Leadership is a topic almost too broad to even try to
address in such a brief forum. Nevertheless, as I have been involved in leadership in the church for
many years, I find that there are three areas of leadership that are most
conducive to effective ministry. Many
pastors are skilled in one or two of them, but the challenge is to see all
three overlap. Pastors who are life-long
learners and who have the humility to recognize and address areas of personal growth
can find great effectiveness as they pull these three areas together.
Leadership that is biblical must include the 4C’s: commitment, conviction, competency and character. In order to explore these four ideas, I’ve listed some probing questions to ask yourself:
Commitment
- Do you have an intense desire to serve Jesus Christ and His Church?
- Are you willing to bear whatever sacrifices might be
asked of you in following Christ? - Is there a passion in your soul to know and obey Christ?
- Do you have biblically informed convictions about who God is, the nature of man, the work of God in history, the role of the Church, and the meaning of Jesus’ death and resurrection?
- Are you experiencing spiritual transformation – greater
degrees of thinking and acting in conformity to the will of God?
- Do you know the basic tenants of Scripture; do you understand how the various books of the Bible fit together and the overall revelation of God as it unfolds in the Scriptures?
- Can you help others find help and counsel in the
Scriptures?
Do you understand the role of the gifts of the Spirit and
are you exercising yours to the fullest? - Do you have the necessary relational skills to manifest the
love of Jesus first to your family, then to your church and your community? - Are you able to communicate effectively the truths of
Scripture so that people can understand and apply them to their lives?
- Most importantly, are you taking on the character of Christ?
- Are you regularly practicing the spiritual discipline of
confession and repentance to grow in the grace of Jesus? - Do you have self-control, hospitality, gentleness, and a desire
for holiness? - Are you dying to love of money, ambition and
manipulation? - Are you faithful to your spouse and children as husband
and father? - Are you living above reproach?
- Are you trusting God with your life, your ministry and
your family?
Strategic Leadership
Shelves are packed with books on leading the church addressing a broad spectrum of issues from stewardship and finances to creating volunteer revolutions. I am addressing three broad categories which I believe are essentials for a church leader: laying the foundation through a clear mission and vision, putting feet to the vision through effective implementation, and strapping the engine to the feet through organizational effectiveness.
Mission & Vision
It’s essential that a leader be able to set the mission and vision of the church. The mission must be rooted in biblical values and principles and be able to reflect a relevant purpose for the church in today’s society. It must be clear and compelling and must translate into a vision for the future that can be understood in real terms, communicated with ideas that are relevant, and pursued through goals that can be measured. The church leader must be able to discern the times and help the church unite behind a single vision.
Implementation
If the vision of the church is to be achieved, the church leader must understand the steps necessary to formulate long and short term goals, implement them through action plans, budget for them, measure against them, and evaluate their effectiveness. Leading a church or a staff in the discipline of strategic planning is essential for missional church ministry.
Organization
A broad category of strategic leadership, but essential. Church leaders must be able to find and hire the right people—people with the competency, character and chemistry to fit well in the organization. Building a team that has relational integrity and unity takes time and intentionality. Creating a culture that is fun, productive, accountable, cooperative and authentic is the stuff of dreams for most employees, but the goal of good leaders. Additionally, establishing responsibilities and reporting structures that make sense and fit the individuals, creating salary structures that are equitable and motivating, creating positive accountability, and managing the inevitable flow of growth and change issues, are key elements of organizational leadership.
Emotional Leadership
In my studies, I have been impressed with the work of Daniel Goleman on Emotional Intelligence. His conclusions, while gained through research in for-profit firms, resonate with me in my own experience in churches and among church leaders. I believe that the ability to develop and demonstrate these qualities of emotional intelligence may be the difference between a good leader and a great leader.
Self-Awareness
Being honest with yourself and others; the ability to recognize what causes you to stumble and what helps you to thrive-guarding against the former and working toward the latter; a great sense of centeredness-knowing your own values and goals; the ability to accept failure, to admit a mistake, and to be human.
Self-Regulation
Good old-fashioned self-control; the ability to understand your impulses and control them; being able to talk yourself out of unhealthy emotions or responses; being introspective about the passions and motives that drive you; the ability to ask good questions, listen to others, make choices carefully, and create an environment of trust and fairness.
Motivation
Having a passion to succeed, to do whatever you are called to do with excellence; willing to rise to new challenges; unable to accept the status quo, but engaged with others in finding solutions; life-long learner; anxious to recognize and affirm the good work of others; committed to the mission of the organization.
Empathy
Taking the time to listen and understand others’ viewpoints, feelings, and needs; intuitively knowing what others are feeling and aware of the subtleties of body language and other emotional indicators; able to draw others out into safe environments; unhurried and interested in the life and opinions of others.
Social Skill
Being able to manage relationships, be friendly, connect people together, find common ground and build rapport with people; able to create positive community experience that is encouraging and affirming.
Emotional Intelligence is not “nice to have.” It is an essential ingredient in successful leaders.
