I Don't Want to be a Leader
Posted January 20th, 2009 by Keith Howard
Skimming through Coaching and Mentoring for Dummies a couple of observations leapt out.
"The vast majority of managers tend to function more as doers than as coaches."
And, "A track record of coaching and developing others and functioning as a real leader aren't usually major prerequisites for advancement."
I felt a light bulb go on.
I wonder how many get into the order of ministry/church business because of an initial attraction to things like biblical study, theological questions, spiritual inquiry or a deep desire to care for people. In our heart of hearts we did not really sign up to be a church leader or church builder/entrepreneur. And, like those in engineering, IT, law and other disciplines, when continuing educational opportunities arise we gravitate to courses in our first love and that which initially brought us success.
Many of us use the summer or other times to attend courses to, we say, get "caught up." In fact, it more often feels like easing back into a warm bath and being able to relax with the things we really do know about and with which we feel familiar. Finally, a moment of peace away from a congregation with all of its conflicting personalities and messy issues, few of which for which I was trained!
The problem now is that leadership is being thrust upon congregational and church leaders at a rate and with an intensity not seen for decades. The pressure generated by decreasing financial and membership numbers has increased the demand for congregations to really know their strengths, gifts and calling. The slippage in clarity that abundance allows is no longer sustainable theologically or organizationally.
The church desperately yearns for leadership that goes beyond technical questions in any of the traditional disciplines. Oh, not that those disciplines are not important; just that they are only a part of the real job of being an effective congregational leader. And to make matters worse people like me turn up the heat, travelling the country proclaiming that "leadership is the most critical issue before us!"
The encouraging thing for me is that increasingly people are coming to that point of saying, "OK, this may not be exactly what I signed up for but if this is what is required I will do my best to learn what I need to in order to increase my effectiveness and enhance the ministry of the church." We can learn. We can do better and, ironically, with the new skills often comes greater emotional room to pursue our core passions.
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Comments
I think that you're on to
I think that you're on to something, Keith - and I think that it points to the wisdom of team churches; even Cathedral style churches that can afford three and four paid accountable ministers. This allows the community to hire a sage, who offers time of study and reflection; a preacher/liturgist who creates worship experiences; a pastor who connects with people in the particularlity of their lives - and a leader who helps to make real the vision of the Gospel as it meets the collective vision of the community.
Most churches that I have experienced have 1 or 1 and 3/4 paid accountable minister(s) trying to cover all of the ground - and the simple truth is that the skills are rarely complimentary and often contradictory.
To make it work we would need to begin to close churches to create churches that can afford multiple staff (probably enviornmentally responsible too) - and even more importantly we would need to train people to work in teams and teach congregations how to work with teams.... it really is a different way of doing things.
Norm
Hmmm Sounds good!
Personally I have found our little three way amalgamation in Winnipeg fits this quite nicely.
Tonight we are working on a JNAC for staff postion(s) 3 (or 3.x-4.x). The trick is structuring the staff model to cover all those bases now. Wish us luck!
Bassic
Teams - do we want them either?
Norm, I agree with your thoughts on team leadership. Strongly rooted, at least in my mind, in the New Testament language around spiritual gifts. Reading 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12 sometimes feels like cutting edge leadership material.
However, I was given pause today. Coincidentally I had lunch with a friend who pushed the fundamental point of the blog even further.
Do you think most paid accountable really want to or are able to work in teams? she asked.
Actually I think they do, as long as we are talking about real and vibrant teams and not just Lone Riders who happen to hitch their horses on the same post for a few moments a week and then ride off to do their own thing in isolation.
Scrawny weakling
Keith, I 'm terrible at sprts metaphors, due to my fitting into the catagory above through childhood and not playing team sports, but here goes.
The staff need to be a team (like in sports). And some staff play defence while other play offense (like 1 Cor 12). Makes for a nice game and no one hogs the puck (I think Don Cherry said that was a bad thing)
But the trick to making it work, to avoiding the once a week hitching post, is in Norm's blog yesterday. Listen to the people. Or more sportingly have a tough coach (aka board / council) that knows what it wants, supports the leadership in getting it, and will make you do Hail Mary's if you hold back on the ice (what is the appropriate punishment for Protestants? We don't do Hail Marys and I shudder even at typing #^# {look at your keyboard}).
So strong coaches, good specialized players, and an nice big rink to play in.
Go team UC.
Bassic
Teams
I think that most trained paid accountables don't really want to work in team - the fragile ego that often comes with this calling or often inspires folks to pursue a calling in the church, makes it very hard to let go of "look at me.... look at me". We may call it other things, but to me it always appears to be a need for attention or control.
I also think that most paid accountables lack the tools for effective team ministry because they aren't trained in team ministry. Too often we do our separate jobs in tandem... but it alwasy seems like the other guy/gal's doing all of the steering, while you're pedaling your butt off. There is very little real collaboration, often a lack of mutual support, and no realization that team ministry requires time that is dedicated to the team, not just the needs of the church community.
I confess to being less than ideal when it comes to working in team, but I try to get better.... and when I fall short in collaboration, I try to at least make up for it in support. One day, I'll get it... Far too many of us talk a good game: We say all the right things in visioning moments or job interviews, but when all is said and done, we revert back to the lone theology student trying to impress professor (or later, congregation so that we might get a good mark.
But... even as I think that I am getting better (you would get a better indication by asking the other members of our team), I believe that many of us are also learning to be "team" ministers.
Many of us may not really aspire to team ministry...
but I think that the Gospel calls for it
and the church needs it.
But I could be wrong (the first thing one must learn when working in a team)
Norm
whoa....only leaders are those that are paid?
Whoa? Since when are the leaders in the church only those in paid accountable positions?
To me, the challenge is learning how to be a facilitator that can guide a volunteer leadership pool, calling them to ministry, supporting them spiritually with the wisdom learned through networks & past calls.
Most leaders in corporate worlds have struggled with many of the same issues of dwindling resources, motivating people, ethical decisions. They come to church to be nurtured. Nurture them and let them use their leadership in ethical ways...spirit filled ways, and watch the church come alive.