“I did not know there was a woman’s conference in October,” said a group of ladies at a denominational district meeting I attended last month. About five women (out of the ten attending) shared that they had not heard about the event the denomination had planned. In fact, one woman lived in the town where the conference occurred.  

            That story illustrates, I think, the need for a new type of marketing that exists now in our culture.[1] People are busy and have many different ways information is communicated to them. People receive print mail, phone calls, text messages, emails, Facebook updates, Instagram posts, X tweets, direct messages, app notifications, and many other methods of communication.

            What do churches do with this new situation we find ourselves in as we try to promote our ministries and events to people that are too busy to hear us? Oh yes, and did I mention you (as a church staff worker) are still expected to prepare sermons, visit church members in the hospital, prepare a pretty bulletin each week for the church worship services, organize volunteers for the kids ministries, make sure the bills are paid for the church utilities, and get trained on how to ethically use Artificial Intelligence!?

            In light of this dilemma, I’d like to share with you a few tips on improving your marketing at your church as well as a checklist you can follow to ensure you maximize the promotion your church ministries and events receive. Everything I share in this article could be summarized in this way: communicate information in different formats to different audiences. A good example of this is seen in the book of Ezra.

Communication Methods in the Old Testament

The Israelites lived in a culture that had a common practice of conveying information in different ways and forms. We see examples of this ancient Near Eastern practice in Ezra 1, Ezra 6, and on the famous Cyrus Cylinder.

            In Ezra 1 we learn about king Cyrus of Persia who grants permission for a group of his captives, the Israelites, to return to Judah.[2] We read about this decree in Ezra 1:2–4,

Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, “The Lord, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may his God be with him! Let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah and rebuild the house of the Lord, the God of Israel; He is the God who is in Jerusalem. Every survivor, at whatever place he may live, let the men of that place support him with silver and gold, with goods and cattle, together with a freewill offering for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.”[3]

            This message we have recorded in Ezra 1:2–4 is a specific form of a more generalized proclamation that Cyrus had made to many different groups of captives he had under subjection.

            We know about that general proclamation as it was placed on a clay cylinder—the Cyrus Cylinder—written in Babylonian cuneiform. The Cyrus Cylinder was discovered in 1879 by Assyro-British archaeologist Hormuzd Rassam in the foundations of the Esagilia (the temple of the god Marduk in Babylon). The Cyrus Cylinder is currently located on display in the British Museum in London.

            While the Cyrus Cylinder does not mention the Israelites who were allowed to return to Judah, most scholars believe the Cyrus Cylinder is the general decree of the king. In other words, there would have been many specific decrees given to the different captive groups that Cyrus had inherited when he overtook the Babylonian empire. Thus the Israelites would have been one of those groups that received a special decree, and that special decree is what’s recorded in Ezra 1:2–4.

            It’s also important to note that Ezra 1:2–4 was the Hebrew verbal proclamation. That proclamation was first in Aramaic, the trade language of the day, and then written down in a longer form. But at first these proclamations were given verbally and in short form to get the word out, then written down later and sometimes expanded more with technical language or details added to the first brief verbal declaration.

            As we turn the pages of our Bible we read about the same decree of Ezra 1:2–4 appearing in a different form with a different focus. Ezra 6:3–5 reads,

In the first year of King Cyrus, Cyrus the king issued a decree: “Concerning the house of God at Jerusalem, let the temple, the place where sacrifices are offered, be rebuilt and let its foundations be retained, its height being 60 cubits and its width 60 cubits; with three layers of huge stones and one layer of timbers. And let the cost be paid from the royal treasury. Also let the gold and silver utensils of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, be returned and brought to their places in the temple in Jerusalem; and you shall put them in the house of God.”

            At first glance Ezra 6:3–5 appears to refer to a separate decree from the decree in Ezra 1:2–4. While Ezra 1:2–4 focuses on permission to return to Jerusalem, Ezra 6:3–5 focuses on permission to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem.[4] Ezra 6:3–5 is also different than the decree of Cyrus in Ezra 1:2–4 possibly because Ezra 6:3–5 was an official administrative written record not an oral proclamation.

            Ezra 1, Ezra 6, and the Cyrus Cylinder reveal a common and accepted practice in ancient Near Eastern cultures: information was often communicated in different formats (verbally, written on a scroll, and on a clay cylinder) while also being slightly altered (a general decree for all captives, a specific decree for the return of the Jews, and a specific decree for permission for the Jews to rebuild their temple).

Two Tips to Communicate Information Effectively

With that said, I would like to encourage you, as a busy staff person at a church, to adopt a similar practice. Find ways to communicate your information in different formats to different audiences. If we follow this practice from the ancient Near East, here are two marketing tips for busy church staff.

1. Place all information where people can go and get it when they want. Aggregate all of your church’s announcements and information into one central location so that when people decide they need to know about something, they can always go and find out about it. The best place is probably on your website, possibly a monthly newsletter, or maybe a weekly e-mail that you send to the church.
2. Consistently deliver that information following a schedule. This might be in your weekly announcements that you share verbally. Perhaps you do this through pre-service and post-service slides that are displayed on the church screens for people to see. Maybe it’s a daily Facebook post about different things going on within your church community. For our church I send a weekly e-mail update every Wednesday at 9:00 AM with all information about upcoming ministries and events at our church.[5] Regardless of the method you choose, find a way that you can consistently and regularly distribute that information to people.

A Basic Checklist of Marketing Methods  

While those are a few tips to help you market your ministries among the busyness of your church life, here’s a basic checklist you can use to help you as you prepare and promote ministries for your church. Simply ask yourself these following questions:

• Has this information been inserted into our weekly bulletin six weeks in advance?
• Have we placed this information on our website or a location people can easily find it if they need it?
• Have we included this information in our emails sent to our church?
• Have we posted this information on Facebook?
• Is there a local newspaper or community calendar we need to tell about this ministry, event, or service?
• Have we posted this information onto X and Instagram?
• Are there any local Christian radio stations that might like their listeners to know about what we’re doing?
• Is there a sign in the front of our church building that we can use to advertise this event or ministry?
• Are there specific people that might be interested in this that we should call on the phone and talk to about this?
• Is there a way for us to convey this information by text message to people in our church?
• Have we prepared pre-service and post-service slides that we can show on the screens both before and after our worship gatherings?
• Is there a way we could create a brief video about this event so people can “watch” and “listen” about it instead of read about it?

            Our churches need to assume a new position of marketing our ministries and events. This new method consistently and comprehensively tells our people about things they want to know about and should know about. But in order to do this effectively (for our audience) and efficiently (for us as church staff), we must communicate information in different formats to different audiences.

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[1] I think this story also reveals an assumption, expectation, and perhaps even an entitlement that people have now: “If I didn’t know about something it’s your fault.” It doesn’t matter if the organization sent five emails, made four Facebook posts, and shared three Instagram images about an event because if a person didn’t open the emails (because she said she receives too many), did not see the Facebook posts (because she hasn’t accepted invitations to “like” or “follow” the page), and didn’t come across the Instagram posts (because she doesn’t have time for one more social media platform), then it’s the organizations fault that she didn’t know about the event, not her fault.

[2] While Cyrus arrives abruptly in our Bible, he had enjoyed a slow and steady rise to power for twenty years prior to this. When he ascended the throne in Persia it was a small kingdom. (Persia we now know as Iran.) In 559 BC he became king of Anshan. Over time he conquered Media and Lydia. Then continued and eventually controlled what we now know today as Israel, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Russia. This man led a small nation to become the most powerful empire in the world and change world history. His tomb is in the Fars province of Iran at the cite of the ancient Persian city of Pasargadae.

[3] Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.

[4] See Gary V. Smith,  Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, vol. 5b (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2010), 61–62.

[5] You can view samples of what I send out each week by visiting www.LakeviewMissionaryChurch.com and clicking on the “view the past email updates here.”

My personal theology of pastoral ministry directs and orients my life to be a leading servant who spreads God’s love around the world. It is something that I have thought through, lived out, and participated in for three years now based on my study of scripture, input from mentors, and books that I have read. In this paper I will explain how my theology of pastoral ministry is lived out in my life as a pastor, who God is, ministry, humanity, and the church.

An important element of being a leading servant who spreads God’s love around the world is to live out my role as a pastor. When thinking through what it means to be a pastor the word “shepherd” comes to mind as a great biblical example of the role of serving as a pastor within any context. The definition of a shepherd is “one who took complete care of a flock or sheep.”[1] The Greek word for shepherd is “poimen” which means “taking care of sheep. They [the various forms of the word poimen] figuratively refer to someone who is in a leadership position, such as over a community or nation; a shepherd has authority, provides protection, and cares for the flock.”[2]

Being a leading servant who spreads God’s love around the world means that I seek to pastor and shepherd people by looking over them and taking care of their spiritual health. A Bible verse that demonstrates this well is Mark 6:34 where we read about Jesus and His disciples attempting to get some quiet time alone to rest. As they were in a boat traveling, some people saw Jesus and His disciples leaving, so they ran ahead of the boat (via shoreline). In the Gospel of Mark we read, “Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.”[3] This is similar to me in my own ministry.

