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Change the World: How Ordinary People Can Accomplish Extraordinary Things
In this empowering book, Robert E. Quinn, author of the highly successful and influential Deep Change, gives readers the courage to use personal transformation to positively impact their home life, work life, and communities -- to be what he refers to as "inner-directed and outer-focused." We are all potential change agents, but most of us are trapped by belief that we as individuals cannot make a difference. Informed by the teachings of Jesus, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. -- three of the most successful change agents ever -- Quinn outlines eight steps each of us can take to move ourselves and others to the highest levels of excellence. Following his advice, each of us can access and apply the power that lies within us in ways that will change our world for the better.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2000
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187 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 20, 2017
This is a book about a made-up thing the author calls Advanced Change Theory or ACT. What is ACT? "ACT is a theory." Not very illuminating since "theory" is in the name. But then on the same page: "ACT is not a theory...". Rather it is something that "delves into" "an alternative form of reality." "In this strange realm, cause and effect blur and fall out of focus. Deductive predictability gives way ... It is not intended to be subjected to scientific scrutiny."
If this sort of watertight gobbledygook annoys you, then you will want to avoid this book.
If this sort of watertight gobbledygook annoys you, then you will want to avoid this book.
June 23, 2008
As usual, Quinn is terrific...clear minded, articulate, insightful, and inspiring. In this book he introduces eight principles for making personal and organizational change happen. These include:
1. Envision the productive community
2. First look within
3. Embrace the hypocritical self
4. Transcend fear
5. Embody a vision of the common good
6. Disturb the system
7. Surrender to the emergent process
8. Entice through moral power
Using inspiring quotes, stories, and examples, Quinn leads us to a better understanding of how ordinary people can enact change for the better, whether in our familes, our companies, our communities, or for ourselves.
1. Envision the productive community
2. First look within
3. Embrace the hypocritical self
4. Transcend fear
5. Embody a vision of the common good
6. Disturb the system
7. Surrender to the emergent process
8. Entice through moral power
Using inspiring quotes, stories, and examples, Quinn leads us to a better understanding of how ordinary people can enact change for the better, whether in our familes, our companies, our communities, or for ourselves.
July 23, 2012
Quinn has an authentic approach to change by examining the philosophical views of Jesus, Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. He does this in such a way to make the reader think for themselves. This approach was refreshing as Quinn did not take the low road of making the reader accept his premise without personal engaging thought. His method of `seed thoughts' was consistent throughout the eight major areas he examined: Envision the Productive Community, First Look Within, Embrace the Hypocritical Self, Transcend Fear, Embody a Vision of the Common Good, Disturb the System, Surrender to the Emergent Process, and Entice Through Moral Power. I would imagine that the traditional thinker would struggle with the way Quinn has framed his work to consider Gandhi and King with Jesus. At first glance it may put the conservative Christian off from further reading. I was, in fact, drawn in by the curious comparisons.
I agree with him that the human influence tends to be framed as dominant instead of transformational. In this way, any ordinary human being can be truly remarkable, and as the title suggests, extraordinary. His seed thoughts on Productive Community were Biblically sound on being inner directed other-focused. He illustrated this brilliantly in an illustration from Joseph Campbell on two kids of heroes. "It was an organization in which people were as committed to each other's success as they were to their own. Because there was trust, people could communicate their problems and get help. Because there was trust, there was cooperation."
His seed thoughts on First Looking Within slightly lost me in the sense that it read a little too meditational and contemplative. I have little difficulty with this, but looking within cries out for an objective - which must be the person of the Holy Spirit. This was not clearly portrayed in his material. Embracing the Hypocritical Self is something that was clearer than the preceding chapter. His illustration from the ninth grade helped me see several outbursts I have made in my own ministry context like `Chesty' the basketball coach. I have played the hypocrite by separating myself from those who are on my ministry team. His chapter on Transcending Fear was highly personal. "Like Gandhi, Dr. King understood that most of us, even though we might deny it, are driven by fears of what will happen to us if we fail to conform to the will of the system." Suppressing them is a complete disaster. Not discussing them can be equally disastrous.
Envisioning the Common Good was difficult for me to put into context with milking down my own beliefs from the Bible. I'm not suggesting a militant stand, but at some point the message of Jesus is going to be a stumbling block to other philosophies. On the other hand, I enjoyed Disturbing the System and the edge of chaos. Quinn explains that, firstly, a system can be chaotic, secondly, it can be stable, and thirdly, a system can move far from equilibrium but not all the way to chaos. Again, these are seed thoughts that may not sit well with conservative thinkers or traditional thinking. Surrendering to the Emergent Process was more of an invitation to `think' than an explanation of `how to think' in his subject of change and transformation. Using Coca Cola as an example Quinn convincingly explains then invites the reader to embrace what is actually happening around you rather than resisting it.
His final see thought on Enticing through Moral Power gave an `almost' conclusion to his material. I would have enjoyed it more if Quinn had taken this thought further to s defined conclusion. Although he attempts a summary in the five stages of novice, advanced beginner, competence, proficiency and expert it did not finalize the material for me. He seemed to get a little too complex finishing out the chapter with a four-step process of discover, dream, design and destiny. It got a little too John Maxwell in the end. Even his Appendix did not conclude it for me. Maybe this was his intension?
I agree with him that the human influence tends to be framed as dominant instead of transformational. In this way, any ordinary human being can be truly remarkable, and as the title suggests, extraordinary. His seed thoughts on Productive Community were Biblically sound on being inner directed other-focused. He illustrated this brilliantly in an illustration from Joseph Campbell on two kids of heroes. "It was an organization in which people were as committed to each other's success as they were to their own. Because there was trust, people could communicate their problems and get help. Because there was trust, there was cooperation."
