Change is easier when you are healthy

I was reading an article on church growth and leadership (we have a lot to learn from non profit leadership), and came across a few gem quotations that I think are important (read the full article here), from H. Dale Burke, senior pastor of First Evangelical Free Church of Fullerton, California:

“Change is easier when you are healthy, not unhealthy. If change is prompted by a crisis or severe decline, the [people are] prone to be suspicious of leadership and the new direction proposed. After all, why trust the leaders who let things fall into such disrepair? Innovation almost always comes at a cost, so doing it while you are growing just makes sense. It is always best to pursue excellence while you’re on a roll.”

Tom Landry, one of the greatest coaches in NFL history, was always hardest on his team after a big win. His observation was that the best time to grow and improve was while the team was on a winning streak. Most winners tended to become prideful, believing they had arrived, so he would be more critical after a win, looking for ways to fine-tune the plan or add a creative, new twist to their offense. The goal was to take their best performance and build on it, not maintain it. After a disappointing loss, the team’s energy was drawn to fixing obvious deficiencies and making sure the team did not lose heart.

“Innovation should not be exercised in the emergency room of [an organisation] but as a valued discipline of ongoing health maintenance. If a great [organisation] wants its future to be as exciting as its past, it must embrace change and its accompanying risks before it becomes unhealthy. Change must become a lifestyle.”

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