Why do Ministry leaders exist?
Image via WikipediaWHY DO LEADERS EXIST? This is perhaps one of the most simple yet profound questions we can ask about leadership. But until we answer this foundational question, leadership tips and techniques won’t make much sense.
My answer to the question is this: LEADERS EXIST TO CREATE A SHIFT IN REALITY.
SHIFT THE DRIFT Without leaders, things drift along. Every stream has a current. Throw a twig or a piece of paper into the water, and it will drift with the flow. This is natural. It is simply the way things work.
Organizations and churches are similar to streams. They too have a flow. That flow is the organization’s culture. When people enter into that culture, they usually move along with the current. It is called “the drift.”
Do you want to know what the drift is in your organization? Ask, “What are people saying about [fill in the blank]?”
For example, I used to have a colleague that no one respected. You could often hear his peers and subordinates say things like:
· “He’s always late to meetings.”
· “He never follows up on his assignments.”
· “He has zero influence with his boss.”
· “He is smart but lazy.”
You get the idea. These words revealed what people actually thought. It wasn’t evil; it was simply the drift. But this is just an example. There’s a drift about everything: customers, authors, suppliers, employees, management, policies, etc.
The problem is that the drift can work against what you are trying to accomplish as a leader. Unfortunately, leaders rarely think about this. Yet it is a key component of effective leadership.
To put it simply: As a leader, your job is to swim against the current and shape the drift, so that it works for you, rather than against you. To do so requires at least five steps:
- Become aware of the drift. This is a huge challenge, because, as leaders, we swim in the same current as everyone else. It is easy to become unconscious about what is happening around us. It takes effort to wake up and become aware.
- Assess the specific nature of the drift. It’s worth writing down exactly what you are hearing people say. It’s especially helpful to pull your team together and ask them what they are hearing about a particular topic. Make a list.
- Determine that you will change the drift. If you don’t like the drift, you can change it. This is the power of leadership. But it doesn’t just happen. It takes intention, effort, and persistence.
- Define precisely what you want the drift to be. When you assume your first assignment as a pastor in 2011, you need to do an informal audit of your culture. Create two columns on a piece of paper. On the left-hand side, write down the drift—what people thought about the ministry. On the right-hand side, you write down what you wanted the drift to be—for example: you may want people to think about the ministry going forward. You can’t change something unless you know where it is and where you want it to go.
- Conspire with your leadership team to shift the drift. This is where it gets fun. You can get results faster than you think. But you have to make sure everyone is on the same page. You must intentionally start re-directing the drift and moving it in a positive direction.
For example: a Christian Minister who has a growing young church and who usually has brilliant ideas was both engaging and convincing. But he also had a dark control streak where he was excessively demanding and especially arrogant. When he was arrogant, watch out for what he said.
Unfortunately, as time moves on, the drift will begin to pool around these latter characteristics. As a result, no one will want to work with him. He will be labelled got labeled as “high maintenance.” Worse, as a result of our attitude, he became even more high maintenance—or so it seemed.
Remember we can be as guilty as any one because we can set the tone. People listen to what you say and started moving in that direction. Such is the power of leadership. So you need to begin by taking responsibility for the problem.
When you realize what is happening and your attitude is not helping anyone, in fact is working against what you really want to accomplish. So rather than continue to drift with the current, you begin intentionally looking for opportunities to make positive comments about this person. You ignore the negative comments that others make. Subtly, people’s perceptions will begin to shift.
As leaders, we can’t afford to drift with the current. We have to intentionally direct it, so that we can accomplish the bigger vision to which we are called.
The drift doesn’t have to be an obstacle. If intentionally directed, it can become a powerful tool for bring about organizational change.
CHANGING THE DIRECTION OF THE DRIFT Streams go where they want to go, following the path of least resistance. However, when this is not desirable—or acceptable—you hire, elect, or appoint a leader. The leader’s job is to overcome resistance and make things flow in a different direction. His or her job is to create a different reality.
SO HOW DO YOU CREATE A SHIFT IN THE STATUS QUO?
Identify what needs to change. This is commonly called the situation analysis. What is unacceptable about your current environment? What frustrates you? What disappoints you? What needs to change?
- Determine the outcome you are after. This is what is commonly called vision. Getting clear on the what is more important than understanding how you are going to get there. What do you want to create in the place of the status quo?
- Decide how you will achieve your outcome. This is what is commonly called strategy. There are numerous ways to get to the same destination. Good leaders pick the one that will produce the results they are after in the most economical way.
- Create an action plan. It is not enough to determine your vision and decide on a strategy, you must carefully craft an action plan with specific milestones and due dates. You have to be able to chart your progress.
- As you go through this process, you must enroll your team. This is the mark of great leaders. If you don’t do this, you can expect resistance. And, it’s not because your people are rebellious, lazy, or stupid. It’s because you didn’t do your job as a leader.
With a clear plan, and an aligned team, you can move mountains.