A part of me feels called to minister to people through writing about biblical truths to help direct them in their own leadership work and life. The Apostle Paul’s letter to Peter further explains how I see my role as a pastor within my theology of pastoral ministry when he writes, “Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly. . . .”[4] This says to me that God has entrusted people to me, and I need to do my very best to guide them along, protect them, and serve them through my spoken and written words. At this time, God has entrusted me be an unofficial pastor at United Way of Stanislaus County where I can help “shepherd” and watch over the spiritual health of the people there. However, while working at United Way of Stanislaus County I have not always thought of myself as a pastor, I have just tried to share my faith and do the “right thing” when interacting with coworkers. It has not been until thinking about my theology of pastoral ministry that I realized I have been serving as an unofficial pastor at work. I give Bibles to people I know might need one, and I respect the opinions of people who are agnostic and believe Jesus is a “mythical guy that people believe in.”[5] Recently a woman at work mentioned to me that she and her boyfriend were reading the Bible together out of the King James Version (KJV).

For Christmas I purchased a New Living Translation Bible for them to read together which is more understandable than the KJV. Since then she has told me on several occasions that they have enjoyed reading their new Bible together. Additionally, outside of work I feel that I serve as a pastor when I regularly write and create content which reaches almost 5,000 people on the internet. To be a leading servant means I serve as a shepherding pastor who looks after the spiritual health of my coworkers at United Way of Stanislaus County and those I share my faith through my writing. However, my view of pastoral ministry is affected by my view of who God is, which is what I will explain next.

Understanding who God is is very important in order to have a clear view of my own theology of pastoral ministry. Evangelist and author, Billy Graham, explains that, “You will never understand who you are until you understand who God is.”[6] As Mr. Graham stated, it is important for us to know who God is before we can legitimately know who we are. In my view, God is all-powerful, ruling over the earth and all things. God is the holy trinity, the one who is the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, and I am under His supreme authority serving others. I view myself being under God’s authority much like the Roman officer described in this passage of Matthew:

When Jesus returned to Capernaum, a Roman officer came and pleaded with him, “Lord, my young servant lies in bed, paralyzed and in terrible pain.” Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.” But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.” When Jesus heard this, he was amazed. Turning to those who were following him, he said, “I tell you the truth, I haven’t seen faith like this in all Israel!” Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, “Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.” And the young servant was healed that same hour.[7]

I am not sure if I completely understand this story theologically, but I do understand that the Roman officer knew Jesus was here on earth under God’s authority. Because Jesus was under God’s authority He was able to do what He was supposed to do—perform miracles. Similar to Jesus being under God’s authority, I too am under God’s authority. God has a plan that I do not know about and that is at times hard to understand, but I do realize that He has a plan and story for me to fit into. For some of us that story is to be full-time ministers where we shepherd and pastor people for a living. God employs others, such as me, to do pastoral ministry in a semi-formal way where it is not their full-time job but they have received some specific training that allows them to minister to others and serve them.

Ministry is the work that we do to serve and help others. A great definition of Bible-based ministry is written by James Thompson when he asserts, “ministry is participation in God’s work of transforming the community of faith until it is ‘blameless’ at the coming of Christ.”[8] This ministry of helping others to become blameless at Christ’s coming is a gift that is both strenuous and amazing at the same time,[9] and it can happen in any area or context. With my theology of pastoral ministry to be a leading servant who spreads God’s love around the world, I believe that the work I do should be focused.

One of the most successful evangelists in the past century, Billy Graham, who devoted his life to evangelism and winning souls for Christ, stated early in his ministry that “concentration is important. The [person] who has a general interest in everything usually isn’t good at anything.”[10] Another pastor, Andy Stanley, who is considered one of the most influential Christian voices in America, often teaches that we as leaders should “only do what only you can do.”[11] This means that for myself as a pastor and leader I need focus on doing only what I can do.

At United Way of Stanislaus County, I should work hard to share my faith and attempt to nurture the faith of other people around the office. No one else talks about their faith until I bring it up, so I must do what only I can do: shepherd those people at work. If I had not given that Bible to my coworker, I highly doubt anyone else would have. If I had not talked with the lady who sits across the hall from me about why she is an atheist, no one else probably would have (and I do not think anyone has done that since). In the context of my writing about leadership during nights and weekends, I need to share biblical principles and how they can be lived out in businesses and nonprofits. Not many people are willing to do that for free; thus I must do that as part of what only I can do to serve others.

Pastoral ministry is about serving others,[12] which means it is important that I understand that people want to feel valued and worthy of respect. While reading the book More Ready Than You Realize in an effort to learn more about evangelism, I learned how this great principle positively influences the people we serve. In the book a young woman shares her reflections on a two year evangelism conversation she had with the author, Brian McLaren, via email. While sharing her story and experience of moving from an unbeliever to a Christian, she writes, “I don’t remember much of what he [Brian McLaren] wrote [in his emails to her]. What I do remember is something far deeper and more important: that there was someone who was really listening to me and who was responding to me, not in a formula or in quick clichés, but sincerely and thoughtfully.”[13]

That statement from this young woman gives us great insight into what people are looking for when they are being shepherded by a “pastor.” People are looking for someone to be real with them and show a sincere interest in them. The people I serve at work probably do not want to feel that I am trying to evangelize them so I can add another Christian to my “convert list.” They do not want to feel they are one of many people whom I have questioned about their faith and tried to lead to Christ. They do not want to hear me give a bunch of well rehearsed questions and answers to their struggles with faith. They are looking for me to be sincerely interested in them, to show them value for who they already are, and to walk and talk with them as their faith evolves.

And finally, any statement of theology needs to lay out a view of the church to explore how the theology plays a part within (or outside) of the church. Often when we think of the word “church” we think of the buildings which we call churches, a group of Christians in a local community, or Christians as a whole community within a pagan nation. I have felt God’s voice in my life saying that my church will not be geographically based and that He wants me to “go and make leaders of everyday men and women.”

There are so many people who are less fortunate and have much worse living situations than you and I. It is on my heart to do something about those terrible living situations many people around the world live in. I, as an American, have an obligation to do and use everything that I can to serve and help others who live around the world rather than someone right next to me. Thus, my church is the people in the whole world. The truth is, whether we are talking about people who regularly meet inside a church building or people who do not yet know God, the world and churches are “comprised of broken people, people from all walks of life who experience pain and suffering.”[14]

It is anyone who has a desire to learn and grow in leadership. Right now part of the church I minister to is my work environment, but it also includes the thousands of people from around the world who read my writing on my blog. Within the past month, I have had people visit my blog from the United Kingdom (83 people), Canada (66), Philippines (41), Australia (41), China (33), Kenya (18), India (17), and Malaysia (12).[15]  I am sure that my view of the church God has made me responsible to shepherd is only temporary and that it will change over time, but for now shepherding my church is looking after my co-workers and serving those who read my writing and benefit from it.

One challenge with my theology of pastoral ministry is that it is broad. “Being a leading servant who spreads God’s love around the world” is broad and does not give specific tasks or activities that I can do. However, that also gives me a strength because God is the one who has authority over me. Because God has authority over me, I follow His direction and what He wants me to do. If God wants me to be a leading servant by doing one thing, then at a later time He wants me to be a leading servant by doing something completely different, that is ok because my theology of pastoral ministry has room for that. Because my statement is broad it allows God to be the leader and I can follow the change that He directs me to make. I recently heard Beth Moore teach on this same topic. She realized early in her life that she should surrender to God and commit to following Him, not to surrender and commit to a specific ministry.[16]

Another strength of my theology of pastoral ministry is that I am pretty good at envisioning and thinking. Because I am good at thinking and envisioning about a specific topic I can often dream and see things bigger than others. However, because I can think through my theology of pastoral ministry and see possible ways to serve others, that opens up the possibility that I might see something and pursue a vision that is not God’s vision for my life and ministry. Thus, I need to stay in communication with God and stay committed to Him and His vision for my life.

My theology of pastoral ministry is to be a leading servant who spreads God’s love around the world. This helps to direct me while here on earth. It helps me to follow God’s direction of shepherding those I work with and those who read my writing.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Comfort Ph.D., Philip W and Walter A. Elwell. Tyndale Bible Dictionary: A comprehensive guide to the people, places, and important words of the Bible. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001.

Graham, Billy. Billy Graham Talks to Teen-agers, Wheaton: Miracle Books, 1958.

Graham, Billy. The Journey: Living by Faith in an Uncertain World Nashville, TN: W Publishing Group, 2006.

Moore, Beth. “So Long Insecurity.” Lecture, Catalyst Conference at Gwinnett Arena, Duluth, GA, October 7, 2010.

Roberts-Lewis, Amelia and Tonya D. Armstrong. “Moving the Church to Social Action.” Social Work and Christianity 37, no. 2 (2010): 115-127.

Smith, A. Iona. “A Little Child Shall Lead Them” in “Emerging as Ministers” in Congregations 32, no. 4 (2006): 26-40.

Stace Vega, April. Afterword of More Ready Than You Realize: The Power of Everyday Conversations, by Brian McLaren. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006.

Stanley, Andy. “When Less is More.” Lecture, Catalyst West Conference at Mariners Church, Orange County, CA, April 23, 2010.

Swanson, James A. and Keith Williams, “Dictionary and Index for Hebrew and Greek Word Studies.” in New Living Translation Study Bible, 2225. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2008.

Thompson, James W. Pastoral Ministry According to Paul: A Biblical Vision Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2006.

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[1] Philip W. Comfort, Ph.D. and Walter A. Elwell, Tyndale Bible Dictionary: A comprehensive guide to the people, places, and important words of the Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001), 1192.

[2] James A. Swanson and Keith Williams, “Dictionary and Index for Hebrew and Greek Word Studies.” in New Living Translation Study Bible (,Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2008), 2225.

