Leading in DisOrienting Times


Book Description

Jack Mezirow, a leader in education theory, suggests that all transformative learning begins with a 'disorienting dilemma': an idea or experience that challenges or shifts fundamental values and assumptions. Gary Nelson and Peter Dickens, pastors and teachers with vast experience working with congregations and organizations, believe it is time for Christian leaders to be 'disoriented,' for the fundamental values and assumptions of Christian leadership to be reframed and broken down so they can see the leadership task in new ways. Blending current literature from both Christian and secular scholarship with individual and organizational examples, Leading in DisOrienting Times provides support for the concept of servant leadership that may be initially disorienting, but is ultimately liberating.




The Church in Disorienting Times


Book Description

The Middle East is in a period of profound change. In the midst of turbulence, trauma, tragedy and the hopelessness felt by many, an increasing number of indigenous churches are finding ever more imaginative ways to be active in the societies of which they are a long-standing and integral part. This book describes some of these developments. It seeks to inspire Christians worldwide to stand alongside such people and to provoke everyone, in the Middle East and elsewhere, to ask what they should be doing to encourage transformation of societies to the glory of God. How can we be the salt, light and yeast that Scripture exhorts us to be when faced with despair? How can we live as active heroes when others expect us to be passive victims? The expert contributors of this book delve into these issues to give churches direction in these disorienting times.




Leading with Authenticity in Times of Transition


Book Description

Organizations today are awash in change. Managing change requires leaders to focus simultaneously on managing the business and providing effective leadership to the people. More often than not, it is the focus on the people side that loses out. This book offers a framework for understanding the issues and competencies that contribute to effective leadership during times of change. Its purpose is to help leaders determine how to choose and move among a variety of managerial approaches--to help them see what's working, what's not working, and what's missing. In this way, leaders can more clearly assess their impact and learn how to meet the demands of both managing the business and leading the people.




How to Lead When You Don't Know Where You're Going


Book Description

How do you lead an organization stuck between an ending and a new beginning—when the old way of doing things no longer works but a way forward is not yet clear? Beaumont calls such in-between times liminal seasons—threshold times when the continuity of tradition disintegrates and uncertainty about the future fuels doubt and chaos. In a liminal season it simply is not helpful to pretend we understand what needs to happen next. But leaders can still lead. How to Lead When You Don’t Know Where You’re Going is a practical book of hope for tired and weary leaders who risk defining this era of ministry in terms of failure or loss. It helps leaders stand firm in a disoriented state, learning from their mistakes and leading despite the confusion. Packed with rich stories and real-world examples, Beaumont guides the reader through practices that connect the soul of the leader with the soul of the institution.




On Leadership


Book Description

A searching examination of leadership as it is practiced, or malpracticed, in America today. Includes the elements of motivation, shared values, social cohesion, and institutional renewal.




Parents Who Lead


Book Description

How working parents can lead more purposeful lives, characterized by harmony, connection, and impact. Parents in today's fast-paced, disorienting world can easily lose track of who they are and what really matters most. But it doesn't have to be this way. As a parent, you can harness the powerful science of leadership in order to thrive in all aspects of your life. Drawing on the principles of his book Total Leadership--a bestseller and popular leadership development program used in organizations worldwide--and on their experience as researchers, educators, consultants, coaches, and parents, Stew Friedman and coauthor Alyssa Westring offer a robust, proven method that will help you gain a greater sense of purpose and control. It includes tools illustrated with compelling examples from the lives of real working parents that show you how to: Design a future based on your core values Engage with your children in fresh, meaningful ways Cultivate a community of caregiving and support, in all parts of your life Experiment to discover better ways to live and work Powerful, practical, and indispensable, Parents Who Lead is the guide you need to forge a better future, foster meaningful and mutually rewarding relationships, and design sustainable solutions for creating a richer life for yourself, your children, and your world. For more information, visit ParentsWhoLead.net.







Tempered Resilience


Book Description

What type of leadership is needed in a moment that demands adaptive change? Exploring the qualities of adaptive leadership within churches and nonprofit organizations, Tod Bolsinger deftly examines both the external challenges we face and the internal resistance that holds us back, showing how leaders can become both stronger and more flexible.




Pursuing God's Will Together


Book Description

Church boards and other Christian leadership teams have long relied on models adapted from the business world. Ruth Haley Barton, president of the Transforming Center, helps teams transition to a much more fitting model—the spiritual community that practices discernment together.




Managing at the Speed of Change


Book Description

This classic, newly updated, is an indispensable source for anyone–from mid-level managers to CEOs–who must execute key business initiatives quickly and effectively. Once groundbreaking and now time-honored, Managing at the Speed of Change has helped countless business leaders learn how to orchestrate transitions vital to their organizations’ success. Rather than focusing on what to change, this book’s aim is far more valuable: It shows readers how to change. Daryl R. Conner, founder and chairman of the consulting firm Conner Partners, is a leading expert on change management. He has served as “change doctor” for clients that include non-profit enterprises, government agencies and administrations, and Fortune 500 companies in an array of industries such as Abbott Laboratories, PepsiCo, American Express, Catholic Healthcare West, JPMorgan Chase, and the U.S. Navy. Based on Conner’s long-term research and his decades of consulting experience, Managing at the Speed of Change uses simple, easy-to-understand language and elegant visuals to explore the dynamics of change, and in doing so, teaches readers • why major change is difficult to assimilate • what distinguishes resilient individuals from those who suffer future shock • how and why resistance forms • how people become committed to change • why organizational culture is so important to the success of change • the roles most central to change in organizational settings • why powerful teamwork is at the heart of achieving change objectives, and how to foster it In this pioneering book, updated for the twenty-first century, Conner demonstrates how both individuals and organizations can develop the capacity not only to endure change but to thrive on it.