One of the things you will see if you spend any time looking at prominent pastors on the internet is that pretty much everyone of them considers themselves a leadership guru. Almost all of the biggest name pastors has a leadership blog or podcast or book or some combination of those three. They speak at leadership conferences and they tweet out leadership advice on the regular. I have worked in three different church settings as well as a large Christian camp. I have been led by many different kinds of leaders. I have felt a desire for some time to offer my own insight into leadership. However, I want to take a different approach. I am not here as the leadership guru/expert, I am here as the guy who has been led. I am here as the guy who has had several different types of personalities and styles of leadership that I have worked under. I am here as somewhat of a follower. I will add the disclaimer that I am not always a good follower. I don't always agree with the leadership. One of the interesting things is that the leaders I have worked with that are alright with me not agreeing are the leaders who have been the most successful, but I am getting ahead of myself.
I want to focus on four particular thoughts and observations I have made as I've been led.
1. "In order to lead, people have to want to follow you."
I wish this didn't need to be said. But I have had experience with leaders who have not grasped this concept. They have operated completely from the idea that "you will follow me because I am the leader!" Let me tell you, these guys are the worst! There is no leadership that comes from this approach. It is about power, it is about position. True leadership comes from a desire to see the over all picture become beautiful. If no one wants to follow, then you aren't leading anyone. There may be people who stay part of the team, they stick around out of their need for an income, but you are not leading them. This is where we see companies or organizations moving backwards. Its where we see failure. If your efforts are centered around self-preservation or self-promotion your efforts are self-centered. There is no progress in self-centered leadership.
I want to focus on four particular thoughts and observations I have made as I've been led.
1. "In order to lead, people have to want to follow you."
I wish this didn't need to be said. But I have had experience with leaders who have not grasped this concept. They have operated completely from the idea that "you will follow me because I am the leader!" Let me tell you, these guys are the worst! There is no leadership that comes from this approach. It is about power, it is about position. True leadership comes from a desire to see the over all picture become beautiful. If no one wants to follow, then you aren't leading anyone. There may be people who stay part of the team, they stick around out of their need for an income, but you are not leading them. This is where we see companies or organizations moving backwards. Its where we see failure. If your efforts are centered around self-preservation or self-promotion your efforts are self-centered. There is no progress in self-centered leadership.
If your efforts are centered around self-preservation or self-promotion your efforts are self-centered. There is no progress in self-centered leadership.
2. "The clearest sign of an immature leader is an inability to hear other viewpoints or perspectives."
This happens more often in younger leaders than it does with more experienced leaders, but that is not a hard and fast rule. I have served under at least two different people who refused to hear other peoples ideas, thoughts or insight and they both happened to be older, experienced leaders. I don't care how good you think you are as a leader, it is impossible for you to have thought through every aspect, every in and out of a challenge or opportunity. But, if you close yourself off from hearing that insight, you will proceed forward with a great chance of missing something. Trust your team. Stop assuming everyone one is gunning for your spot! ATTENTION PEOPLE WHO LEAD/HAVE LED ME! I DON'T WANT YOUR SPOT! If I wanted it, I would go for it, and I wouldn't do it subtly. In the mean time, trust your team, understand that overwhelmingly people want to be part of a winning, growing, progressing organization. They want to succeed. And they know that happens when we are on the same page and that we are free to share. Sadly, this may come as a newsflash to some leaders, but, you are not always as smart as you think you are.
3. "Being honest, open and transparent is essential. No hidden agendas."
If you are blessed to be in a leadership role of an organization, then lead it. Its not meant to primarily be a platform for you to further yourself, your brand. Its not the launching point for your book, your blog, your leadership podcast or conference. Lead where you have been placed. I could list countless leaders who have been humbled because their brand got ahead of their leading. Its also important for leaders to remember that the people you are leading need to know what is going on. This happens in churches to an almost nauseating degree. Church leaders, stop pretending like people that you lead are idiots. We know that something is happening. If there are staffing changes coming, tell us. If there are financial issues growing, tell us. We already know to some degree, your not helping anyone. Speculation leads to rumor, rumor leads to unrest. You are only losing credibility.
