All seasoned leaders understand that making big, sudden changes can be incredibly dangerous. Not only is the risk of failure high, but the risk to a leader’s credibility is high as well. Dramatic change can easily cause people to “unfollow” a leader altogether.

The tension is real: keep things as they are and risk inertia, or make changes and risk unsettling people. Most leaders live somewhere between those two pressures.

So how do we make the changes that need to be made without causing unnecessary disruption?

In previous posts I’ve suggested a few approaches:

• Don’t try to change everyone at once.
• Find the innovators and early adopters and give them freedom to experiment.
• Work with the young and spiritually young, giving them permission to explore new paradigms and practices.

To those points, I want to add another: look for the tweaks — the small changes — you can make over time.

There’s an old maxim that says, “People often overestimate what they can accomplish in one year but greatly underestimate what they can accomplish in five.” It’s true. Small, consistent shifts compound.

Think of a pilot flying from Brisbane to Melbourne. If the plane is just two degrees off course, the pilot will miss the target by around fifty kilometres. The consequences would be enormous — and all from a minor misalignment at the beginning.

The same is true for a church. When a plant or congregation is even slightly off target in reaching the community and making disciples, the long-term outcomes can be drastically different. Sometimes what we need isn’t a dramatic overhaul, but steady recalibration. Over time, the small tweaks can accomplish far more than large, sweeping changes delivered all at once.

If you’ve read the eBook “10 Shifts to Birth Multiplication in Your Church or Plant,” you’ll recognise that each shift is relatively small — but their long-term impact is significant. And importantly, they’re shifts that are best implemented progressively, not in one big push.

How to Bring About Significant Change Through Small Tweaks

1) Begin with the end in mind.
Stephen Covey articulated this beautifully in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Knowing your destination clarifies the adjustments required along the way.

2) Work backwards to identify the changes needed.
This turns change from a crisis response into a process. It helps ensure the steps you take today are moving you toward the future you actually want.

3) Look for the easy wins.
Small wins break inertia. They create momentum and reinforce that the direction of travel is right.

Of course, none of this works without bringing your team along. People need to understand the why behind the change. Wise leaders intentionally influence each layer of stakeholders so that the vision is shared and the adjustments are embraced.

This matters because meaningful change always requires a compelling reason. Without it, people naturally default to the comfort of the present — believing that “the old is good enough” (Luke 5:39 NET).

Ultimately, lasting change is rarely the result of one dramatic decision. It grows from steady, intentional steps taken in the same direction over time. When leaders stay faithful to the vision, recalibrate with humility, and continually remind people of the why, small tweaks accumulate into profound cultural and missional momentum.

The goal isn’t disruption for disruption’s sake. The goal is purposeful, sustainable change that guides the whole community toward God’s intended future.

Tim O’Neill

Executive Director, Exponential Australia