[3] Mark 6:34 (New Living Translation)

[4] 1 Peter 5:2

[5] Estrella Garcia, interview by author, Modesto, CA, June 10, 2011.

[6] Billy Graham, The Journey: Living by Faith in an Uncertain World  (Nashville, TN: W Publishing Group, 2006), 13.

[7] Matthew 8:5-10, 13

[8] James W. Thompson, Pastoral Ministry According to Paul: A Biblical Vision (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2006), 20.

[9] A. Iona Smith, “A Little Child Shall Lead Them” in “Emerging as Ministers” in Congregations 32, no. 4 (2006): 34.

[10] Billy Graham, Billy Graham Talks to Teen-agers (Wheaton: Miracle Books, 1958), 29-30.

[11] Andy Stanley, “When Less is More” (lecture, Catalyst West Conference at Mariners Church, Orange County, CA, April 23, 2010).

[12] Jennifer McLaughlin, interview by author, Norfork, CA, November 12, 2011.

[13] April Stace Vega, afterword of More Ready Than You Realize, by Brian McLaren (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006), 169.

[14] Amelia Roberts-Lewis and Tonya D. Armstrong, “Moving the Church to Social Action,” Social Work and Christianity 37, no. 2 (2010): 117.

[15] Stats taken from Google Analytics for ChristopherScottBlog.com from Oct 13, 2011 to Nov 12, 2011.

[16] Beth Moore, “So Long Insecurity” (lecture, Catalyst Conference at Gwinnett Arena, Duluth, GA, October 7, 2010).

Christian leadership is a topic that has been studied and researched in depth for many years. This paper explores the question, What makes Christian leadership distinctly “Christian” and what makes Christian leadership distinctly “leadership?” With my experience as part of this Christian Ministry and Leadership cohort (CML 15) I will explore this question theologically, socially, and personally as it relates to our class and outside research.

The Greek word for leader often used in the New Testament is “hegeomai” which can mean “I lead; I think, am of opinion, suppose, consider; to lead; to lead the way (going before as chief).”[1] In an effort to learn about Christian leadership we must look to the Bible because “the leadership about which Jesus speaks is of a radically different kind from the leadership offered by the world.”[2] That different view of Christian leadership is what will be explored and discussed in this paper.

I. IDENTITY IN CHRIST

The first distinction of Christian leadership starts with Jesus Christ. In the world, men often get their self identity from their work while women often base it on their relationships.[3] However, with Christians “our identity in Christ is that we were created in the image of Christ.”[4] The idea that Christian leaders’ identity is based on Christ is a challenge to “come to the point where we recognize that our value is not dependent on our performance, position, titles, achievements, or the power we wield.”[5] Christian leaders must remember “that our greatest source of worth as leaders should come from the knowledge that we are known by God and declared righteous in Christ.”[6]

When a leader’s view of himself is based on the position he holds or the job he has, this places him at risk for tremendous downfalls in ministry and leadership. What happens when the leader loses his job, is fired, or is demoted to a lower position with less power and prestige? Christian leaders are so much more than what they do. In fact, because of the great gift that God has given to his people by sacrificing himself for their sins, it is an insult to God for a Christian leader to think of himself as someone who is defined by what he does. For a Christian leader to have an identity in Christ also means distinguishing himself from the role he has at work. No job here on earth is big enough or important enough to completely consume a person. A Christian leader’s identity should be fully and solely founded on Christ.

II. PART OF THE FLOCK

The second distinction of Christian leadership is that Christian leaders are part of the flock. [7] Contrary to that, American culture has “come to believe that good leadership requires a safe distance from those we are called to lead.”[8] Often it is said, “It’s lonely at the top,” or “Leadership is lonely,” or “Don’t get too close to those you lead.” That is the view American culture has about leadership, but it is very different than Christian leadership. In his article, “Distinctives of Christian Leadership,” William D. Lawrence comments, “Christian leadership is different from other kinds of leadership because no Christian leader can assume the position of being ‘number one,’ that is, the leader. This is true because those who believe in Christ know there is only one ‘Number One,’ namely, the Lord Jesus Christ.”[9]

It is interesting to note that the Apostle Paul, who is well known for his leadership in the young Christian church, “never describes pastors as leaders of congregations, presiding over church activities and services and as being the head of a complex organization.”[10] Instead, the imagery of a shepherd is a much more biblical representation of what a Christian leader should be. In an article titled, “Shepherd or One of the Sheep: Revisiting the Biblical Metaphor of the Pastorate,” through careful exegesis Quentin P. Kinnison, Ph.D. shows that Christian leadership it is not being a shepherd over a flock of people; it is being a shepherd within the flock.

There are several important implications for our understanding of the [shepherd] metaphor and its practical application to the life of God’s people. First, God reserves sole claim as shepherd of God’s people. . . . Second, the OT and NT both emphasize the Spirit’s presence in the lives of leaders. . . . Third, for pastoral leaders, this means empowering others to hear and respond to God’s promptings as they move onto God’s agenda and become witnesses of God’s missional activity in the world. . . . Finally, pastoral leaders must be embedded participants in the congregation. These primarily lead by example. Shepherd elders are sheep in the flock helping others follow the shepherd.[11]

Kinnison’s definition shows a way of Christian leaders being part of the flock while leading the flock.

God talks about himself as the primary shepherd throughout the Bible and Christian leaders simply as part of his flock. This changes the traditional worldly view of leadership. But how does a Christian leader lead the flock while being part of the flock? Research into the physical practice of shepherding reveals, that shepherds often placed bells on specific sheep who reliably followed the shepherd.[12]

According to Kinnison, God is the true shepherd and Christian leaders are undershepherds—those sheep within the flock wearing bells to help guide the other sheep the direction the shepherd (which is God) wants to go.

Having acknowledged oneself as a sheep and part of God’s flock, the Christian leader’s job is to help the other sheep be on God’s plan and move in the direction of God. Since “spiritual leaders understand that God is their leader”[13] they are “someone who knows where the Lord is going and can get others to follow him as he follows the Lord.”[14] This means Christian leaders “don’t get to create the vision, we just get to follow it”[15] because “God’s purposes are the key to spiritual leadership—the dreams and visions of leaders are not.”[16]

Henri Nouwen defines this as, “Leadership . . . means to be led.”[17] While being part of the flock as bell wearing undershepherds it is imperative that Christian leaders relinquish their vision for God’s vision in an effort to follow him. Being a Christian leader as part of the flock is leading the way as an example the entire time following God with the hopes that others will see, hear and follow the way. Joshua is a biblical leader who modeled this. Several times throughout the book of Joshua he makes a specific commitment to follow God. The verse often quoted is “Chose today whom you will serve. . . . But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.”[18] With that personal commitment to follow the Lord, Joshua also calls others to serve and follow the Lord primarily out of his own example (as an undershepherd wearing a bell) “me and my family, we will serve the LORD.”[19]

Joshua is not saying, “I am your leader, follow me.” Instead, Joshua is saying, “God’s our leader, let’s follow him.” Another great example of a Christian leader being committed to God and undershepherding God’s people is the Judah king, Hezekiah.

In the very first month of the first year of his reign, Hezekiah reopened the doors of the Temple of the Lord and repaired them. He summoned the priests and Levites to meet him at the courtyard east of the Temple. He said to them, “Listen to me, you Levites! Purify yourselves, and purify the Temple of the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Remove all the defiled things from the sanctuary. . . . But, now I will make a covenant with the LORD, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us. My sons, do not neglect your duties any longer! The LORD has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him, and to lead the people in worship and present offerings to him.”[20]

King Hezekiah was not perfect and made mistakes like most Christian leaders. But the important thing to note is that King Hezekiah was committed to being part of the flock and leading God’s people. With part of the flock faithfully following God, he pointed the people he ruled over back to following God.

III. SERVICE AND SACRIFICE

Perhaps the strongest distinctions of Christian leadership are service and sacrifice. The concepts of service and sacrifice go back to Jesus who served and sacrificed for the people he led. In his article, “Leaders as Servants: a Resolution of the Tension,” Derek Tiball writes, “Christian leadership is meant to be different from other forms of leadership because Christian leaders are called to be servants.”[21]

Serving others while in leadership is definitely different than the world where power and influence are held closely by those who have it and desired and envied by those who do not have it. This concept of serving others is difficult because “our fallen human instincts seek power, wealth, status, and influence. Servant leadership is thus quite unnatural for fallen human beings. Thinking like a servant-leader requires a new mindset; acting as a servant-leader requires empowerment by the Holy Spirit.”[22] 

One of the most controversial and countercultural things Jesus said while on earth was as he responded to his disciples’ question of which of the 12 of them was the greatest and most important. Jesus responded,

In this world the kings and great men lord it [power] over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ But among you [the 12 disciples] it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as the one who serves.[23]

Much like American culture, the leaders and rulers of Jesus’ time lorded power over others. They used their power to dominate others and maintain control over them. However, Jesus calls his disciples out of the culture they are living in and announces a new order for Christian leaders to follow. He instructs these 12 men, who will lead the new Christian religion, to be different than the world by saying, “Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant.” Christian leaders can only “teach out of what they know and live,”[24] and Jesus definitely knew personally what he was teaching when he says, “I am among you as the one who serves.” Jesus is saying to his Christian leaders that he has come to serve.