4. "If you want people to be as passionate as you, then let them be a part of the plan."
This seems to be an all to common approach, specifically from young leaders. They come up with a program idea or ministry plan. They fully flesh it out to the best of their ability. The pour time and energy into it because they see huge value in it. Awesome. Then, they call in the ministry area leader/director or associate pastor that the new program or ministry would fall under and they say, "Here, this is what I want to see happen." My response in my head is almost always "Forget it!" If it wasn't important enough for me to be part of the conversation from the start, then I am not the guy to head it up. Respect me enough to have me as part of the organization phase. You can not have an expectation that my passion for this will even be remotely close to yours if I am just handed something that has no fingerprints of mine on it.
I feel like I could keep going. And, I just might some time in the future. For now, these are just some of my thoughts from my experiences. I think any of us in a leadership position would do well to be reminded from time to time that we are leading people, individuals. We all have different ways of taking things. Its important to remember we are part of a team. And if you are leading that team, do it well.
I have been blessed to have been led by people who get this. Leaders who understand the value of leading well. I have seen the amazing ways God has worked when people model Godly leadership. If you are in a situation where that is happening, let those leaders know. There is not much better motivation as a leader as then when you can be affirmed that you are leading well.
This happens more often in younger leaders than it does with more experienced leaders, but that is not a hard and fast rule. I have served under at least two different people who refused to hear other peoples ideas, thoughts or insight and they both happened to be older, experienced leaders. I don't care how good you think you are as a leader, it is impossible for you to have thought through every aspect, every in and out of a challenge or opportunity. But, if you close yourself off from hearing that insight, you will proceed forward with a great chance of missing something. Trust your team. Stop assuming everyone one is gunning for your spot! ATTENTION PEOPLE WHO LEAD/HAVE LED ME! I DON'T WANT YOUR SPOT! If I wanted it, I would go for it, and I wouldn't do it subtly. In the mean time, trust your team, understand that overwhelmingly people want to be part of a winning, growing, progressing organization. They want to succeed. And they know that happens when we are on the same page and that we are free to share. Sadly, this may come as a newsflash to some leaders, but, you are not always as smart as you think you are.
3. "Being honest, open and transparent is essential. No hidden agendas."
If you are blessed to be in a leadership role of an organization, then lead it. Its not meant to primarily be a platform for you to further yourself, your brand. Its not the launching point for your book, your blog, your leadership podcast or conference. Lead where you have been placed. I could list countless leaders who have been humbled because their brand got ahead of their leading. Its also important for leaders to remember that the people you are leading need to know what is going on. This happens in churches to an almost nauseating degree. Church leaders, stop pretending like people that you lead are idiots. We know that something is happening. If there are staffing changes coming, tell us. If there are financial issues growing, tell us. We already know to some degree, your not helping anyone. Speculation leads to rumor, rumor leads to unrest. You are only losing credibility.
4. "If you want people to be as passionate as you, then let them be a part of the plan."
This seems to be an all to common approach, specifically from young leaders. They come up with a program idea or ministry plan. They fully flesh it out to the best of their ability. The pour time and energy into it because they see huge value in it. Awesome. Then, they call in the ministry area leader/director or associate pastor that the new program or ministry would fall under and they say, "Here, this is what I want to see happen." My response in my head is almost always "Forget it!" If it wasn't important enough for me to be part of the conversation from the start, then I am not the guy to head it up. Respect me enough to have me as part of the organization phase. You can not have an expectation that my passion for this will even be remotely close to yours if I am just handed something that has no fingerprints of mine on it.
I feel like I could keep going. And, I just might some time in the future. For now, these are just some of my thoughts from my experiences. I think any of us in a leadership position would do well to be reminded from time to time that we are leading people, individuals. We all have different ways of taking things. Its important to remember we are part of a team. And if you are leading that team, do it well.
I have been blessed to have been led by people who get this. Leaders who understand the value of leading well. I have seen the amazing ways God has worked when people model Godly leadership. If you are in a situation where that is happening, let those leaders know. There is not much better motivation as a leader as then when you can be affirmed that you are leading well.
RSS Feed
