Invest in Transformation - (Practicing Change) by Tod Bolsinger (Hardcover)

About the Book

We must invest trust to experience transformation. Groups that have become skeptical need leadership to refuel a sense of community and continuity if change is going to happen. But trust can be easily hoarded or squandered. In this volume in the Practicing Change Series, Tod Bolsinger outlines steps to envision trust for the sake of growth.

Book Synopsis

A New Path Forward

In a world where skepticism often clouds judgment, communities need leaders who can reignite the spirit of unity and continuity. Trust is a delicate currency--it can be hoarded or squandered, but only when wisely invested can it truly fuel transformation. Bestselling author Tod Bolsinger offers leaders a compelling guide for transformation and trust with Invest in Transformation.

Invest in Transformation offers leaders a practical guide that provides:

• Wisdom for Growth: Revive trust within your community to enable the kind of transformative growth that turns visions into reality.
• Practical Leadership Tools: Learn from Tod Bolsinger's rich experience, gaining insights that are not only theoretical but actionable.
• Engaging Content: Enjoy brief, accessible chapters filled with colorful illustrations that bring complex ideas to life.
• Real-Life Scenarios: Explore real-life case studies and exercises designed for teams to process and implement change together.

There is no transformation without trust, but remember, trust alone isn't transformation. It's time to learn the art of investing in trust for meaningful change.

Review Quotes

"Every maturing leader fears irrelevance. In response, most work harder at the practices that made them successful in the first place. Tod Bolsinger thinks that's a bad idea, and he's right. Through four small books, Bolsinger offers us pure gold: practical ways for leaders to keep their skills on pace with inevitable and rapid change. Invest in Transformation, one of the four books, is a worthy read. It encourages leaders to embrace adaptive leadership practices, offers insights on navigating the challenges of organizational change, and recommends investing trust to drive successful transformation."

--Randy Remington, president of The Foursquare Church

"Here's a scary truth: regardless of where you work or what you do for a living, a crisis is coming. In fact multiple crises lie ahead for you because our world is now changing at an unprecedented rate, and those changes will render you and your organization obsolete if you can't find a way to continuously adapt to these coming crises. Leading through these changes will require leaders who aren't afraid to slay some sacred cows, challenge conventional wisdom, and even live outside their own leadership comfort zones. Adaptation will be the single most critical survival skill of the twenty-first century. Tod Bolsinger's four short books in the Practicing Change Series are the 'emergency preparedness drill' that you will be grateful to have read when the next 'tsunami' hits your organization. Read them now before the next wave hits your shore."

--Richard Stearns, president emeritus of World Vision US and author of Lead Like It Matters to God

"If only trust were enough. But as Tod Bolsinger points out in Invest in Transformation, while trust is an important resource, it is most valuable not when it is stockpiled for personal security but when it is invested in transformation. For leaders who are willing to step courageously into adaptive challenges, Bolsinger provides a clear and concise (although certainly not easy) guide for developing the perspective and skill sets needed to effectively lead organizational change. This is a book I will return to again and again."

--Angie Ward, director of the Doctor of Ministry Program and associate professor of leadership and ministry at Denver Seminary

"It has been said that 'Trust is built in drops and lost in buckets.' In his slender-yet-substantive book Invest in Transformation, Tod Bolsinger helpfully weds transformation and trust. Furthermore, he offers valuable counsel on how the two might be synced and mutually reinforcing. In an effort to be and to do better as a leader, I have found the work of Bolsinger to be invaluable. Along with many others, I am grateful for his practical, actionable insights on leadership and for his graceful, enjoyable prose."

--Todd Still, DeLancey Dean and Hinson Professor of Christian Scriptures at George W. Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University

"Leaders who know organizational change is needed but don't know how to go about it will find accessible, practical, and wise guidance in Tod Bolsinger's Practicing Change Series. I've found the concepts of adaptive leadership incredibly helpful in thinking through organizational challenges. Bolsinger helps us apply and practice these concepts in a way that will transform our organizations and ourselves as leaders."

--Teri McDowell Ott, editor and publisher of the Presbyterian Outlook and author of Necessary Risks: Challenges Privileged People Need to Face

"Leadership is a lot like twirling a baton: it looks easy until you try it! If you are involved in leadership at any level I would highly recommend Tod Bolsinger's Practicing Change Series. It invites those of us in leadership to reflect on and rethink what it means to be a leader and to build 'in what really makes a difference--transformation.'"

--Daniel Dorsey, GHM, president of Glenmary Home Missioners

"The Practicing Change Series is compelling and immediately applicable. Each book weaves us through story, illustration, and discussion to contextualize paradigm-shifting frameworks for thinking. Your leadership, but more importantly the impact through your leadership, will experience a trajectory change through the words penned. Tod is a master storyteller, carefully threading points, principles, and processes with ease and nuance. Today's era of leadership calls for continual, on-the-go growth, and this series offers solutions to today's demands. For the leader whose time is limited and responsibilities toward self and service are complex, these books are for you."

--Wendy Nolasco, general supervisor and vice president of US Mission for the Foursquare Church

"The Practicing Change Series is like having Tod Bolsinger as a personal coach. He offers practical and powerful wisdom for anyone who is wrestling with the complex challenges of ministry leadership today."

--Mike Bonem, consultant, coach, and author of The Art of Leading Change

"The Practicing Change Series provides exactly the kind of help that busy leaders need in seeking to bring meaningful change to their organizations in the midst of the ongoing demands of day-to-day leadership. Concisely accessible. Imminently practical. Immediately actionable. And built on solid theory tested in the real world. My own life and leadership have been profoundly impacted by having Tod Bolsinger as a trusted guide in navigating the complexity of leading adaptive change."

--Barry D. Jones, senior pastor of Irving Bible Church and author of Dwell: Life with God for the World

"This series is required reading for anyone who wants to lead change. In the very best way, reading these books was like sitting down with a mentor who has done the hard work of leading change himself and wants to help us work through the mistakes, challenges, and dynamics we can't see by ourselves."

--Michaela O'Donnell, executive director of the Max De Pree Center for Leadership and author of Life in Flux

About the Author

Marty Linsky is a professor at the Harvard University Kennedy School of Government and a co-founder with Ronald A. Heifetz of Cambridge Leadership Associates. He has published extensively on leadership, management, politics, and education.

Tod Bolsinger is the founder and principal at AE Sloan Leadership Inc., the executive director of the DePree Center Church Leadership Institute, and associate professor of leadership formation at Fuller Seminary. He is the author of Canoeing the Mountains and Tempered Resilience. Tod and his wife, Beth, split their time between Pasadena, California, and Ketchum, Idaho.

Mark Demel brings ideas to life through pictures and creative communication. He has spent more than a decade using his artistic skills in the non-profit sector.