change or they will follow the path of slow death.  

We are confronted with a choice on a regular basic to move towards deep change (with its challenges and opportunities) or towards that slow and sometimes painless place called slow death.    

Quinn has been reminding me in a fresh way that in order for deep change to happen in the organizations I work with, it has to first take place in me the leader.  He says "there is an important link between deep change at the personal level and deep change at the organizational level...we can change the world only by changing ourselves."

This has been my experience more recently as I serve as a Transitional Coach and Leader to one particular congregation that needs to experience deep change. Just last month, I ran up against some difficult realities and found myself getting all worked up over what seemed impossible (at least on the surface). In that stressful place, I heard God speak to me about the changes I needed to make in order to actually help them. 

One of the challenges we face as outside change agents is that we are brought in to some how influence and change the behavior of others.  That desire and ability to change others has to start in our willingness to take risks and as Quinn puts it "exhibit the courage to walk naked into the land uncertainty."   We model the way change takes place by changing ourselves, then it becomes possible for those we serve to change also. 

"To bring deep change, people have to 'suffer' the risks. And to bring about deep change in others, people have to reinvent themselves." 

There's something exciting about the learning that takes us to that "land of uncertainty" and in the words of Quinn, "helps us forget what we know and discover what we need...leading us to the discovery that helps us create the future." 

Deep change is a lot like the journey of faith so many in Hebrews 11 experienced and committed themselves to.  Today, churches in Transition need leaders and coaches who will help them leave the shores of certainty to explore the land of uncertainty where God is at work and leads them to discover new and future possibilities.

Deep change is personal before it's organizational.  May you and I be open to the changes God is wanting to make in us so as to be prepared to be leaders of deep change in others! 

Take Action

1. List the 10 most significant personal changes you have ever made. 

2. Which of those  changes would you consider deep change and which ones would you consider only surface change?

3. What's your best example of walking naked into the land of uncertainty?

4. Where do you currently need to model deep change before you can ever hope to see change in others?