John Stanko

"Then a voice told him, 'Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.' 'Surely not, Lord!' Peter replied. 'I have never eaten anything impure or unclean'" - Acts 10:13-14.

Up to this point in time, Peter had maintained a kosher diet according to Old Testament Law. Then a voice from heaven told him to change his diet and he said, "No!"  Even though it was a heavenly directive from God, he was being asked to change a lifelong pattern and it represented not an opportunity but a loss in his eyes. When leaders announce well-thought-out change initiatives, people can often respond in the same manner. The leaders can then be offended or perceive the followers as negative or uncooperative because they (the leaders) didn't take into account the depth of their followers' fear of and aversion to change, even if they're spiritual people.

LEADERSHIP STEP: If you're leading change, you must provide support services for those most directly affected, whether it's a move for your family or a new product for your company. Your Step today is to sit down and listen to those being impacted by any change with which you're involved, and better understand what kind of support you can provide for those most directly affected. Perhaps you need to change your attitude toward those who are resisting the change so you can find out and understand why it presents such a challenge for them (or for you).