His seed thoughts on First Looking Within slightly lost me in the sense that it read a little too meditational and contemplative. I have little difficulty with this, but looking within cries out for an objective - which must be the person of the Holy Spirit. This was not clearly portrayed in his material. Embracing the Hypocritical Self is something that was clearer than the preceding chapter. His illustration from the ninth grade helped me see several outbursts I have made in my own ministry context like `Chesty' the basketball coach. I have played the hypocrite by separating myself from those who are on my ministry team. His chapter on Transcending Fear was highly personal. "Like Gandhi, Dr. King understood that most of us, even though we might deny it, are driven by fears of what will happen to us if we fail to conform to the will of the system." Suppressing them is a complete disaster. Not discussing them can be equally disastrous.
Envisioning the Common Good was difficult for me to put into context with milking down my own beliefs from the Bible. I'm not suggesting a militant stand, but at some point the message of Jesus is going to be a stumbling block to other philosophies. On the other hand, I enjoyed Disturbing the System and the edge of chaos. Quinn explains that, firstly, a system can be chaotic, secondly, it can be stable, and thirdly, a system can move far from equilibrium but not all the way to chaos. Again, these are seed thoughts that may not sit well with conservative thinkers or traditional thinking. Surrendering to the Emergent Process was more of an invitation to `think' than an explanation of `how to think' in his subject of change and transformation. Using Coca Cola as an example Quinn convincingly explains then invites the reader to embrace what is actually happening around you rather than resisting it.
His final see thought on Enticing through Moral Power gave an `almost' conclusion to his material. I would have enjoyed it more if Quinn had taken this thought further to s defined conclusion. Although he attempts a summary in the five stages of novice, advanced beginner, competence, proficiency and expert it did not finalize the material for me. He seemed to get a little too complex finishing out the chapter with a four-step process of discover, dream, design and destiny. It got a little too John Maxwell in the end. Even his Appendix did not conclude it for me. Maybe this was his intension?
April 28, 2010
Using examples of Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Jesus, Quinn takes the reader through steps to change the world, which all starts with changing oneself. The book is not without its problems; Quinn uses unnecessary jargon, isn't always clear in some of the steps (partly because he asks for moral changes, which have to be experienced instead of shown), etc. However, for me, this is one of those books where the light bulb goes off, and I say, "DUH! I know this. Why did I have to read this book for it to click?" Probably because I had been thinking about these things anyway. It was the right book at the right time.
The book is mostly for business people, and most of the examples are in business, which I didn't find completely helpful, but the points and steps are still valid in every part of life. He discusses how we become better people and be less hypocritical, listen to what's really going on around us, disturb the system, and let go of control (be motivated by other emotions). In a nutshell, we are to be inner directed and other focused. Highly recommended.
The book is mostly for business people, and most of the examples are in business, which I didn't find completely helpful, but the points and steps are still valid in every part of life. He discusses how we become better people and be less hypocritical, listen to what's really going on around us, disturb the system, and let go of control (be motivated by other emotions). In a nutshell, we are to be inner directed and other focused. Highly recommended.
March 5, 2016
Change the World: How Ordinary People Can Accomplish Extraordinary Results by Robert E. Quinn (2000)
I like this book. I recommend it to people that are thinking about how a family, group, organization or big system (like a government) moves forward, backward or becomes stagnant. He makes the point that what seem unchangeable might, in fact, be changeable. Also like the book because it sets out the kind of tasks and paths that reasonable normal people might benefit from following to move a family, group, organization or big system toward the common good.
This book is ambitious and, as a result, paints a clear broad picture of what it takes to contribute to and impact groups or large systems. Complexity is embraced by the author and, therefore, his change method is not the norm. He explains and makes sense of the challenge to focus on the common good (What Quinn also called the ‘journey of collective fulfillment’) for organizations and groups of people.
Quinn makes the point that he feels that ordinary people can become profoundly affected as change agents.
I like this book. I recommend it to people that are thinking about how a family, group, organization or big system (like a government) moves forward, backward or becomes stagnant. He makes the point that what seem unchangeable might, in fact, be changeable. Also like the book because it sets out the kind of tasks and paths that reasonable normal people might benefit from following to move a family, group, organization or big system toward the common good.
This book is ambitious and, as a result, paints a clear broad picture of what it takes to contribute to and impact groups or large systems. Complexity is embraced by the author and, therefore, his change method is not the norm. He explains and makes sense of the challenge to focus on the common good (What Quinn also called the ‘journey of collective fulfillment’) for organizations and groups of people.
Quinn makes the point that he feels that ordinary people can become profoundly affected as change agents.
January 12, 2014
This book is not enthusiastic. I have a very hard time wanting to finish the book. The only reason I did finish the book is because I wanted to give the author a chance. The market for this book is unclear to me; however that does not mean there is not a market for this book. I picked a random book off the shelf of a library and this just so happened to be this book. I didn't learn much, but how to discipline myself to finish a non enthusiastic book. Sorry man, but this book is not for me. The author makes himself out to be highly intellectual which is fine, but remember to connect with your audience; who may not be as sophisticated as you. You have to dummy proof your book so we can understand your passion to change the world. Keep at it and good luck.
July 14, 2016
A surprise find in my son's library, from his undergrad work at WFU, studying as a religion major. This is a fascinating read; how to change ourselves to help evoke change in others, whether our families, communities or on the job. I learned so much and want to read more of his work. This is not a new book, but one for all, a must read.
June 24, 2013
Excellent analysis and creative counsel about leading change well
February 28, 2015
I found this book very inspiring - both based on my past experiences and what I hope to do in the future. It talks about having the moral courage to take great risks to bring about change.
December 25, 2016
If you want to know how to change world, begin with yourself and read this book. :)
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews