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Leading Change Without Losing It: Five Strategies That Can Revolutionize How You Lead Change When Facing Opposition by Carey Nieuwhof
Leaders try to bring about change. And change almost always elicits opposition. So how do leaders navigate change, and the opposition to it, without giving up their dream for what could and should be? Carey Nieuwhof, pastor of Connexus Church near Toronto, examines five strategies that can help church leaders engineer Determine who is for (or against) the change and why.2. Decide where to focus your attention.3. Develop the questions that will set your course.4. Learn to attack problems instead of people. 5. Persevere until the critical breakthrough.Insightful and practical, LEADING CHANGE WITHOUT LOSING IT offers hope and encouragement for leaders, no matter where they serve in the church.Enhanced eBook edition also available, with author videos.
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First published August 24, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 25, 2019
This is one of the best books on leading change I've read. While it's focused on the church, there are great insights for businesses as well. Carey is the real deal and has led through real, difficult change. Here are some takeaways:
Five strategies for leading change:
1. Do the Math. Calculate who is really opposed. People who oppose things tend to get loud. This strategy will show you that, while it's easy to think otherwise, the loudest voices aren't always the most important.
2. Choose your focus. Decide whether you will focus on who you want to reach or who you want to keep.
3. Find a filter. Develop the questions that will shape your future. Without a filter, everything sounds compelling.
4. Attack problems, not people. Help people see you are for them even if you are not for their ideas.
5. Don't quit. Persevere until your critical breakthrough.
Four Kinds of People
1. Early Adopters. 10%
2. Early Majority. 30%
3. Quiet Majority. 50%
4. Opponents. 10%
When you listen to the loudest voices, you miss the most important voices.
If you don't turn to God, you'll turn on them.
You don't need to die to your dream, because God hasn't died to His.
Five strategies for leading change:
1. Do the Math. Calculate who is really opposed. People who oppose things tend to get loud. This strategy will show you that, while it's easy to think otherwise, the loudest voices aren't always the most important.
2. Choose your focus. Decide whether you will focus on who you want to reach or who you want to keep.
3. Find a filter. Develop the questions that will shape your future. Without a filter, everything sounds compelling.
4. Attack problems, not people. Help people see you are for them even if you are not for their ideas.
5. Don't quit. Persevere until your critical breakthrough.
Four Kinds of People
1. Early Adopters. 10%
2. Early Majority. 30%
3. Quiet Majority. 50%
4. Opponents. 10%
When you listen to the loudest voices, you miss the most important voices.
If you don't turn to God, you'll turn on them.
You don't need to die to your dream, because God hasn't died to His.
June 26, 2018
Click bait is the phrase we use to describe articles online that lure us into reading them through provocative or promising titles. They often suggest that, on the other side of the click of a mouse, we can discover a truth that we simply can't live without. I am as susceptible to this as the next person and, once baited, I have often found myself disappointed. The title that I clicked on led to some advertisement for a random online course, or the bits of advice I was curious about ended up being generic mumbo jumbo that a trained seal could have waxed poetically about. Other times, however, I've been happy that I've clicked, and discovered the "3 Superfoods That You Can't Live Without" or "5 Things Every Successful CEO Does Before They Head To Work in the Morning." Funny titles; pretty useful information, all things considered.
Carey Nieuwhof is evangelical click bait. And I don't say that to slander or dismiss at all. It simply is what it is. Nieuwhof is the Canadian Pastor guy that has all the cool article titles that just beg to be clicked. Cool themes like, "10 ways doing church has changed in the last decade" have led to some very practical wisdom and insights. Carey knows how to capture the attention of the online community. His blog articles are beyond count. And the good news is this: He also knows what he's talking about.
Which leads me to "Leading Change Without Losing It." Yes, the click bait makes an appearance in the sub-title: "Five Strategies that can Revolutionalize How You Lead Change When Facing Opposition". I believe the book is a compilation of a few of his online posts. It's simple to read, with lots of cool titles and sub-titles. This leads to the temptation for me to be smug and dismissive: Is this not just an exercise in common sense? Can a book that is only 125 pages long really live up to the promise of "revolutionalizing" how I lead change? Seems pretty pompous to me.
The fact of the matter is this: I underlined half the book and wrote all over it and even got our church leadership team to read an entire chapter of it. I may have even cried at some points. Just saying.
You see, church leadership these days is overwhelming. There are so many opinions to listen to, so many styles to consider, so many hats to wear, that leaders often find themselves gasping for some sense of clarity along the way. Nieuwhof is clear and concise and understands the journey. His calling card has been pastoring churches through change, and he's been through the valleys and peaks of what that looks like. So he has street cred. He gets it.
The most thoughtful strategies for me were (1) Do the math (2) Choose Your Focus and (3) Find a Filter. In the midst of change, doing the math means that you don't overreact over the loudest or most negative voices. Choosing your focus helps you to remain sharp on what matters most in transition. And finding a filter is a helpful suggestion for finding a set of questions that help you navigate change wisely. (To find out how to really revolutionalize your leadership in times of change, you can discover the other two strategies by googling the book title RIGHT NOW!)
At the end of the book, I didn't thing I had been swindled by the promising sub-title. In fact, I've been encouraged. Maybe even ready to start a revolution. And, just so you know, as soon as I read the last page, I reached for the next Carey Nieuwhof book on my shelf (it promises to be really good!)
