Leadership Principles
Here’s what I’m learning as a lead pastor of a multi-staff church:
1. Don’t let things fester. If there’s a problem, address it quickly. As soon as I hear that there are people asking other people about church leadership decisions, I call them and do what I can to address their questions personally. It keeps me on my toes and lets them know we have nothing to hide.
2. Concerns should be directed to those with whom you have concerns. I can’t count the number of times I’ve listened to someone rant about something ‘somebody’ said without talking to that ‘somebody’ about it. Whenever someone wants to talk to me about something another staff member has said I kindly re-direct them to that staff member first. I may seem un-empathetic but it keeps small things from being blown out of proportion.
3. Model behaviours you want to see in others. I had a mentor who would often say, “do what I say not what I do.” It was a joke but it was also a bad leadership principle. My leadership starts when no one else is around. If I want the staff and congregation to learn about living sacrificially, then I’d better be modeling it when no one is watching.
4. Trust is paramount. I innately trust the staff I work with. I assume they are capable and responsible to manage their time, budgets, and ministries. I see my role as being their cheerleader and coach. I applaud them in the tough times and I help them see potential blind spots. However, if they can’t stay on budget or I hear rumblings and unrest from the people with whom they minister, I take note and use the trust we’ve built to have the hard conversations.
