Leadership Strategies - by F. Joe Ellis

In part one of this series, we discuss the Importance of Leadership Development. In part two, we cover the Importance of Leading through Teams. In this final lesson, there are three areas pertaining to the selection of a team member that we target:

1. To remind those who serve in Christian leadership just how serious of a matter it really is.

2. To assist those who have the responsibility of selecting team leaders, as well as team members.

Every decision in the kingdom of God , regardless of the reason, should be made very carefully and with much prayer. Never is this truer than in the selection process of Christian leadership, at any level. As stated in an earlier lesson, Jesus clearly demonstrates this by spending all night in prayer before choosing the twelve apostles that would soon lead HIS church. (Luke 6:12-13)

Leadership is not a modern day phenomenon- it is a divine principle and a reality of life! Because of this, its importance and potential, whether for the positive or negative, should never be minimized or underestimated. There will always be a leader where ever there are people gathered, regardless if they are chosen or not.

Have you ever observed a group of children playing together? It only takes a minute or two until one of them is leading what the rest of them will do. We have all heard the accounts of the young soldier who, without the rank of a leader, at a decisive moment in battle, took personal responsibility for the safety of his comrades and by his bravery led his squad to victory.

From the playground to the battlefield, by choice or by force, regardless of culture, nationality, geographic location or social status every person on planet earth is directly or indirectly affected by those who are in leadership.

Biblical and secular history both records the thrill of victory as a result of good leadership. Unfortunately, it also records the heart wrenching agony of those who were victims because of bad leadership. Without question, this was one of the very first leadership lessons Jesus wanted his young team to understand. Shortly after choosing them (Luke 6:12-16), Jesus asked two emphatic questions. (Verse 39)

· A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. (NKJV)

What a sobering TRUTH! Everyone is affected, to the good or the bad, by those who lead and influence their life. When leaders fall, they will always take innocent lives with them. Sometimes the victims are their own family members, sometimes it is members of their church family. Entire nations of people have suffered greatly at the failure of leadership. Just ask Egypt , Israel , Babylon , Germany or

Iraq

, only to name a few!

Let this be a warning to us all, history clearly proves that leaders who fail to apply the biblical principles of leadership, as taught and exampled by Jesus, will ultimately fail as a leader. Those who have eyes to read… let them also understand!

In his best selling book Good to Great, Jim Collins names eleven out of over three hundred companies that his research team qualifies as those who made the leap to greatness. Of the eleven, all have C.E.O.’s who excel in their ability to evaluate and recruit talent. It is my personal opinion that Collins’ principle of who first… then what is very biblical and one of the most important principles to understand in selecting leadership as well as team members. Collins explains it this way…

· First Who… Get the right people on the bus. Then build a superior executive team.

· Then What… Once you have the right people in place, figure out the best path to greatness.

The steal company Nucor who is one of the eleven good to great companies rejected the old adage that people are your most important asset. In a good to great transformation, people are not your most important asset. The right people are! (My emphasis) Each C.E.O. understood that without right people, it does not matter how noble or big your vision is. That is why professional sports teams will pay multi-million dollar salaries to people who have a proven tract record in their ability to evaluate talent.

In the kingdom of God , the selection of a leadership team is crucial to the success of any local church. The decision to add ministries should always begin by first addressing the who question. Unless there is someone that will take responsibility of its success and lead, the chances of survival, regardless of its importance, are slim at best. That is exactly why so many well thought up ministries have died shortly after they were launched.

Smaller churches in a sincere desire to be more effective often make the mistake of adding ministries long before they have the right people in place to lead them. Too often, the same handful of faithful people are used to do everything. That is like a few parts of the body doing everything that needs to be done in the body. It is just not possible.

When God created the body he designed each part to be unique in gifting and responsibility. So it is in the body of Christ. When people are asked to do things outside of their personal gifting, they will be mediocre at best. Be sure of one thing, if God is calling your church to expand its ministry, their will always be the right person available to lead it. They may need to be discovered and trained, but they will be there.

The best thing anyone can do for their local church is to function in their God given gifts. If there are people in the church who are better qualified than yourself, do not make your pastor feel pressured to keep you in a position simply because you were there first! That is the epitome of pride and selfishness. Not only will it keep others from exercising their God given gifts, but it will also keep you from doing what God has uniquely gifted you to do. Ultimately the church is hindered and souls will be lost!

So what should you look for in people when selecting the who for your Pastoral Staff, Maintenance Team, Sunday School Team, Music Ministry, Evangelism Team, Guest Relations Team, etc.? Obviously, the list is endless when it comes to identifying the specific needs of a local church. Just as every team will have their own unique function, they also will have their own unique needs. This must be understood to effectively connect the right people with the right team. As Jim Collins puts it, many times the right people are already on the bus, they are just in the wrong seat!

In closing out this series, I would like to offer four very basic but key characteristics that are necessary components to an effective team. It is my firm conviction, that of all that could be listed Character, Commitment, Competence and Chemistry are the four that are absolutely necessary!

· Character more than any other quality reveals a person’s relationship with God.

· It is an attitude of willingness, loyalty, an attitude of a servant, not a lord.

· Uncommitted people are unwilling be inconvenienced, unless it is for their idea.

· Uncommitted people are easily offended, especially if they do not get their way.

· No one would want an unskilled surgeon operating on them, regardless of how much integrity they have.

· Communication skills and personality traits are key components to having the right chemistry with other team members. People’s personality struggles when meeting new people would probably not work well on guest relations teams.

· Some things are genetic in people and can not be taught. It would not be wise to put someone that can not keep time playing the drums.

He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds: From following the ewe’s great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance. So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.

Do not be fooled! Character and Commitment are heart issues that reveal a persons personal relationship with God. Jesus said that we know them by the fruit that they bare. In twenty five years of pastoral ministry, I have never known the fruit of people’s lives to lie. It reveals what they are.

On the other hand, Competence and Chemistry are ability issues that identify one’s skill level. Be aware that many times that what appears to be incompetence is simply a learning problem that can be corrected. However, there are times when it is the results of genetics and DNA. It is important to know the difference!

Jesus was truly the Master in everyway, The Master Teacher, The Master Mentor, The Master Team Builder and The Master Team Player! He so teamed up with HIS body, the church, that HE does nothing without it. (Ephesians 1:23; 3:20) HE gave gifts unto men, not unto angels. Those gifts were so designed and given to every man as HE wills to work through a unified body. (Ephesians 4:8-16) Jesus not only chose twelve… but HE also chose you! For you to truly grasp that and respond accordingly is my prayer! Until next time…