"No matter how many times I communicate the vision, they don't seem to get it."

This was the frustration expressed to us recently by the pastor of a large, mainline church. The complaint could just as easily have come from a small-church pastor or the CEO of a large corporation—we hear this frustration voiced repeatedly by leaders around the country. My people don't get it. They won't change. They don't understand. They whine all the time.

Most leaders respond to situations the way they have always responded. They use their tried and proven mode of approaching problems. After all, it has worked many times before. So if it isn't working now, they conclude, it is the fault of the people around them. But remember the old adage: if the only tool in your toolbox is a hammer, then everything looks like a nail? When leaders rely on predetermined approaches to problems they rob themselves, their organizations, and the people who follow them of the chance to see greater outcomes.

In our work ...