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Leading effectively (even if you’re outsmarted)

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IQ not high enough? Lack a special talent? Can’t woo a room with your command of the English language? Can’t connect all the dots from vision to strategy? If so, you’re not alone – and, these things don’t automatically disqualify you from leadership. You simply have to work more intentionally. Below are eight hints for leading effectively, even if you’re not the most effective person at the leadership table.

I’m one of those guys. I don’t have a specific talent. I’m not all that smart (students who were “under the influence” in high school had higher SAT scores than me).  But, God has still provided me opportunities to lead. And when He has, I’ve had to do my part to use what God has given me, for His glory.

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The Cost of ‘Arriving’ in Ministry

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Are you a better minister this year than you were last year? What are you doing to ensure you are? I’ve heard leadership gurus ask, “Can you get just 5% better this year as a leader?”

In his book, Elevate, Rich Horwath talks about the lack of intentional improvement amongst leaders. I think his ideas also apply to ministry leaders.

Horwath explains how many professionals, especially athletes, spend 90% of their time practicing and only 10% performing in competition. Amongst business executives, that number is reversed. In fact, as Horwath points out, research from a recent HR study shows that senior executives receive the least amount of training of all company employees, and close to half of those received no training or development during the past year.

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Why You Should Waste Church Resources

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It’s hard to walk away from something that’s taken a significant investment of time and resources. But I’m learning in my position as executive pastor (and it’s likely applicable for other ministry leadership positions), the investment of time into things that never see the light of day is actually me doing my job effectively.

I assume all leaders are frustrated by sunk costs. But, as ministry leaders, should we not embrace them? Or at least embrace the process which often leads to them?

Last year, I was significantly involved in two minister searches for our church. Each process took more than four months. It included countless calls, flying to their homes, and flying them to our church. I’d count up the hours I spent in this process, but it might make me nauseous. When we got down to the last stage of selection, it was determined the match wasn’t best. All the work invested tempted me to pull the trigger anyway… “I can’t walk away from this, I have too much invested.” But we knew something wasn’t right. We didn’t feel this was what God had for us, or for the candidate. It was hard for all involved, but I’m confident the time and resources of the selection process helped us avoid the wrong hire.

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