Genesis chapter 1
Today we are walking in: Ten Ways Leaders Respond to Change
Habakkuk 1:11
Then shall his mind change H2015, and he shall pass over, and offend, imputing this his power unto his god.
CHANGE
Today we look to the word- CHANGE- H2015- haphak- a primitive root; to turn about or over; by implication, to change, overturn, return, pervert:—become, change, come, be converted, give, make (a bed), overthrow overturn), perverse, retire, tumble, turn (again, aside, back, to the contrary, every way).
The Torah Testifies…………….
Genesis 35:2
Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that werewith him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change H2015 your garments:
Leviticus 27:10
He shall not alter it, nor change H2015 it, a good for a bad, or a bad for a good: and if he shall at all change H2015 beast for beast, then it and the exchange thereof shall be holy.
Leviticus 27:33
He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change H2015 it: and if he change H2015 it at all, then both it and the change H2015 thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.
The Prophets Proclaim………
Jeremiah 2:36
Why gaddest thou about so much to change H2015 thy way? thou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria.
Zechariah 3:4
And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change H2015 of raiment.
Malachi 3:6
For I am the LORD, I change H2015 not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
The Writings witness……………
Job 14:14
If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change H2015 come.
Psalm 102:26
They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change H2015 them, and they shall be changed:
Proverbs 24:21
My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change H2015:
Ten Ways Leaders Respond to Change
Change Is Inevitable. Change Is Necessary. Change Is Possible.
Change in all things is sweet. —Aristotle, Greek philosopher
Pursuing our purposes transforms us into change agents. What is a change agent? It’s another term for leader or emerging leader. Whoever can read seasons of change—in his or her own life and in the world at large— and be prepared to act on them will lead others.
Leaders must understand the principles and benefits of change because leaders have a major influence on the overall environment, conditions, and attitudes of those who are participating with them in fulfilling their visions. Many people refer to such participants in vision as followers. I don’t often use this term because (1) it limits people’s mind-sets about what they can be and do, and (2) it doesn’t reflect that fact that each person is meant to fulfill his or her own purpose within the context of the wider vision in which he or she is a participant.
Let me be clear that, by leaders, I am not referring only to those whom many people traditionally think of as leading, such as CEOs, presidents, managers, and supervisors. Here is my definition of leadership, which I have developed after decades of researching and studying leadership, as well as training thousands of individuals who have aspired to leadership:
Leadership is the capacity to influence others through inspiration, generated by a passion, motivated by a vision, birthed from a conviction, produced by a purpose.
Leaders Initiate Change By and On Purpose
The above definition crystallizes what we have been discussing in part 3 of this series, “Initiating Change in Your World.” Leaders initiate change by and on purpose. Change agents exercise leadership in their particular spheres and environments of influence, whether in the home, classroom, community, church, nation, business, youth group, fraternity, or civic organization—in all realms of life. In this context, all of us as leaders must understand that how we handle change will influence what happens in the lives of those who are invested in our visions, as well as how they themselves perceive change.
Do you remember, as a child, being frightened about something? You probably looked to your parents for reassurance. If they seemed calm about the situation, you became calm about it, too. If they looked worried or anxious, you remained feeling unsettled.
When we become adults, we are able, through maturity and experience, to absorb or deflect situations that used to frighten us. However, people still often look to those who seem “in charge” for feelings of assurance during major events, such as national emergencies, natural disasters, war, or the death of a national figure.
If someone in a leadership position seems disoriented or overcome by change, this reaction often spreads to the whole environment of the group or organization. If there’s one thing that leaders must be distinguished by, it is their capacity to respond effectively to change for the sake of those whom they’re leading, as well as for themselves.
The leader almost always confronts change first. The most important work of leadership, therefore, is the ability to handle constant confrontation with change, as well as to initiate change. Leaders are moving constantly. They are taking people to change, through change, to change again.
Change is also the incubator of leadership development. Through learning about, experiencing, and analyzing change, leaders discover the nature of change, the potential of change, the necessity of change, the power of change, the impact of change, the benefits of change, the challenges of change, and the hazards of change.
Change Is One of a Leader’s Greatest Assets
It is impossible to lead without change, so change is one of a leader’s greatest assets. The success or failure of any leader may be measured by how he or she responds to, oversees, and benefits from change.
Every nation and organization, as well as every individual, must cultivate the ability to respond effectively to change because none of us exists in a vacuum. Even the most unassuming organization or nation will be forced to confront change at some point. Being hesitant or passive in such situations may lead to the end of that organization or nation.
