A half dozen hot takes

Recent conversations, news updates, and articles have created a flood of information I’ve been processing over the last few weeks. That means it's time for a few more leadership hot takes.

Leadership is a function, not a position. I can’t recall where I first read or heard that. However, it’s been present in my mind recently as I and others have recalled various ministry experiences. We don’t have to be at the top of the org chart to lead. If we understand that leadership, defined as behavioral influence, is a function, we can exercise that without being the one “in charge.” When those in our realm of influence ask questions, seek guidance, or simply want to dump on us, the way we respond and the counsel we offer is an exercise of leadership.

Leadership is a responsibility we steward, not a right we exercise. During the four years I was planting and leading Crosspointe, the church we planted in Arizona, countless pastor friends would say, “It would be great not to be bound by decades of tradition or restrictive bylaws” or “I would love to have the freedom to do what I want.” My response was always a variation of the same theme. “The freedom is nice. But it brings a load of responsibility. If someone in our church has a jacked-up theology, there’s no one else I can blame for that.”

Additionally, without a larger structure, sizable staff, or written constitution and bylaws, the responsibility of guarding the mission and vision of the church fell on me. Five different times in two years, I had to ward off both subtle and substantial attacks on our mission and vision. In all five instances, I did it rather harshly and quickly. Only one of those confrontations resulted in the person repenting and getting back on board. The other four and their families left. A failure to exercise that responsibility may have resulted in a few people adding to the crowd at the moment, but it would have surely doomed us.

Leaders must not care too much about what others think. A good reputation is vital. The Bible tells us that (Proverbs 22:1; Ecclesiastes 7:1). However, an obsessive concern with what others think of us can become harmful idolatry. If we resort to people-pleasing, we can easily veer off track from the mission and vision we are leading the church, nonprofit, professional practice, or volunteer team to pursue. We can unwittingly surrender our leadership to the will of others if making them happy becomes our primary concern.

Fear will never drive us to a good decision. That phrase is one of my axiomatic mantras. I may be muttering that in a nursing home one day when I no longer remember my name. It’s that ingrained in me. I’ve known pastors whose fears cause them to surrender leadership of the church to others who may seem to have good intentions but have a very different mission and vision they are pursuing, sometimes unwittingly. I’ve also witnessed churches allow fears to drive them to inaction and ineffective irrelevance.

Culture is cultivated over time, not created by a mandate. A leader is wise to be clear not only about the mission or vision we are pursuing but also about the culture we are striving to cultivate with those we lead. However, that culture doesn’t merely result because we say it does. That culture, by definition, results from a repeated pattern of behaviors consistent with stated values. Like statements of mission and vision, these stated values can’t be mere words on a website or buried in a document. We must apply them as tools to our decision-making and actions. In time, those repeated behaviors result in a culture that results in greater momentum in our pursuit of the mission and vision.

Resilience is essential for effective leadership. When I worked in trucking operations management, decisions often had to be made immediately. Who takes what, where, and when were decisions I made all day, every day. I sometimes made 30 - 50 of those decisions in eight or nine hours. I did not have the luxury of extended reflective rumination. And back in the day, before text messaging, cell phones, or satellite communication systems, once I hung up the phone, that decision was irreversible. It was an environment fraught with error. When I made mistakes, I could not wallow in paralyzing regret. I had to add experience to my decision-making process and make a better decision next time.

What about you? Which of these principles reveal a need for growth for you? Who are the trusted friends you can bring into that conversation? How can you create your growth plan to begin to address these needs in a systematic process?

Enjoy your weekend!

Is there leadership insight you would like to share? I am contemplating using this December as an opportunity for you to hear from other voices. If you’re up for that, email me. Let’s talk about it. Of course, I’ll reserve the right to say, “No,” and trust you’re mature enough to respect that.

The views and opinions expressed in my Thursday Thoughts on Leadership are my own. They do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, or policies of the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina or any affiliated churches.