The Greek word used in Jesus’ statement above and used throughout the New Testament is the word, “diakoneo” which means “to serve, minister; kicking up dust because on the move; caring for the needs of others as the Lord guides in an active, practical way.”[25] With Jesus’ statements and use of this word, “Leadership was not to be a matter of privilege and special status, but of service. All social status is leveled out by these remarks. Jesus himself is the prime example of the servant leader.”[26] Jesus shows this principle of a leader being a servant by strategically saying after washing his disciples’ feet:

 And since I, your LORD and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have unto you. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.[27]

The good news is that this message was successfully passed on and practiced by Jesus’ disciples and others within the early church. Just as “Jesus presents himself consistently as a model of service”[28] the apostle Paul “describes himself in a number of ways (‘apostle’, ‘teacher’ etc.) but most persistently as a servant. . . . Paul describes several of his fellow workers as servants. . . . Paul describes himself and Apollos as ‘only servants (diadonoi).”[29] The message is clear: Christian leadership is about service. But with that also comes sacrifice.

Along with service in Christian ministry comes pain and sacrifice. The Apostle Paul endured tremendous sacrifice during his ministry as a Christian leader of the early church. Paul was ship wrecked, snake bitten, physically disabled, imprisoned, and eventually killed because of his service as a Christian leader. Jesus also endured tremendous pain in his ministry for his followers. Henri Nouwen comments on the relevance of sacrifice in ministry stating, “The most important quality of Christian leadership in the future . . . is not a leadership of power and control, but a leadership of powerlessness and humility in which the suffering servant of God, Jesus Christ, is made manifest.”[30] With this understanding that Christian leaders are to be servants who sacrifice, it is important to note “Christ’s approach to leadership and the approach he commended to his disciples is one that glorifies God and serves the welfare of others. It does not seek personal glory for acts of service or manipulate subordinates to achieve the leader’s self-interest.”[31]

IV. KNOWING THE DARK SIDE

The fourth distinction of Christian leadership is acknowledgement of the dark side. What is a dark side? “The dark side . . . is actually a natural result of human development. It is the inner urges, compulsions, and dysfunctions of our personality that often go unexamined or remain unknown to us until we experience an emotional explosion.”[32] Downfalls and pitfalls of a dark side can provide a stumbling block for any leader regardless of her faith.

However, because much of Christian leadership rests on a leader’s moral character, the negative impact of the dark side of a Christian leader is greater. Christian leaders are not perfect (and they should not be expected to be), but the simple fact of acknowledging the dark side and working to combat it will help to prevent a leader from the potential downfall and failure a dark side might bring.

Because the dark side is a natural result of our human development (mostly during childhood when we had to navigate experiences we had no control over), Christian leaders must actively acknowledge the dark side and combat it. Knowing about the dark side is extremely important for biblical Christian leaders because much of their influence comes from strength of moral character.

If they lose that moral character and the influence that comes with it, they lose all ability to lead. Part of acknowledging the dark side of Christian leadership is to know “the chief characteristic of a Christian leader must be submission to Christ, and only those who have learned that submission is the key to power can be effective Christian leaders.”[33] Submission to Christ and identity based on him help to shed the dark side because “when the leader learns to submit to Christ as the Leader, that is, when he learns to fly ‘the white flag of victory,’ that he becomes an authoritative Christian leader.”[34] Once a Christian leader has learned to submit to Christ, overcoming the dark side is easier.

Thankfully there are several things Christian leaders can do to actively combat their dark side in addition to submitting to Christ. Two practical steps taught by Ronald A. Heifetz and Marty Linsky are “Transitional Rituals” and “Rekindle the Sparks.”[35] Transitional rituals are practical things Christian leaders can do to separate themselves and their identity from the professional work they do. This goes back maintaining one’s identity in Christ. Christian leaders are able to keep their identity based on God and not wrapped into their job when they have a transitional ritual such as a drive from work to home, intentionally changing clothes when they arrive at home, or exercising after work. All of these are intentional “transitional rituals” that allow a Christian leader to transition from mission focused work to resting into the person she is.

The second practical step is “Rekindle the Sparks” which  keeps the relationship at home with a spouse strong. The best way for a Christian leader to guard his heart is to keep it close to his wife. Too many times a Christian leader has led himself into destructive habits of adultery, pornography, or money laundering because he allowed his heart to drift way from his wife. McIntosh and Sima also provide some great steps for Christian leaders to practice to “redeem their dark side.” Those steps are: acknowledge your dark side, examine the past, resist the poison of expectations, practice progressive self-knowledge, and understand your identity in Christ.[36]

When Christian leaders know their dark side they are able to positively work on it. Even if they do not actively work to combat their dark side, the knowledge of it will help them prevent it from taking over their life and causing moral failure in the future.

CONCLUSION

With these four distinctions about what makes Christian leadership distinctly “Christian” and what makes Christian leadership distinctly “leadership,” the key is for Christian leaders to live it out. Due to the fact that leaders are often out in front, everyone has a clear view of them.[37] That means leaders are often judged more harshly and more strictly. Thus, when they fall, it is more severe. While engaging others on Twitter and Facebook about the topic of this paper I felt a tension from others that Christian leadership does not exist because it is not practiced.[38] This is an issue that must be addressed. Often people’s only interaction (that they realize) with Jesus is in the observation or interaction with the lives of leaders whom they may or may not personally know. This means Christian leaders must make sure they live out the four distinctions. Christian leaders do not have to be perfect, but they do need to make a conscious effort to live out what Christian leadership is: an identity in Christ, part of the flock, serve and sacrifice, and knowing the dark side.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Blackaby, Henry and Richard Blackaby. Spiritual Leadership: Moving People on God’s Agenda. Nashville, TN: B&H Books, 2001.

Elliot, Steven. “The Local Church – Part 3.” Bible study, Enclave Community Church, Turlock, CA, June 3, 2012.

Heifetz, Ronald A. and Marty Linsky. Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive through the Dangers of Leading. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review, 2002.

Kinnison, Ph.D., Quentin P. “How can God transform our weaknesses?” Lecture, Fresno Pacific University North Center, Fresno, CA, May 17, 2012.

___. “Shepherd or One of the Sheep: Revisiting the Biblical Metaphor of the Pastorate.” Journal of Religious Leadership 9, no. 1 (Spring 2010): 59-91.

___. “What is the secret of Christian leadership? How can we survive? What does Jesus teach us?” Lecture, Fresno Pacific University North Center, Fresno, CA, June 7, 2012.

___. “When is the leader not ‘in front of’, but ‘in the midst of’?” Lecture, Fresno Pacific University North Center, Fresno, CA, May 31, 2012.

Lawrence, William D. “Distinctives of Christian Leadership.” Bibliotheca Sacra July—September (1987), 317-329.

“Luke 22 ‘NET Notes.’” The NET Bible. https://net.bible.org/#!bible/Luke+22 (accessed June 14, 2012).

Maciariello, Joseph. “Lessons in Leadership and Management from Nehemiah.” Theology Today 60 (2003), 397-407.

McIntosh, Gary L. and Samuel D. Rima. Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership: How to Become an Effective Leader by Confronting Potential Failures. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group, 2007.

Nouwen, Henri J.M. In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership. New York: Crossroads Publishing, 1989.

Tidball, Derek. “Leaders as Servants: a Resolution of the Tension.” Evangelical Review of Theology 36, no. 1 (2012), 31-47.

“Strong’s Greek: 1247. Diakoneo – to serve, minister.” Biblos. http://concordances.org/greek/1247.htm (accessed June 13, 2012).

“Strong’s Greek: 2233. Hegeomai – to lead, suppose.” Biblos. http://concordances.org/greek/2233.htm (accessed June 13, 2012).

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              [1] “Strong’s Greek: 2233. Hegeomai – to lead, suppose,” Biblos, http://concordances.org/greek/2233.htm (accessed June 13, 2012).

              [2] Henri J.M. Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership (New York, Crossroads Publishing, 1989), 62.

              [3] Quentin P. Kinnison, Ph.D., “What is the secret of Christian leadership? How can we survive? What does Jesus teach us?” (lecture, Fresno Pacific University North Center, Fresno, CA, June 7, 2012).

              [4] Quentin P. Kinnison, Ph.D., “How can God transform our weaknesses?” (lecture, Fresno Pacific University North Center, Fresno, CA, May 17, 2012).

              [5] Gary L. McIntosh and Samuel D. Rima, Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership: How to Become an Effective Leader by Confronting Potential Failures (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group, 2007), 213.

              [6] Ibid., 214.

              [7] Most of the insights and comments on the “shepherd” language derives from Quentin P. Kinnison’s article, “Shepherd or One of the Sheep: Revisiting the Biblical Metaphor of the Pastorate,” Journal of Religious Leadership 9, no. 1 (Spring 2010). I will cite directly when I am able, but please note most of shepherd language stems from his article.

              [8] Henri J.M. Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership (New York, Crossroads Publishing, 1989), 61.

              [9] William D. Lawrence, “Distinctives of Christian Leadership,” Bibliotheca Sacra July—September (1987), 317.

              [10] Derek Tidball, “Leaders as Servants: a Resolution of the Tension,” Evangelical Review of Theology 36, no. 1 (2012), 33.

              [11] Quentin P. Kinnison, Ph.D., “Shepherd or One of the Sheep: Revisiting the Biblical Metaphor of the Pastorate,” Journal of Religious Leadership 9, no. 1 (Spring 2010): 90.

              [12] Ibid., 68, 89.

              [13] Henry Blackaby and Richard Blackaby, Spiritual Leadership: Moving People on God’s Agenda (Nashville, TN: B&H Books, 2001), 28-29.