Carey Nieuwhof is evangelical click bait. And I don't say that to slander or dismiss at all. It simply is what it is. Nieuwhof is the Canadian Pastor guy that has all the cool article titles that just beg to be clicked. Cool themes like, "10 ways doing church has changed in the last decade" have led to some very practical wisdom and insights. Carey knows how to capture the attention of the online community. His blog articles are beyond count. And the good news is this: He also knows what he's talking about.
Which leads me to "Leading Change Without Losing It." Yes, the click bait makes an appearance in the sub-title: "Five Strategies that can Revolutionalize How You Lead Change When Facing Opposition". I believe the book is a compilation of a few of his online posts. It's simple to read, with lots of cool titles and sub-titles. This leads to the temptation for me to be smug and dismissive: Is this not just an exercise in common sense? Can a book that is only 125 pages long really live up to the promise of "revolutionalizing" how I lead change? Seems pretty pompous to me.
The fact of the matter is this: I underlined half the book and wrote all over it and even got our church leadership team to read an entire chapter of it. I may have even cried at some points. Just saying.
You see, church leadership these days is overwhelming. There are so many opinions to listen to, so many styles to consider, so many hats to wear, that leaders often find themselves gasping for some sense of clarity along the way. Nieuwhof is clear and concise and understands the journey. His calling card has been pastoring churches through change, and he's been through the valleys and peaks of what that looks like. So he has street cred. He gets it.
The most thoughtful strategies for me were (1) Do the math (2) Choose Your Focus and (3) Find a Filter. In the midst of change, doing the math means that you don't overreact over the loudest or most negative voices. Choosing your focus helps you to remain sharp on what matters most in transition. And finding a filter is a helpful suggestion for finding a set of questions that help you navigate change wisely. (To find out how to really revolutionalize your leadership in times of change, you can discover the other two strategies by googling the book title RIGHT NOW!)
At the end of the book, I didn't thing I had been swindled by the promising sub-title. In fact, I've been encouraged. Maybe even ready to start a revolution. And, just so you know, as soon as I read the last page, I reached for the next Carey Nieuwhof book on my shelf (it promises to be really good!)
November 2, 2019
This is a book full of pragmatic wisdom on how to lead change in a local church. It uses and applies secular & common sense principles to equip leaders to transition into different phases of church life and deal with the issues change brings. It’s very light on Bible (don’t look for it to give you a biblical theology of leadership!) but it is useful.
August 5, 2020
If you are seeking to lead change in a church and have reached that point of intense opposition that makes you want to throw in the towel, this book is a shot in the arm from one who made it to the other side. I really like Nieuwhof’s “five strategies” and find they are extraordinarily helpful. I have found them to be true through experience. Don’t be surprised, though, if you are a pastor leading through significant change and more than 10% of your church turn out to be “opponents.”
February 17, 2018
An excellent book about preparing for and leading in the local church. Pastor Nieuwhof uses Biblical examples to show how church leaders and members can initiate change and get support for doing so. It's an easy read but well worth the time.
April 26, 2018
Love Carey's straight talk about growing the church and his practical advice on how to accomplish that growth. Based on his own successful experiences, thee is so much to learn and practice in his recommendations.
June 20, 2024
This book had tangible steps for leading change in an existing church. As our church is on the cusp of following and discerning where God is leading, these tools within this book will serve as a guide in which we filter our decisions.
September 8, 2017
Very practical and inspirational.
Great words and practical advice for pastors and leaders. The chapter on knowing the score was worth the read. Enjoy
Great words and practical advice for pastors and leaders. The chapter on knowing the score was worth the read. Enjoy
January 16, 2018
Simple but profound insights
I love the simplicity and novel approach. Loud does not equal large is my favorite. Just do the math is another simple but profound idea.
I love the simplicity and novel approach. Loud does not equal large is my favorite. Just do the math is another simple but profound idea.
July 4, 2020
Good book on leadership. I wore the cover off!
January 2, 2017
The how or why not to change
Change is a fact of life in every leaders life. There are so many changes that we must lead or be part in and at times it feels overwhelming.
This is a book written by someone who is lives I the same are that the book is addressing. Carey is a great leader and pastor who deals himself with change daily. It shows in the writing of this book that he deals with it and has given great thought to the best Biblical ways to see change happen.
I would recommend this short and fast read to anyone who is looking for help in creating their own filter to run changes through. Or anyone who wants to feel support in how long and hard seeing change can be.
Change is a fact of life in every leaders life. There are so many changes that we must lead or be part in and at times it feels overwhelming.
This is a book written by someone who is lives I the same are that the book is addressing. Carey is a great leader and pastor who deals himself with change daily. It shows in the writing of this book that he deals with it and has given great thought to the best Biblical ways to see change happen.
I would recommend this short and fast read to anyone who is looking for help in creating their own filter to run changes through. Or anyone who wants to feel support in how long and hard seeing change can be.
August 30, 2016
A fantastic book on how to lead change. Practical and usable insights on leading change in existing congregations. Even though the author is talking about churches, what he's really talking about is leading organizational and institutional change. If you are a leader, you will want to read this book and apply its practical insights to how you lead.
January 26, 2014
One of the best books I have read on leading change. Carey had been the Pastor of 3 small mainline churches that had been in existence for about a century. He brought them together and helped lead them to healthy change. Lots of great truths to be grasped in this book.
November 15, 2014
Great quick read on remaining committed to a cause in the face of opposition. I loved the sections on "do the math" to understand what opposition actually looks like and "attacking problems not people."
July 7, 2014
Must read for all leaders
October 19, 2014
Worthwhile read for church leaders.
September 11, 2015
Highly recommend for anyone wanting to lead change in a church.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews