A man rushed up to a woman standing beside a road and
asked, “Did a large group of people just pass by here?” She replied, “Yes, they went that way,” as
she pointed over her shoulder. “Good. I’m their leader.” We have heard some
variation of this story many times. One
thing it teaches us is that people will often move ahead even if a leader is
not involved. Whether they are moving in
the right direction is another matter.
My experience tells me that staff teams—in churches,
denominations, and not-for-profits—really do want leaders. They expect the leader to identify a
direction, set the pace, and provide the resources and encouragement needed to
move forward. If the leader fails to do
these things, then the situation can become very chaotic.
This is especially true of pastoral leaders or the person
we identify as the “lead pastor” in a congregation. Although the people that he or she works with
may be more talented and experienced in their respective ministries, they
instinctively know that they need a leader, a “first among equals” who will
help them to do their best work for the church.
How does a pastor become this kind of leader? First, he or she must be secure in his or her
own sense of calling to ministry. This
comes from identifying the circumstances and embracing the spiritual journey
that has led the person into a pastoral role.
Second, the pastoral leader must know herself of
himself. What gifts have been manifest
in one’s life or ministry? What are the
basic values and core beliefs that provide a foundation for one’s life? What are the pastor’s strengths?
Third, the pastoral leader needs the wisdom to know what
he or she does well and the humility to ask for help in areas of weakness. If a person knows his or her strengths, then
he or she will know the kind of people they need around them to compensate for
their deficiencies.
Fourth, a pastor must know his or her conflict management
style. Are you one who addresses conflict
directly or one who avoids it? Do you
seek “win-lose” or “win-win” situations?
We often tend to think of pastors dealing with conflict situations
primarily in relation to church members, but a pastor who does not know how to
address conflict within a staff will be a poor leader, failing the staff team
and the church.
Fifth, a lead pastor must be able to recognize when he or
she is stressed. This is different for
each of us. It may mean we eat too much
or too little. A stressed person may
sleep too much or not be able to sleep at all.
Know your body well enough to recognize stress and find ways to address
it before it becomes debilitating.
Sixth, a pastor must find the help he or she needs to be
an effective pastoral leader. Such help
is available through peer groups, continuing education programs and coaching
relationships. Anyone can be a better
leader and the resources are available to make that happen.
Are you ready to lead?
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