              [14] William D. Lawrence, “Distinctives of Christian Leadership,” Bibliotheca Sacra July—September (1987), 319.

              [15] Quentin P. Kinnison, Ph.D., “When is the leader not ‘in front of’, but ‘in the midst of’?” (lecture, Fresno Pacific University North Center, Fresno, CA, May 31, 2012).

              [16] Henry Blackaby and Richard Blackaby, Spiritual Leadership: Moving People on God’s Agenda (Nashville, TN: B&H Books, 2001), 19.

              [17] Henri J.M. Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership (New York, Crossroads Publishing, 1989). 75.

              [18] Josh. 24:15.

              [19] Josh. 24:15.

              [20] 2 Chron. 29:3-5, 10-11.

              [21] Derek Tidball, “Leaders as Servants: a Resolution of the Tension,” Evangelical Review of Theology 36, no. 1 (2012), 31.

              [22] Joseph Maciariello, “Lessons in Leadership and Management from Nehemiah,” Theology Today 60 (2003), 399.

              [23] Luke 22:25-27.

              [24] Steven Elliott, “The Local Church – Part 3” (Bible study, Enclave Community Church, Turlock, CA, June 3, 2012).

              [25] “Strong’s Greek: 1247. Diakoneo – to serve, minister” Biblos, http://concordances.org/greek/1247.htm (accessed June 13, 2012).

              [26] “Luke 22 ‘NET Notes’” The NET Bible, https://net.bible.org/#!bible/Luke+22 (accessed June 14, 2012).

              [27] John 13:14-17.

              [28] Derek Tidball, “Leaders as Servants: a Resolution of the Tension,” Evangelical Review of Theology 36, no. 1 (2012), 36.

              [29] Ibid., 36.

              [30] Henri J.M. Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership (New York, Crossroads Publishing, 1989). 82.

              [31] Joseph Maciariello, “Lessons in Leadership and Management from Nehemiah,” Theology Today 60 (2003), 397.

              [32] Gary L. McIntosh and Samuel D. Rima, Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership: How to Become an Effective Leader by Confronting Potential Failures (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group, 2007), 28.

              [33] William D. Lawrence, “Distinctives of Christian Leadership,” Bibliotheca Sacra July—September (1987), 318.

              [34] Ibid., 318.

              [35] Ronald A. Heifetz and Marty Linsky, Leadership on the Line: Staying Alive through the Dangers of Leading (Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review, 2002), 184-186.

              [36] Gary L. McIntosh and Samuel D. Rima, Overcoming the Dark Side of Leadership: How to Become an Effective Leader by Confronting Potential Failures (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Publishing Group, 2007), 170-218.

              [37] In class Quentin talked about the true shepherd as part of the flock is now always in front but sometimes behind and in the middle. Regardless of where she is stationed often people still know who the leader is.

              [38] One person on Facebook said he believes only 9 percent of the Christian population actually pursue living a life as Jesus did while another individual said that Christian leaders do not exist.

The most important characteristic of a pastoral leader is to be a servant and meet the needs of others. This might be a word of encouragement to someone who needs it, it might be a great sermon prepared to cast vision to the congregation, or it might be teaching a practical lesson people can apply in their own lives   The role of a leader is to make the lives of people better, happier, more fulfilling, and easier.  That’s a pretty tall order for a pastoral leader, but he does that by serving the needs of the people he pastors.

A pastoral leader does the job that few others want to do—not because of what she will gain from it—but because that’s what she is called to do in response to how Jesus was a pastoral leader to us.  One of the first verses in scripture I memorized was Luke 22:26-27 where Jesus is talking with his disciples after dinner the night he is arrested.  Jesus teaches his disciples:

But among you it will be different.  Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant.  Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves?  The one who sits at the table, of course.  But not here, for I am among you as the one who serves.[1]

This passage of scripture is even more influential when we research Jewish culture and learn that a large emphasis was placed on status, power, control, and authority.[2]  And just before Jesus exhorts Luke 22:26-27, the disciples were arguing about which disciple would be the greatest and most respected by God.[3]  Jesus also makes this statement in Luke after James and John had gone to Jesus and asked if they could be seated next to Jesus on his left or right hand side in heaven.[4]  Jesus is telling us that to be a true leader is not to have power and control.  To be a true leader we need to serve the needs of others because a pastoral leader is responsible for the spiritual and mental health of a group of believers.

Now that we’ve seen Jesus telling his disciples to be servants, in John 21 we see Jesus responding to Simon Peter about why pastoral leaders should be servants.  You and I both know that Peter denied having known Jesus three times the night Jesus was crucified.  But when Jesus rises from the dead and comes back to talk with Peter, Jesus asks Peter three times if Peter loves him.  Peter answers yes, and all three times Jesus responds to Peter saying that because Peter loves Jesus, Peter should serve others.[5]  Jesus was the holiest person to have ever lived.  He is perfect in his love for us, and thus has authority to tell us that because we love him, we need to serve others.  This is further evidence that we, as pastoral leaders need to serve the needs of others. 

This theme of serving others as a means to be their pastor is woven in and out of scripture.  Especially in the New Testament where Peter talks about what it means to serve others.  As we said earlier, Peter had denied Jesus three times and had to respond to Jesus’ questions about whether or not he loved Jesus.  1 Peter was written about thirty years after Jesus gave Peter the instructions to follow Jesus,[6] so we have good perspective to see how Peter has lived out pastoral leadership through Jesus’ serving instructions and to see what Peter is teaching others. 

At the end of this first letter to Christians of the early church, Peter boldly teaches us to “Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you.  Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God”[7] (emphasis added).  A pastoral leader is to watch over her flock because she’s eager to serve God.  But, I am not the only person who has studied this passage of scripture and interpreted it as a reason for a pastoral leader to serve others.    

Leadership expert John C. Maxwell specifically refers to 1 Peter 5:2 when he shares in The Maxwell Leadership Bible that “A leader is called to be . . . a minister to the people.”[8]  We are called to minister to and serve people as a leader.  That statement comes from a man who has written 56 books (mostly about the topic of leadership), led three different churches, and founded a nonprofit organization which has served over 3 million leaders around the world.[9]  Coming from Dr. Maxwell, an important element of a pastoral leader is to serve and minister to people.

A pastoral leader who is effective often looks at people and asks, “How can I serve them?” Throughout this paper we’ve seen reason after reason about why a leader should be doing that.  It’s what Jesus says we are to do, it’s what the disciples did for the early church as young Christians were maturing over time, and it’s what modern day Christian leaders also encourage us to do.  What’s ironic is that when a pastoral leader begins to serve people, they begin to willingly follow him. 

As we look at scripture, most of the followers Jesus gained came after he did miraculous signs and wonders.[10] When people realized that he was here to serve and help them, they began to follow him because they knew he was someone who could heal their physical and mental pain.  He could take it away and make them feel better and live a more enjoyable life because servanthood is the answer to many of the questions and problems people have.  As John Hutchinson states in an issue of Biblotheca Sacra, “Servanthood does not avoid leadership.  Instead it is a different kind of leadership, one committed to meeting the needs of others.”[11] 

We often ponder over the deep thought of what came first: the chicken or the egg?  A similar pondering comes about when we think of pastoral leadership through serving others.  Do people follow us because we are serving them, or do we serve them because they follow?  I believe based on my own experience and the stories of Jesus, that people follow as a result of us serving them. 

In closing a paper about the most important characteristic of a pastoral leader, we need to realize that both scripture, biblical leaders, and modern Christian leaders all believe that being a servant is the most important characteristic of a pastoral leader.  Allow me to close us out with a poem summarizing what we now know:

Christ’s example teaches us that we should follow Him each day, meeting one another’s needs, though humble service be the way.[12]

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Equip: Equipping Leaders to Reach our World. “Press Kit Facts.” Equip. http://www.iequip.org/site/c.gqLTI0OBKpF/b.4511603/k.B021/Facts.htm (accessed February 12, 2011).

Hiebert, D. Edmond. The Non-Pauline Epistles and Revelation. Vol. 3 of An Introduction to the New Testament. Waynesboro, GA: Gabriel Publishing, 2003.

Hutchison, John C. “Servanthood: Jesus’ Countercultural Call to Christian Leaders,” Bibliotheca Sacra 166 (January-March 2009): 53-69.

Maxwell, John C. The Maxwell Leadership Bible, 2^nd ed. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2007.

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[1] Luke 22:26-27 (New Living Translation)

[2] John C. Hutchison, “Servanthood: Jesus’ Countercultural Call to Christian Leaders,” Bibliotheca Sacra 166 (January-March 2009): 60.

[3] Mark 9:33-37

[4] Mark 10:35-39

[5] John 21:15-17

[6] D. Edmond Hiebert, The Non-Pauline Epistles and Revelation, vol. 3 of An Introduction to the New Testament (Waynesboro, GA: Gabriel Publishing, 2003), 121.

[7] 1 Peter 5:2

[8] John C. Maxwell, The Maxwell Leadership Bible, 2^nd ed. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2007), 1558.

[9] Equip: Equipping Leaders to Reach our World, “Press Kit Facts,” Equip, http://www.iequip.org/site/c.gqLTI0OBKpF/b.4511603/k.B021/Facts.htm (accessed February 12, 2011)

[10] Matthew 15:13-21, 15:22-32, 15:34-36

[11] John C. Hutchison, “Servanthood: Jesus’ Countercultural Call to Christian Leaders,” Bibliotheca Sacra 166 (January-March 2009): 69.

