I’ve suggested on countless occasions in multiple venues that we live in a liminal time, a transition time, a time when major paradigms are shifting and change is the only constant. Which means that business as usual just won’t cut it. In particular, during times such as these, a different kind of leadership is needed. Whereas technical competence and excellent managerial skills are highly valued traits of leaders during the long stretches of stability in between more tumultuous times of paradigm change, those very traits can greatly limit an organization’s ability to adapt to new circumstances. Why? Simply because you...

4. Look for Signs of Growth Another trait of adaptive leaders: they see the signs of renewal and invest there, in the people and endeavors that are working, even if they are unusual or unlikely. Here’s the thing: challenges, disappointments, and setbacks abound right now in the church. From declining attendance and giving to the recent Pew report about the rise of the “nones,” it’s not hard to find signs of our demise. But if you know where to look – or, actually, if you just keep your eyes open – you’ll also see signs of renewal. Sometimes they come in the most unlikely of people and places. A high school kid who’s a whiz...

2. Challenging Cherished Practices Harvard Leadership Guru Ron Heifetz makes a critical distinction between technical and adaptive problems. In the former, we need to revise our way of doing something in a particular context; in the latter, we need to revise (or reinvent) our whole way of thinking about the context in which we are doing things. Again, Moneyball provides an excellent example. (If you haven’t seen the film or read the book, it may be helpful to refer to my earlier post to recap the story.) If the problem is that the A’s don’t have enough money to buy the best players they really only have one option if they want to win:...