Seismic Shifts: Leading in Times of Change.

Stephen Greenhalgh is Prospect Research Analyst, Advancement Services,
University of Alberta.

Seismic Shifts: Leading in Times of Change is the latest work by author, minister and Canadian United Church leader Christopher White.

Divided into eight main chapters, Seismic Shifts examines the need for effective church leadership during a time of rapid societal change in North America. To White, the time is ripe for both opportunity and renewal within the leadership of the United Church.

Based upon interviews with several individuals from within the United Church, White offers a synopsis of the foremost qualities desired in an effective leader. Nonetheless, White’s list is not intended to be exhaustive as he further notes that effective leadership does not have a single or precise definition. Instead, an effective leader embodies different traits to different people. Throughout the book, step-by-step guides are given, offering the reader knowledge on how they may approach a variety of situations requiring capable leadership. While further practical guidance directed toward the reader would have benefited Seismic Shifts, White does provide a DVD complete with the interviews he conducted, as well as a short study guide for reference and follow-up.

Seismic Shifts is an important, and highly relevant, look into the qualities of leadership sought after within the United Church of Canada; leadership qualities that could easily find application in other Canadian institutions.