[12] Clair Hess, “Pay it Forward,” Our Daily Bread Blog, entry posted June 2, 2009, http://odb.org/2009/06/02/pay-it-forward/ (accessed February 16, 2011)

“From time to time we will all need outside assistance getting from where we are to where we want or need to be.” ~ Andy Stanley, The Principle of the Path

In the fall of 2007 I led an effort to feed families in need in our community with a program called, A Day of Hope.  We partnered with the local church I was attending, Enclave Community Church as a way to better serve the need so our community.  At that time, I had about three years of experience in founding and leading A Day of Hope, but I felt there was something was missing.  A great, close friend had told me that he believed I could increase the amount of people we were serving through A Day of Hope if I was able to develop myself as a better leader. 

At that point in time, I had briefly met and spoke with a man named Steve Elliott who was serving at the church to help develop leaders.  We had said hello to each other a few times, but had not engaged in conversation very deeply.  I knew about Steve because of his role at church, and he knew me because of the work I had done with A Day of Hope in partnership with Enclave Community Church.

Over the next several months I began to get to know Steve a little bit more through casual conversations around church.  Then, Steve, our senior pastor at Enclave, and my self happened to all be sitting around a table starting to share our goals for the future.  Steve and Pastor Brian both shared their goals for the future and what they would like to do to serve and help others, and when it came my turn I mustered the courage to share my vision for what I felt God had put on my heart to do in the future.  For the next couple minutes I shared with Steve and Brian how I wanted to serve and help leaders.  Part of that process was working on myself as a leader to improve my leadership skills, then to pass on those leadership skills to others to help them learn and grow to serve more people.  Little did I know that courage to share my vision and goals was a defining moment as a young leader and was a way God was leading me to a discipling relationship.         

I cannot remember if it was that same day, or at a later date, but Steve Elliott offered to coach me in leadership skills to help me improve myself as a leader to serve other leaders.  I graciously accepted his offer, and was very honored that he would offer to coach me!

Steve and I decided to meet once a month at Starbucks at 6 AM to talk about leadership and have him coach me.  I would arrive a little before 6 AM, get him and I a cup of coffee (our drink is tall Pike, no room), sit down with my pad of paper and pen, and he would coach me on leadership.  Since that first 6 AM meeting at Starbucks, Steve and I have met every month for over three years now. 

I. MENTORING IS THE NEW BUZZ WORD

Mentoring seems to be the new buzz word in the business and church world.  To have a great mentor seems to be the answers to many questions that we might have.  This leads people to believe that if they find that perfect mentor, the mentor will teach them everything they want to know about life and how to be successful in it. 

II. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MENTORING AND COACHING

According to the definition that Steve has taught me, there is a difference between mentoring and coaching. 

Mentoring: is where the mentor pours into me what he knows.

Coaching: is where the coach draws out of me what is already inside of me.

Most of my time with Steve has been focused on coaching, drawing out of me what is already inside.  He has helped to pull out what is on the inside by discerning my strengths as a leader and helping me to develop them the best I can.

A key assumption that Coaching requires is that the person being coached has a strong motivation to grow and develop.  Like me, I’m sure you have attended lots of leadership and church conferences.  Many of these are filled with what I call “fluff.”  Fluff is that stuff they do to engage you, entertain you, and motivate you to learn while at the conference.  This might be great music, an inspiring story told by the opening speaker, or some other crazy act they might do.  

But, coaching assumes that you already have this strong desire within you to grow as a leader.  Coaching’s job is to draw out of you the skills and tools that you need to lead people.  Because you already have the desire to lead, you need someone who can show you how to do it and coaching you to finding your own way of leading people.

In my experience, I had tremendous desire to serve families through A Day of Hope, but I did not have the skills necessary to make it happen.  I had the “want” but did not have the “how.”  And that’s what Steve provided me through coaching: the how to lead people. 

III. FIVE ELEMENTS OF COACHING

From my personal experience, I believe there are five elements of being coached.  Since this is my personal experience, your list might be different, but this is my list of what has been key parts of being successfully coached by Steve Elliott.

A. Belief

If I could summarize one word to symbolize what Steve coaching me has meant, it would be the word “belief.”  Steve’s belief in me as a leader has been the most impactful thing to me more than anything else.  Steve has believed in me more than anyone else has before, and that’s  probably one of the reasons that he has had a greater impact on me than anyone else.  That belief is transferred into my own life, and as he has expressed that belief to me month after month, year after year in our coaching time, it has become part of me. 

There are six things that has caused Steve’s belief in me to be so impactful:

1. He expressed that belief to me directly.
2. He expressed that belief to other people who knew me, and they told me about it.
3. There was no personal gain for him expressing his belief in me
4. He is 65 years old with many people and life experience, so he knows how to recognize good talent.
5. He is a great leader who also teaches other leaders to be great.
6. He develops tests and behavioral interviews to evaluate potential leaders and church planters.

Thinking about the impact Steve’s belief has had in me as a young leader reminds me of when I was being taught by a golf instructor by the name of Chris Bitticks.  Mr. Bitticks and I are still friends today, but when I was a teenager he had a great impact on my life as a golfer and a young man.  Bitticks believed in me and always knew that I had what it took to reach my goals.  Bitticks expressed his belief in me with actions instead of words.  He always gave me his time to instruct me on the golf course, eat meals with me, and talk over the phone when I was away playing in golf tournaments.  Bitticks always knew that I worked hard on my golf game, and he responded with his belief in my golf game by always giving his time to help me.

Experiencing coaching from someone who greatly believes in your gives you a tremendous amount of confidence because you know someone has your back.  No matter what you do or say, you always know that you have an experienced person who believes in you and what you are doing, even when other people do not.

B. Questions

When meeting with Steve I have been fortunate to ask him many questions.  Asking Steve questions and having him answer them has probably been the majority of the time we spend together.  I often come to Steve with questions about what I experienced, what I have had to go through, what I don’t understand, and what I do not know how to do. 

Because Steve has 40 years of ministry experience, he has many answers to those questions.  He is able to dig deep into his rich life of ministry experience and leadership experience to provide coaching to assist me.  Answers to those questions has helped to provide specific coaching to me in areas that I need help.  It allows us to go deep into issues that I can improve and draw out of me the skills that I need to be an effective leader who can serve others.  Those answers take me further, to new places as a leader.  Often when Steve would be answering my questions he would take the topic deeper into areas that I had not thought about before.  Or he would provide coaching on the problem I asked a question about, then tell me what to expect next once I solved the problem.  Often these were scenarios and topics I had not thought of before.

If Steve saw an area that he thought I needed coaching in, he would add value to me and teach me in that area, even if I didn’t ask a question.  He would look at the areas of my leadership and offer advice and hold me accountable to what I had said I would do.

C. Skills

Being coached by Steve Elliott has also given me specific skills.  As I referenced earlier, sometimes leadership conferences are filled with the “fluff” to motivate you to want to learn and grow as a leader instead of them providing you with training for new skills.  For me, I have always had the strong desire to lead and serve people, but only thing holding me back where specific leadership skills to help me lead effectively.  I had a strong motivation to lead people, but my skill set did not match up with my motivation. 

When Steve and I meet, we both know that I have a strong desire to lead, and that allows us to go further, faster.  Because we start with the skills that I need to go from there.  This has helped me tremendously to improve my skills by maximizing my time with Steve.  Skills such as how to run a meeting effectively, how to prepare to deliver a talk, or how to deal with difficult people.  I have had the desire to lead people and serve people, and these were skills I needed to have to effectively lead others.  And Steve provided the training for that.

D. Maturation

One of the great benefits of having a large age (at least for me) difference between Steve and I is that I mature greatly while spending time with him.  Who we spend time with today determines who we will become tomorrow.  That has become very evident to me after spending a significant amount of time with Steve.  As a result of spending time being coached by a man with 40 years of ministry experience, I now look at the world different.  Steve is able to tell me about how the church ran in the sixties and seventies, which brings perspective to me and my life.           

Becoming more mature through coaching also allows me to move faster and quicker through life.  One example is that he has taught me to have a list of core values that help guide my life.  These core values clarify who I am as a man, and allow me to make important decisions with ease and confidence knowing that I am making a decision based on a view of who I am and who I want to be.

E. Transparency

A benefit of meeting with Steve one-to-one has been that he is able to see me at my worst as a leader.  Steve knew about my struggles as a young leader.  He knew about volunteers that stopped volunteering with me because of my lack of good leadership.  He has been me react emotionally to people and treat them unkindly when I should have been more professional and patient.  And when I ay he knew it, he read actual emails that were being sent between unhappy volunteers and myself.

Leaders need someone who they can be totally open and honest with to share our hearts and our feelings with.  This is where good coaching takes place.  It goes deep into you as a leader and examines you and improves who you are at your core by getting rid of the bad that’s in there, and draws out the good that is in there.

A good coach is someone who allows us to peel back that outer protective covering so that he can see what’s in there.  Once the coach sees what is in there, he then is able to coach us based on the weaknesses we have and build on our strengths.  A young leader desperately needs a coach who can offer this to him.  There were many times where I needed Steve to be an objective person who I could talk to about issues that were inappropriate to talk with my volunteers at A Day of Hope.

Through all this transparency and peeling back the outer layering of a leader, is that a coach will still be right there to encourage and coach the young leader.  No mater what I have been through and told Steve about, he has always affirmed his belief in me and told me that he knows I will be able to pull off what I needed to do.

