When an organization like the church requires change, the desire is for immediate results. Hurry will not help, for haste makes waste. Glacial change happens by inches over hundreds, even thousands, of years. Tectonic change happens in the flash of an eye, as earthquakes forever alter the landscape. Glacial change allows for response, tectonic change forces reaction.
Glacial change builds toward a future.
Tectonic change devastates and calls for massive clean up. Glacial change is relational when it occurs within an organization. Navigating through change and choosing to lead glacial rather than tectonic change is a primary role of leadership in today's church. While this sounds simplistic, it is nonetheless true. Research in a variety of disciplines indicates consensus.