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
John P. Kotter, Leading Change, Harvard Business School Press, 1996. Referenced in: Leading Change and Transition Leader-Manager Continuum LifeandLeadership.com Summary Kotter, noted former professor of organizational behavior at Harvard Business School, wrote this volume that is still recognized as the standard secular work on creating and sustaining major organizational change. All good books on congregational
Lyle Schaller, Strategies for Change. Abingdon Press, 1993. Referenced in: Change Concepts and Theories LifeandLeadership.com Summary Just say the name Lyle Schaller and watch church leaders perk up. This is not just another book on change process. Instead, it is a distillation of wisdom from the highly regarded dean of church consultants. This book contains
Gilbert R. Rendle, Leading Change in the Congregation: Spiritual and Organizational Tools for Leaders. Alban Institute, 1998. Referenced in: Leading Change and Transition Overcoming Change Resistance, Creating Change Receptiveness LifeandLeadership.com Summary Rendle is a recognized consultant with Alban Institute. Leaders who look to this as their sole action guide on congregational change may be disappointed.
Robert E. Quinn, Deep Change: Discovering the Leader Within. Jossey-Bass, 1996. Sequel: Quinn, Build the Bridge as You Walk On It Referenced in: Leadership Development Through Character Formation Creating Change Receptiveness, Overcoming Change Resistance LifeandLeadership.com Summary Leaders who are in the trenches need reservoirs from within to maintain stamina and keep challenging those they lead.
Robert E. Quinn, Build the Bridge As You Walk On It: A guide for Leading Change. Jossey-Bass, 2004. Prequel: Quinn, Deep Change Referenced in: Leadership Development Through Character Formation Creating Change Receptiveness, Overcoming Change Resistance LifeandLeadership.com Summary This is a follow up to Quinn’s best-selling book, Deep Change. Not only does he tell the story
Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make A Big Difference. Back Bay Books, 2002. Referenced in: Change Concepts and Theories LifeandLeadership.com Summary This book is more than a decade old, but is so influential that “the tipping point” has become part of the common language of most leaders. Gladwell’s research defines when
Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey, Immunity to Change: How to Overcome It and Unlock the Potential in Yourself and Your Organization (Harvard Leadership for the Common Good Series). Harvard Business School Press, 2009. Referenced in: Change Concepts and Theories LifeandLeadership.com Summary This is a weighty, academic text addressed to business leaders, but it translates
Scott Wilson, Steering Through Chaos: Mapping Clear Direction for Your Church in the Midst of Transition and Change. Zondervan, 2010. Referenced in: Leading Change and Transition Strategies for Church Renewal – Leader-Directed Vision Casting LifeandLeadership.com Summary This approach to change management assumes a strong pastor-led and vision-driven model. This works in some settings, not in
Kenneth J. McFayden, Strategic Leadership for a Change: Facing Our Losses, Finding Our Future. Alban Institute, 2009. Referenced in: Leading Change and Transition LifeandLeadership.com Summary This is an excellent guide for change in established churches. It is especially good in equipping church leaders to understand the nature of a church’s attachment to the status quo,