IV. AS A RESULT OF BEING COACHED

As a result of being coached by Steve Elliott I have done much more than I ever thought I could.  I have done great things that I never would have done by myself.  For two more years I lead A Day of Hope while being coached by Steve.  During those two years we experienced explosive growth in the amount of people we were successful to feed. I wish I could take more of the credit for the growth we experienced, but to be honest, much of it was because of the coaching Steve was giving to me. 

Steve has reminded me of the things I know, and helped me to take them further.  He has also helped to draw out of me the good qualities and strengths that laid dormant within me.  But as a good coach does, he drew them out of me. 

After being coached by a great leader, a great man, and a great Christ follower, I know have:

1. More patience with people to allow them to catch up to my vision and goals
2. More openness to new ideas and suggestions of others when those ideas and suggestions don’t agree with mine.
3. More security in myself as a leader and am confident in my ability to lead.
4. More comfort in approaching conflict because I know it is a necessary part of leadership.
5. More understanding of what my strengths are and how I use them for the benefit of leading others.

Not only has Steve helped to develop leadership qualities and skills into my life, he also played a crucial role in me making a decision to become a follower of Jesus in November of 2009. Earlier I did not share that Steve had offered to mentor and coach someone (me) who was not even a Christian. I had yet to make that decision in my heart to follow Jesus. In spite of that decision I had not made (which he knew about) he continued to coach me every month. As we would meet he would drop in some Bible teaching to me and we would talk about the Bible and Jesus. So when that opportunity presented itself on a Wednesday evening at a friend’s home to accept Jesus into my heart, I took it. And Steve played a crucial role in helping me become ready to make that decision.

This article has included what the impact of coaching has had on my  life so far.  I have shared with you what I have done and experienced as a result of being coached by my dear friend, Steve Elliott.  I have shared with you the impact coaching has had on my life so far.   However, my story is not over.  The impact that Steve has had on my life will continue to affect me for the rest of my life.  The affects of coaching has been good so far, now I get to see the rewards and what happens in my life for the following years and decades.  I am only 25 years old, and I am excited to enjoy many more learns of life and coaching.  My story, is just beginning.

People come into your life for a reason, a seasons or a lifetime. When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person. When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually. They may seem like a godsend and they are. They are there for the reason you need them to be. ~ Author Unknown

Engaging in conflict with upper management is a tough topic to discuss and an even more difficult thing to practice effectively. That “boss” you have conflict with secures your job via your annual performance review, and he might also be the person who personally signs your paycheck. As someone working towards the bottom of the organizational hierarchy, I have felt the consequences of good and poor conflict management when interacting with my boss.

Some of the experiences I have been through have led me to want to do research to discover the answers to questions such as: How do I as a follower with two levels of management above me express my dissatisfaction about an issue or topic while still staying in line with my leader? How do I do a good job of being a team member who is loyal to his boss while also expressing my thoughts and views that are different than what my boss has? How do I express my views and ideas that conflict with the leader above me and have those ideas and views implemented? How do I deal with my boss on the ideas and philosophies that we differ on and disagree on?

The idea of a young leader at the bottom of an organization creating conflict is new to traditional management philosophies which believe that power belongs at the top and should stay there. David Lipsky and Ariel Augar write, “Dealing with conflicts in organizations has traditionally been the responsibility of managers and administrators who took an authoritarian view of conflict and how to deal with it.”[1] In the past, it was uncommon to have an organized method to deal with conflict created by a subordinate. And, some business leaders have legitimate grounds to believe conflict management systems promote workplace conflict and inevitably lead to higher levels of employee participation in decision making than is desirable.[2]

I believe it is good that we take time to think through what conflict looks like because conflict is going to happen. Former pastor and leadership expert John Maxwell tells us that, “Conflict will arise in any organization. Humans disagree because they are wired differently and have different agendas.”[3] Regardless of who you are or where you work in the organizational hierarchy you will have to engage in conflict. Reading through our text in class it was put well this way: “Dealing with conflict is a little like being pregnant. It becomes clear at some point that the delivery needs to take place.”[4] Since conflict is something that will happen sooner or later, I would like to share with you two successful ways to engage upper management in conflict.

I. STAND UP AGAINST UNJUST TREATMENT

An example of conflict we can look at from scripture is in 1 Samuel 28:7-22. The context of this section of scripture is the mentally ill Saul (who we know was tormented by an evil spirit) is searching for David to kill him. For years Saul has attempted to hunt down and kill David. As a result, David and his men are hiding in a cave in the wilderness of En-gedi. While in the cave David is tempted to kill Saul but instead just cuts off a corner of Saul’s robe. Then Saul walks out of the cave, and David decides to confront Saul. You and I can argue that until this point of David’s confrontation, he has been wrongly treated by Saul. Scripture tells us that David has been an outstanding commander and man of war in the Israelite army.

In fact, David was more successful than any of the other commanders in Saul’s army, yet Saul unjustly attempts to kill David on several occasions. And those attempts to kill David have caused him great emotional harm because David had to flee to the wilderness to hide, he had to move his family to keep them safe, the relationship with his best friend, Jonathan (who is also Saul’s son and next in line to become king) is in high tension, and he has lost his own wife because of the conflict with Saul. As David follows Saul out of this cave David decides to take a stand and confront Saul for the unjust treatment he has received by saying,

My lord the king! . . . . Why do you listen to the people who say I am trying to harm you? ¹⁰This very day you can see with your own eyes it isn’t true. For the Lord placed you at my mercy back there in the cave. Some of my men told me to kill you, but I spared you. For I said, ‘I will never harm the king—he is the Lord’s anointed one.’¹¹Look, my father, at what I have in my hand. It is a piece of the hem of your robe! I cut it off, but I didn’t kill you. This proves that I am not trying to harm you and that I have not sinned against you, even though you have been hunting for me to kill me. . . . ¹⁵May the Lord therefore judge which of us is right and punish the guilty one. He is my advocate, and he will rescue me from your power![5]

I think David does a great job of confronting Saul on the wrong things that he feels Saul has done to him. He does not just vent his emotions to Saul, (even though I am sure David was emotional), but he states his opinion that is based on fact. David declares that he will not stand for Saul attempting to kill him. There comes a point when even if your boss secures your job and/or signs your paycheck, that extreme poor treatment should not be allowed to happen. You are a whole person and “when another’s expression of anger, rage, or contempt burns out of control, you have a responsibility to protect yourself. Listening to belittling; hostile blame; ridicule; demeaning or untrue accusations; sarcastic name-calling; contempt; or actual physical threats is not good conflict management.”[6]

Conflict should not attack the other person but goes about not allowing unjust behavior to happen, which is what we see here with David. David does not want to “win.” He just wants Saul to know that Saul is in the wrong, that David is going to allow God to judge each of them, that they should find a way to work together to seek a common good for both parties.[7] Here David and Saul actually talk out the issue and come to a resolution where Saul confesses he has been wrong and David goes the opposite way.

II. TALK IT OUT

I hesitate to say that management and workers need to talk about the issues in conflict because it seems obvious, but I am sure that you know it is not always practiced. It is important to talk out conflict because “if a disagreement emerges, what you do not do matters as much as what you do.”[8] Often it is easier to talk about and criticize the leader we work under instead of confronting the leader.

Wilmot and Hocker describe this as the “avoid/criticize” loop. They write, “The avoid/criticize loop is quite common in professional circles and the business world. One talks about others, but doesn’t join with them face to face and solve the problem.”[9] That avoid/criticize loop can be seen in the diagram on the right. Avoiding and criticizing others does little to create a resolution to conflict, especially if someone in task focused work has a conflict with someone in upper management because communication is already limited. Because of the limited communication that already exists between upper management and employees it only fosters an environment where more of the avoid/criticize loop happens.

If we have a conflict with someone in upper management we are most likely to share our disgust with the person(s) we communicate with the most. This means it is vitally important that we not participate in the avoid/criticize loop and that when we do have a conflict with someone in upper management that we go to that person and talk about it directly with that person. We saw this modeled for us in the passage of David confronting Saul.

Remember when David walked out of the cave, shouted to Saul to get his attention, and then confronted Saul on the wrongs that David believed were happening. Bible teacher Chuck Swindoll provides great commentary on this situation when Swindoll points out that “David told Saul the whole unvarnished truth; he told it to the person to whom it mattered most. Not to his comrades or to Saul’s friends or to the people of Israel, but to Saul himself. He came to terms with the individual with whom there was the battle.”[10] This is good because if there is a conflict that takes place between you and upper management, you need to gather together, talk, and work through it. When conflict happens it is rarely resolved if both parties fail to talk about the issue together, and it often becomes worse. For example, I know a youth pastor who was let go because of a heated conflict between him and his senior pastor. The release of this youth pastor was a surprise to him. Later I learned that the youth pastor had not been attending the church’s regular staff meetings.

As items of discussion came up about this youth pastor, he was not in the room to explain his actions or defend himself. My knowledge of that situation is somewhat limited but the negative and hurtful end result might have been avoided if that youth pastor regularly attended staff meetings to talk about the conflict, of if the senior pastor would have addressed the youth pastor earlier in the conflict.

Even though there are many strategies, techniques, and ideas about how to successfully talk through conflict, I think the simple attempt to work through the conflict is constructive. What is important is to talk about the conflict because “collaboration actively affirms the importance of relationship and content goals and thus builds a team or partnership approach to conflict management.”[11] According to Wilmot and Hocker the simple act of wanting to talk through the issue of conflict helps each part to know there is a problem which allows them to work to fix it. However, when conflict does arise most people shy away from it, so there must be a conscious decision to talk about it.