This is why groups, companies, and countries, like individuals, must engage in campaigns of self- development. Research and development departments in many businesses are designed to ensure continuing innovation and implementation of change for the betterment of the company. In the life of an organization or business, success requires periodic reinvention, as we saw in the example of the Swiss Watch Company. John Walter, former president of AT&T, said, “When the pace of change outside an organization becomes greater than the pace of the change inside the organization, the end is near.”
In both personal and corporate life, then, leadership is ultimately about change. In this last chapter, I would like to summarize ten ways in which leaders respond to change, briefly highlighting essential principles and benefits of change that we have covered throughout this series.
1. Leaders Expect Change
Leaders are aware that change is a principle of life. In leading others, they know that they are going where they have never been before and that the passage to this “new land” is change. Leadership is about “relocating” individuals, organizations, businesses, communities, or nations to a future destination. The leader must help those who are invested in his or her vision to embrace this change in order to move toward the desired goal.
Leaders are also aware that nothing is permanent except Yah and His promises. This means that they must live in continual expectation that things could change at any moment, and be mentally prepared for this inevitability, while trusting in Yah as their “constant.”
2. Leaders Initiate or Create Change
It is impossible to lead while...
staying where you currently are.
maintaining what you have.
assuming that someone else will initiate change.
expecting someone else to tell you what to do.
waiting for the future.
A true leader...
provides the vision of a preferred future.
initiates a change of direction.
sets a change of pace.
encourages participation in reaching the goal.
The leader leads by creating the next step toward the future. He or she develops the process and the programs that produce the changes necessary to move toward the desired end.
Remember that, in the Scriptures, there is no record that Yah ever performed a miracle in the same way twice. Following in this creative pattern, leaders constantly exist in “the now” rather than staying in the past and create new things.
3. Leaders Interpret Change
It has been said that what really matters is not what happens to you but what you do about what happens to you. This is the mentality of true change agents. Leaders always seek to analyze and interpret changes in their environments from the perspective that all change contains within it opportunities that are beneficial to their purposes and causes. In essence, they always seek the good in every situation.
4. Leaders Guide Change
After analyzing and interpreting change for its benefits, leaders then actively seek to direct that change in their lives—whether the change is created by the leaders or has been imposed on their environments—for the advancement of their purposes.
5. Leaders Plan and Design Change
Leaders create strategies that are regulated by their visions in order to take their groups or organizations to the futures they aspire to.
A leader is a leader because he or she has already visited the future in his or her mind and has returned to the present to take others there. Leaders do not just stumble into the future; they plan their way there. Since the future demands change, leaders must design the series of changes that are necessary to make their ways (and others’ ways) to the preferred future.
Yah warned the Egyptian pharaoh through a dream, which Joseph interpreted, that Egypt was about to experience some changes—seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. What did Joseph do? He expected it, and so he planned for it. In the years of plenty, he put grain aside to be used in the seven years of famine. He protected himself, his family, and his adopted nation against change.
6. Leaders Prepare Themselves for Change
After accepting the responsibility and embracing the obligation of a Yah-given assignment, the leader makes the necessary changes in his or her spiritual life, personal life, professional life, educational life, and social life, and develops the skills required for the journey.
7. Leaders Are Inspired by Change
The unique distinction of leaders is that they do not panic in an atmosphere of unexpected or expected change or chaos. Rather, these conditions provide an incentive to inspire the leader by testing his or her resolve, capabilities, potential, creativity, and spiritual reserves.
Men and women of courage have the audacity to believe Yah even in the midst of seemingly impossible situations. These leaders are convinced that “with man this is impossible, but with Yah all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).
8. Leaders Grow through Change
True leaders understand that every challenge is a classroom and every experience is a lesson. Therefore, they embrace the unknown or the unexpected as opportunities to learn new lessons and to expand their experiences. Change initiates discomfort, which leaders use for the sake of advancing their lives.
9. Leaders Benefit from Change
True leaders always use the unexpected, the unplanned, and the unanticipated events, circumstances, and situations of life to their advantage. They have learned to maximize misfortune for the advancement of their noble causes.
10. Leaders Exist for Change
The very purpose and essence of leadership is to move from the known to the unknown in order to improve life and to create something better for others. You cannot “lead” to a place where you already are. Therefore, leadership is created by, motivated by, sustained by, and exists for, change.
I would like to leave you with these thoughts:
Change is inevitable.
Change is necessary.
Change is possible.
Change is here.
What will you do with change?
Change is inevitable. Change for the better is a full-time job.
—Adlai E. Stevenson II, politician and U.S. Ambasador to the United Nations
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