John P. Kotter, A Sense of Urgency. Harvard Business Press, 2008.
Companion volume: Kotter, Leading Change
Referenced in: Overcoming Change Resistance, Creating Change Receptiveness
LifeandLeadership.com Summary
Kotter is noted former professor of organizational behavior at Harvard Business School. This text is a companion to his classic Leading Change, where he lays out an eight-stage process for major organizational change. The first stage in that process is “creating a sense of urgency,” which is very difficult work. A Sense of Urgency is designed to address that issue.
The book operates on a fundamental axiom: people do not change unless they see the need to do so, and if they do not see the need, leaders must help them see it. Ministers know this very well. Churches resist change more than most organizations. Kotter’s book is welcome help.
Kotter begins by discussing the difference between complacency, false urgency, and true urgency. Characteristic of Kotter, the charts make it very clear. This is an excellent discussion on how not to create urgency. Next, he explores how to increase true urgency. He lists one chief strategy and four core tactics.
The chief strategy is:
Create action that is exceptionally alert, externally oriented, relentlessly aimed at winning, making some progress each and every day, and constantly purging low value-added activities – all by always focusing on the heart and not just the mind.
The four tactics:
- Bring the outside in – facts and emotions
- Behave with urgency each day – provide personal leadership and never act complacent, angry or anxious
- Find opportunity in crisis – see if the crisis can be a friend and well as an enemy
- Deal with those who “No No” – remove or neutralise all relentless urgency killers – those who keep a group complacent rather than the skeptical
I cannot oversell the importance of this book in helping church leaders understand how to create a sense of urgency for needed change. It is especially good alongside Kotter’s Leading Change, and Sellon, Smith, and Grossman’s Redeveloping the Congregation.
From the Publisher
Most organizational change initiatives fail spectacularly (at worst) or deliver lukewarm results (at best). In his international bestseller Leading Change, John Kotter revealed why change is so hard, and provided an actionable, eight-step process for implementing successful transformations. The book became the change bible for managers worldwide.
Now, in Urgency, Kotter shines the spotlight on the crucial first step in his framework: creating a sense of urgency by getting people to actually see and feel the need for change.
Why focus on urgency? Without it, any change effort is doomed. Kotter reveals the insidious nature of complacency in all its forms and guises.
In this exciting new book, Kotter explains:
- How to go beyond “the business case” for change to overcome the fear and anger that can suppress urgency
- Ways to ensure that your actions and behaviors — not just your words — communicate the need for change
- How to keep fanning the flames of urgency even after your transformation effort has scored some early successes
Written in Kotter’s signature no-nonsense style, this concise and authoritative guide helps you set the stage for leading a successful transformation in your company.
About the Author
John P. Kotter is Konosuke Matsushita Professor of Leadership, Emeritus, at Harvard Business School, and is widely regarded as the world’s foremost authority on leadership and change. His has been the premier voice on how the best organizations actually do change.
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