I’d like to offer a little series on the subject of leadership and explore some aspects of leadership that maybe don’t get as much coverage as others. It may be that some unrelated blog posts fall in during the series but we shall see how far this series might go.
First up… How we lead others is shaped in many ways by how we are being led. I’ve never noticed this idea in the books on leadership that I have read (and I used to read many). Maybe it was there and I did not make a conscious note of it. In my first position, I had 6 supervisors in just under 10 years. That sort of turnover was difficult at times. All of them had their strengths and weaknesses. The majority were competent ministers in their areas of expertise. One was out of his depth, meaning he simply did not have the gift set to be in the position he found himself. This was evidenced by a very short tenure on that staff. Another was a scoundrel who later ended up in jail. I’ll leave those two out of my reflections on leadership. I have had three further supervisors in my subsequent two positions who have been outstanding leaders each with their own style. The nature of their leadership though is what I believe shapes how we lead others. I am not sure what it is like when you are the top dog in an organization – except for speculating that your leadership is likely shaped by the leaders you surround yourself with. So, how are we affected by those who lead us? Here are just a few ways that come to my mind based on experience.
1. Tone. The tone of our leadership is often set by those who lead us. Is there a sense of urgency for the gospel or for growth? In one position I worked under a sense of urgency to grow the youth group to a size that was more inline with the size and scope of the church. In another, the urgency was for sharing the gospel with those who had not heard it. These were urgencies that I shared but they were very much coming from the top. Are we aggressive leaders or passive? Or are we passive-aggressive? I have worked for all three types of leaders in this regard. Aggressive leaders have pushed me to set goals and have had annual reviews with me. With passive leaders we have a casual chat about how I am doing. The aggressive leaders I have worked with will reward success with pay raises or find some means to recognize success. These leaders have stretched me the most and caused me to do some of my best work. Working under a passive-aggressive leader is a less than positive experience. I have only been in that situation briefly twice.
2. Style. The leadership style that leads us is often reflected in our own style. If we are led by someone highly relational, it’s easier for us to invest in people and be relational. If that person is more project and task driven, we will often respond accordingly. Collaborative leaders are very different to work for than benevolent dictators. I have worked for both and my leadership style has varied accordingly. The reality for me has been that it is very difficult to lead in a style different to how I am being led.
3. Values. Leaders in ministry, though they may hold identical theological views, will vary in what they value as evidenced by their priorities in meetings. Some staffs spend much time in prayer on a regular basis. Others pray less often or more briefly. Similarly some staffs spend lots of time studying scripture together and others simply might do a brief Bible reading when together if at all. Any of these would tell you that bible study and prayer are vital to ministry, but the real values are reflected in what we devote our time to. If I am being led by those who pray often and pray hard, it will be reflected in how I lead others. We will pray often and hard. Same goes for studying scripture together, sharing our lives, having fun together, and so on.
Perhaps some people can lead in ways different to that which they are led. I find I am not one of those. My friend Andy Morgan who used to teach our apprenticeship course would often counsel potential youth ministers to seek a leader to work for. The job or the church was less important than who you are going to work under. He recognizes that our leaders shape our ministries. So, what is a person to do if they are being led in a way that does not really fit their own leadership tendencies? I would suggest getting a leadership coach or mentor who can help shape you or you may have to change positions.
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