Kotter explains, “People change what they do less because they are given facts and analysis that shifts their thinking (head) than because they are shown a truth or insight that influences their feelings (heart). In the introduction Kotter writes, “Our main finding, put simply, is that the central issue in leading change is never strategy, structure, culture or systems…….The core of the matter is always about changing the behavior of people, and behavior change happens mostly by speaking to people’s feelings.” Kotter discovered in subsequent studies that most successful organizational change initiatives involved right brain “feeling” communication as well. In 1996 John Kotter released his groundbreaking book Leading Change, where he presented a clear, rational eight-step process for leading effective change.įive years later a sequel, The Heart of Change: Real Life Stories of How People Change Their Organization, was released. If a leader proceeds with change based only on bobbing heads they may discover no one is following. Unfortunately, people’s heads usually start nodding yes before their hearts agree. The heart longs for communion, to be touched in a deep way and to create an intimate bond with the speaker. Heart: The place where sensory impressions, symbols, stories and metaphors stimulate emotions.
The head requires communication that is logical, quantitative and practical. Head: The place where concrete facts, ideas, concepts and information are cognitively received and stored. God fashioned both as portals of communication and understanding and to lead change effectively both must be engaged. In Ephesians 3:17-19 Paul prays that Christ will dwell in the hearts and minds of believers.
Scripture acknowledges this separate yet interdependent nature of the head and heart in Psalm 7:9 and 26:2. Just as the left and right sides of the brain are distinct yet interdependent, the head and heart operate similarly. Without consistent monitoring I found my right brain, where feelings and emotions reside, would atrophy.įortunately, I had a Senior Pastor with a right brain orientation who consistently reminded me of the need to support my left brain head oriented facts and figures with language that spoke to people’s hearts and emotions as well. Though I like to think of myself as someone who uses both sides of his brain, my job as an Executive Pastor overstimulated my left brain, the seat of analytical thinking and logic.
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