When was the last time you thought about your leadership style? All of us in the church are leaders, whether of fellow-employees or of volunteers. So, if you can’t figure out why there’s a lack of motivation or a high turnover in leaders, consider these things. It may not be “all about you” – but sometimes we’re part of the challenge.
Your title means . . . different things, but probably less than it once did. Newspapers in big cities often carry the news that someone became the Director of this Division or Vice President in charge of that area at XYZ Co. Those are titles. Or maybe a colleague or classmate was called to a certain position or elected to a particular office. Guess what? Very few people care anymore. Authority used to be in the position, now it’s in the person. Some people may give you a little extra attention because you are called “Reverend” or “Pastor.” They tend to be the older members of the congregation who are still impressed with titles.
Most people are far more interested in your personal integrity and ability to accomplish the tasks. It’s about treating people with respect and working together with them to accomplish worthwhile tasks
It’s not about you – or really even the church – it’s the mission. I’m sure you’ve seen the change that comes over some people. The folks who are always there to do the church’s work. Not very effectively or enthusiastically, but faithfully. Then, you see them working on a project that really grips their heart and they’re like a different person: creative, passionate, energetic, joyful! People genuinely want to make a difference. They’re not always convinced they can. The difference with younger folk is that they not only want to change the world – they believe they can. And because they believe, they often do.
That means that clarifying the mission is more important than ever. Not the mission statement – the mission. Preserving or growing the institution won’t do it. The challenge is that, many non-profits and churches really have no clear mission. They do a bunch of good stuff. But unless we can say, clearly, what we want to accomplish, we never get there. Try it this way: “How will you know if your church/non-profit is fulfilling its mission?” When we can’t answer that question, we just keep throwing resources (time and money) at something, hoping we’ll make a difference. And, if the mission isn’t bigger than you, something needs to change.
This is a familiar one, but I see many organizations still struggling with it. When someone comes with a new idea, what is the default response? In too many places, especially those that are dying, the default is “no.” It gets phrased in different ways of course, but the end result is consistent: we don’t do new things. Even though the things we are doing are no longer working (if they ever did). Even if all we are accomplishing is to run faster and faster to stay in the same place (or slip backward). Admittedly, there are people in every organization who, apparently, would rather see it die than change. But most leaders have been enculturated in an existing atmosphere of fear and suspicion and are simply continuing it. The quietly courageous leader, who is committed to the mission rather than the institution, needs to figure out the ways and means for nurturing new life. If we truly do have authority, sometimes the best thing to do is use it to protect the shoots of new growth.
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