4 Necessary Mindsets for Developing Transformational Leadership
Leadership development is vital to church health.
I am convinced that gifted and well-equipped leadership is absolutely essential for every church. Biblical leadership is taught clearly in the Scriptures but perhaps often lost in the application of the local church.
Second Timothy 2:2 says, “And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” Here we see the transference of the core teachings of our faith to new leaders who will teach others.
This is biblical leadership development.
Now, it’s interesting, I have not always thought that leadership was a big deal. As a matter of fact, as I was writing a book with Mike Dodson a few years ago called Comeback Churches, I was really hoping we would find that it was just not true—that everything did not, in fact, “rise and fall on leadership.”
I was honestly tired of all the pithy leadership-related quotes that are venerated in church life, and I was looking for a reason to write them off.
Once we began the research and writing of the book, however, there was no denying that leadership was absolutely critical for revitalizing churches. The right leader turned out to be key to the process, so I gained a new appreciation for leadership. Keep reading
13 Signs of Leadership Fatigue
Leadership is sometimes wearisome – so wearisome that we come close to giving up. Over the years, I’ve watched leaders slide into defeat, and I’ve seen some of these common signs of trouble.
I list these symptoms of “leadership fatigue” here not to discourage you, but instead to help you recognize them, address them, and move forward. At the end of this post, tell us how we might pray for you if you see yourself in this list. Keep reading
Eight Reasons Ministry Leaders Lose Their Drive
I love listening to pastors and church staff. Most of them offer great ministry insights and practical advice. Over the past few years, I have been asking ministry leaders a series of open-end questions. Though my methodology is more anecdotal than scientifically based, the responses I receive are invaluable to me as leader. I think they may be helpful to you as well.
One of the questions I asked was: “Have you ever lost your leadership drive? If so, what were the reasons for it?”
Almost all of the ministry leaders responded affirmatively. They indeed had lost their leadership drive at some point in their lives. And the majority identified a single reason for their diminished drive, though a number identified multiple reasons.
In this article, I identify the top eight responses in order of frequency. Some of the responses may not be mutually exclusive, but I still separate them into distinct categories. Keep reading
7 Ways To Respond When You Want to Punch Someone—And You’re a Christian
Feel like you want to punch someone? Or at least not deal with them anymore?
What do you do when the person in question goes to your church?
How do you handle that tension when you’re a…Christian?
It’s strange, but being a Christian doesn’t automatically make you good at resolving conflict. In fact, many Christians and many churches are terrible at it.
Unresolved—or poorly resolved—conflict sinks a lot of potential in the church. It also causes thousands of staff and volunteers to leave every year. And it makes millions of church goers simply miserable.
Fun isn’t it?
Chances are you already know exactly what I’m talking about. Even better. You know exactly who I’m talking about. Keep reading
How to Find a Mentor
Last week I was asked a question I’ve been asked before, probably over a thousand times before. This time the question came from a young man in ministry in Central America. He’d grown up in the foster care system, without many male role models in his life. He wanted to know how he could find someone to mentor and disciple him. Maybe you’re in a similar situation. If so, here’s what I’d say. Keep reading
7 Examples of Shallow Leadership
Growing in our leadership abilities — including growing in the knowledge of leadership and the relational aspect of leadership– should be a goal for every leader.
Sadly, many leaders settle for status quo leadership rather than stretching themselves to continually improve. They remain oblivious to the real health of their leadership and the organizations they lead. They may get by — people may say things are “okay” — but it isn’t excellent.
I call it shallow leadership.
Perhaps you’ve seen this before in leadership. Maybe you’ve been guilty of providing shallow leadership. For a season, at least. I certainly have.
Still wondering what shallow leadership looks like?
Here are 7 characteristics of shallow leadership.... Keep reading
Are You Putting Your Team in Danger?
Being resolute means you are purposeful, determined, and unwavering in your commitment. Would your team describe you as this kind of leader?
The team you lead needs a leader who is all in. Resolved. Determined. Committed. No excuses and no wavering from the mission. Anything less is hurting your team. How determined are you to lead?
There are always reasons to give up and quit as a leader. The critics are real and the problems can be overwhelming. The challenges of change are a constant reminder that there is no room for complacency. Your team requires a leader that is all in, resolved to move the mission and organization forward no matter what the challenges. Keep reading
Networking When You Hate Talking to Strangers
The power of serendipity is hot in business circles. Silicon Valley campuses have been constructed to foster more “random collisions.” One key to creativity, many thinkers say, is unexpected interactions. “Create spaces where you’re wandering around and exposing yourself to new people,” John Hagel of Deloitte’s Center for the Edge told me in an interview. And venture capitalist Anthony Tjan and his colleagues conducted an expansive survey of entrepreneurs that revealed a quarter of them self-identified as lucky and traced their success to embracing serendipitous encounters.
All that is well and good – for people who don’t mind talking to strangers. But as an introvert, one of the situations I hate most is making small talk with people I don’t know. Here’s how I’ve managed to strike the balance between meeting new people – and being exposed to interesting new ideas – and not having to initiate awkward conversations. Keep reading
Pastoring Your Church through a Leader’s Misconduct
Tips for a redemptive response
When the assistant pastor called the church’s key leaders to his house for an urgent meeting, my husband and I both suspected something serious had happened. We could not have guessed just how serious. Once all 20 of us had packed into the living room, our senior pastor came in and simply said, “I have something to tell you.”
His subsequent admission of marital infidelity made sense of his angry outbursts, controlling behavior, and whimsical abandonment of several key programs. Though we felt relief to finally understand what had been propelling his perplexing conduct over the past year, his confession plunged the church into a season of chaos.
Each year an alarming number of churches will face a similar situation. Based on a 2005-2006 study done by the Francis Schaeffer Institute, more than 30 percent of all pastors have admitted to having either an ongoing affair or a one-time sexual encounter with a parishioner during their tenure. (And of course sexual misconduct is but one of the ways that a leader can disqualify himself or herself.) Despite the fact that this situation happens far too often, “pastoring your church through trauma” is not a class taught in many seminaries or church growth conferences. Keep reading
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