Where Have All the Leaders Gone?

In a recent Harvard Business Review blog post, Ron Ashkenas asked the question, “Where have all the leaders gone?” Admitting some nostalgia for the past, he nevertheless points out the low confidence ratings for the President, Congress, corporate leaders, and leaders in most segments of society. He goes on to comment on the large sums spent in recent decades on leadership development programs and wonders if we are getting our money’s worth.

Ashkenas suggests two possible reasons for the growing perception of leader ineffectiveness. Both may have implications for church leaders as well.

First, he suggests that “the velocity and volume of issues that leaders are confronted with today has increased substantially.” Leaders have always faced problems and change, but both seem to come more rapidly today with increased means of communication, short attention spans, a desire for “quick fixes,” and a growing consumer mentality even in the churches. There is little time for reflection and analysis about one issue before the leader is forced to move to another issue. This is especially tragic for the leader of a religious entity who needs to reflect on biblical and theological principles in making decisions.

May I suggest some responses to this situation? For one thing, a leader must learn to delegate. There are capable and informed people in the church—both clergy and laity—who may be better equipped to deal with certain issues. Give them that opportunity. Leaders must also let the technology that often intrudes on their lives work for them. Learn how to use e-mail, texting, and various applications to help you organize your digital input. Wise leaders will also adopt coaching principles that will help people to make decisions for themselves. Rather that coming up with a quick and often uninformed answer, learn how to ask good questions that will help people to discover solutions for themselves. Finally, make time for reflection and prayer. No one will give you this time. You must carve it out for yourself.

According to Ashkenas, a second reason for diminished confidence could be that “many of today’s leaders are overly concerned with the reactions of their stakeholders.” Certainly a leader needs to listen and be responsive, but the latest brushfire can often obscure the horizon that the leader must keep in view. Leaders must learn to categorize the comments and “advice” they receive. One way to do this is to ask such questions as, “Is this something that I need to address?” “Is this something that someone else can address?” and “Is this something that no one needs to address?” Choosing the right category requires both self-confidence and a commitment to the overall vision of the church or organization. This means that the church leader must learn to be a non-anxious presence amid the tumult of congregational life.

Despite the challenges of our time, I am convinced that the leaders are still there. You may very well be one of them.

Comments

Check these out

Confessions of a Recovering Southern Baptist

I am grateful for my heritage as a Southern Baptist. I was exposed to the Bible and worship from a very young age. I grew up in a church in south Alabama that supported the Cooperative Program of missions giving. This meant that our church had the benefit of being part of a supportive group of local churches and the educational opportunities that afforded. Our state convention provided varied and effective ministries with groups like orphans, ethnic groups, and college students. We supported missionaries at home and abroad. We had good Bible study and training literature (which we paid for, of course). I went to an accredited seminary and paid a remarkably low tuition. Wherever you went on a Sunday morning (in the Southeast and Southwest, at least), you could find a church that sang the familiar hymns and studied the same Bible lesson. In hindsight, I realize that this Southern Baptist utopia was imperfect. There were significant...

The Bible Tells Me So

As I read the story of the Good Samaritan during my devotional today, I was reminded of the times that I have heard the story in the Christian education setting of the local church--as a youngster in primary and intermediate classes (old terminology), as a young adult in college classes, and then as an adult, often teaching the passage myself. The characters and story line are very familiar due to these experiences of Christian education. These are challenging times for Christian education in the church. Like so much of what is happening in the church today, the old forms do not seem to support present needs. What once worked no longer seems to be effective. Christian education or the formation of believers is in a state of flux. In an article on ethicsdaily.com , retired professor Colin Harris addresses this issue. He points out that the period of the 60’s and 70’s “saw the beginnings of a loss of vitality within the educa...

Metaphors of the Kingdom of God

In a recent blog , consultant Seth Godin addresses the power of metaphor. He points out, “The best way to learn a complex idea is to find it living inside something else you already understand.” In other words, “this” is like “that.” “When you see a story, an example, a wonderment,” says Godin, “take a moment to look for the metaphor inside.” Jesus turned this around. In the use of parables, he told a story or provided a metaphor and challenged his hearers to see the truth within. For example, in his teaching on the Kingdom (or Reign) of God in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus compares the Kingdom to such things as a mustard seed, yeast, a hidden treasure, a net, a king, and a landowner. His hearers are encouraged to use their imaginations to understand something that they had never experienced. He also attempted to shift their perspective so that they might see signs of the Kingdom breaking into their present reality. These are metapho...

The Tragedy of Willow Creek Community Church

File photo of Steve Carter, Heather Larson, and Bill Hybels As Christian brothers and sisters, we need to pray for Willow Creek Community Church. On the eve of the Global Leadership Summit, a worldwide conference sponsored by the church in cooperation with the Willow Creek Association, church leadership imploded as a result of further allegations against former pastor Bill Hybels. Last year, Hybels introduced the team who would assume church leadership upon his retirement--lead pastor Heather Larson and teaching pastor Steve Carter. Although the founding pastor planned to stay on to assist in a time of transition, reports of sexual impropriety involving Hybels surfaced early this year. He accelerated his departure from the church and left the board of the Willow Creek Association. When other charges emerged last week, teaching pastor Carter resigned. On Wednesday evening, Larson and the entire elder board--lay leaders who provide accountability ...

A Future for the Global Leadership Summit?

Craig Groeschel, the founder and senior pastor of Life.Church. The Global Leadership Summit which began as a project of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois, and its founding pastor, Bill Hybels, over 25 years ago was held this week without Hybels. For several years, the GLS has been now produced by the Willow Creek Association, a spin-off organization and a loose network of churches but Hybels has been its driving force. Attended by thousands at the church facility in South Barrington and broadcast to thousands more at satellite locations, the annual meeting brings together not only evangelical leaders but outstanding speakers from business, charitable organizations, politics, and business. For the first time, Hybels did not appear due to allegations of sexual impropriety brought against him over the past year by former employees, staff members, and business associates. He has already left the church and resigned from the board of t...

Barnabas File

Search This Blog