When I express the necessity of simply talking about the issue with upper management some people might perceive that as an excuse to “vent” their anger and feelings to the upper management, which is actually destructive in conflict. I want to make sure that as you attempt to talk out issues with upper management it does not mean you vent your feelings and anger. Because communication sometimes does not happen on a regular basis on key issues in the workplace, it might allow for situations to happen over and over again which gives room for feelings of anger and hostility to build up.

When those feelings of anger and hostility build up, it might be easy when approaching upper management to vent your thoughts and feelings to get them out. Some people even mistakenly say that venting is healthy for the person who feels the anger. That is a fallacy. Venting is more destructive than constructive to the person who is angry and the person who has to listen to the angry person. Our textbook from class teaches us, “Venting does nothing to help the conflict process.”[12] This is especially true when you need to confront your leader.

If you do think you need to vent, “do it with a safe friend, a counselor, a designated third party—not the conflict partner with whom you are attempting to work. Venting can feel wonderful for a while—but the price is usually too high to warrant the ‘Yes!’ feeling of telling the other person off.”[13] When you decided to talk to upper management about conflict make sure you are focused on specific issues that you know need to be remedied and fixed.

Even if you do work hard to talk out the issue and not vent, it is important to remember that the leader has the authority to make the final decision. Sometimes the leader is open to the follower’s thoughts and opinions, sometimes she is not which is ok because that is the decision of the leader, not you. In his book, Lead Your Boss, John Baldoni teaches us how to “Push Back the Right Way” to our boss when we disagree or have an idea that might be different than hers. Baldoni reminds us that if our leader does disagree with us we need to:

act professionally. Most of the time, if you and your boss disagree, she will win the argument because she holds power over you and your peers. Accepting that fact does not mean you are a pushover. It is a sign of organizational savvy. It also opens the door for further dialogue. Make it clear that while you disagree behind closed doors, you will not embarrass you boss in a meeting with higher-ups. You will demonstrate your support. That gives the boss the security to know that you have her back. There will be times to voice your opposition, but you don’t want to do so in ways that will make your boss look foolish.[14]

Baldoni gives us some great insight about talking out the conflict. It is good to remind the leader that you have her back in front of the rest of the group. As we already learned, expressing your anger and disgust about upper management to your coworkers only criticizes your leader and causes more conflict. It is important to voice your opinion and talk it out with your boss, but in the end your boss is still your boss, and she makes the final decision.

III. APPLYING THESE PRINCIPLES TO ORGANIZATIONAL LIFE

These new understandings of how to effectively engage in conflict with upper management give us a new framework when conflict arises at work. Now while at work, we know that when conflict comes up, we should not stand for any type of behavior from our boss that is hostile or that belittles us. We also know that it is important that we talk out the conflict with leadership at our organization in a productive way that does not vent our negative feelings and shows support for our leader.

Much of this research is greatly beneficial to me in my work because I have a direct supervisor whom I work for and report to on a regular basis. She also reports to our President/CEO who also reports to our 25 member Board of Directors. So, as I am mostly at the bottom of our organization, I have to deal with how to have constructive conflict with the woman I report to because there are times when I disagree on an issue that we need to talk about and work through together. Even though there are times when I express my disagreements with her and she makes a decision that does not agree with mine, it is ok because she has the authority to make decisions. It is also important that I navigate our conflict in an effective way to foster a positive work environment while at work. This means I stay away from the avoid/criticize loop and not talk negatively about her to people inside or outside of our work department. This is important because she knows that no matter what happens in a conflict we are working through she has my support.

Another area that this research applies to my life is with my assertiveness to stand up for myself against unjust treatment. This means that when someone treats me poorly, either at work or at home, that I can stand up for myself. Being treated unjustly does not happen on a regular basis to me, but it is something I need to be sensitive to in the future because I know my natural tendency as an Analyzer/Preserver is to not defend myself against unjust treatment.[15] The odds are that you are like me: someone who works as part of a team who has one (or more) bosses you have to report to on a regular basis.

Now that you know it is okay to engage in conflict with upper management on a regular basis by standing up against unjust treatment and talking out the conflict, I hope you will have productive conflict.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Baldoni, John. Lead Your Boss: The Subtle Art of Managing Up. New York: American Management Association, 2010.

Barunek, Jean M., and Barbara E. Bowe. “Transformational Management of Conflict: A Perspective from the Early Christian Church.” Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal 1, no. 2 (1998): 151-162.

Gilmore, Susank and Patrick Fraleigh. the Friendly Style Profile: a guide through calm and storm. Eugene, OR: Friendly Press, 2004.

Lipsky, David and Ariel Augar. “The Conflict over Conflict Management.” Dispute Resolution Journal 65 (May/October 2010): 11, 38-43.

Schrock-Shenk, Carolyn., and Lawrence Ressler, eds. Making Peace with Conflict: Practical Skills for Conflict Transformation. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1999.

Roloff, Michael E. “Links between Conflict Management Research and Practice.” Journal of Applied Communication Research 37, no. 4 (November 2009): 339-348.

Swindoll, Chuck. David: A Man of Passion and Destiny. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1997.

Wilmot, William and Joyce Hocker. Interpersonal Conflict. 8^th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011.

---

[1] David Lipsky and Ariel Augar, “The Conflict over Conflict Management,” Dispute Resolution Journal 65, (May/October 2010): 11.

[2] Ibid., 11.

[3] John C. Maxwell, The Maxwell Leadership Bible, 2^nd ed. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2007), 1204.

[4] Carolyn Schrock-Shenk and Lawrence Ressler, eds., Making Peace with Conflict: Practical Skills for Conflict Transformation, (Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1999), 89.

[5] 1 Samuel 24:7-22 (New Living Translation)

[6] William Wilmot and Joyce Hocker, Interpersonal Conflict, 8^th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011), 215.

[7] Jean M. Bartunek and Barbara E. Bowe, Transformational Management of Conflict: A Perspective from the Early Christian Church, Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal 1, no. 2 (1998): 157.

[8] Michael E. Roloff, “Links between Conflict Management Research and Practice,” Journal of Applied Communication Research 37, no. 4 (November 2009): 341.

[9] William Wilmot and Joyce Hocker, Interpersonal Conflict, 8^th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011), 154.

[10] Chuck Swindoll, David: A Man of Passion and Destiny, (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1997), 89.

[11] William Wilmot and Joyce Hocker, Interpersonal Conflict, 8^th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2011), 171.

[12] Ibid., 208.

[13] Ibid., 208.

[14] John Baldoni, Lead Your Boss: The Subtle Art of Managing Up, (New York: American Management Association, 2010), 61.

[15] Susan Gilmore and Patrick Fraleigh, The Friendly Style Profile: a guide through calm and storm (Eugene, OR: Friendly Press, 2004).

The book of Philemon was written by the Apostle Paul while he was in prison. Timothy and a runaway slave named Onesimus appear to be meeting with Paul regularly. Paul is writing to his “brother in Christ,” Philemon, asking Philemon to accept Onesimus, Philemon’s runaway slave. However, Onesimus is no longer the person he once was. Onesimus is now “a brother in Christ” whom Paul has helped become a Christian while in prison. 

It is significant that even though Paul is writing the letter to Philemon and making a request of Philemon, Paul also addresses the letter to Apphia (Philemon’s wife), Archippus (Philemon’s son), and the Church that regularly met at Philemon’s house.[1] This body of Christians serves as “accountability partners” for Philemon because they are not influenced by emotions and feelings about the situation between Onesimus and Philemon.

Sending the letter to these “accountability partners” helps to influence Philemon to do the right thing.  Even though Paul is the most powerful person mentioned in the letter (more on this later), he strategically uses his influence by enlisting others to make sure Philemon makes the correct decision and does the right thing, which is to send Onesimus back to Paul so Onesimus may be used to spread the gospel with Paul.

People reading this letter might believe that Philemon is the most powerful person mentioned in the letter. However, Paul is the most powerful person here. If we dig into the historical context of the world of Paul, it was considered a great honor to suffer on Christ’s behalf. Having had a personal encounter with Jesus, like many people of the early Roman Christian Church, Paul is willing to face suffering and persecution for the cause of spreading the gospel throughout the Roman Empire. Paul made three missionary journeys by now and has journeyed to Rome to continue spreading the Good News before being arrested and imprisoned.[2] Yes, Philemon owns a home, has a family, is doing good work, and hosts a church in his own home. But his spoken words are not as powerful as Paul’s, who is considered to be the greatest living Christian at that time and is clearly the unofficial leader of the early Christian Church spreading throughout the Roman Empire. 

Onesimus, who is a runaway slave converted to become a Christian, is caught in the middle. Onesimus was once considered to be a low class citizen as a slave. But since then he has lowered his status in society even more by becoming a runaway slave, and on top of that, he might have committed a crime that lands him in jail (which is how he might have come into contact with Paul). Paul leads Onesimus into a relationship with Jesus Christ, and Paul decides it is time for Onesimus to reconcile with his earthly master, Philemon. We can only guess that Onesimus is surprised by this decision. At that time, being a runaway slave was not a good position to be in. Onesimus probably hoped for as little punishment as possible from his Christian master which could have consisted of “whipping, branding, or execution.”[3] 

However, because Onesimus has discovered his spiritual gifts working under Paul, we know that Onesimus would be very fortunate to be allowed to return and work with Paul. [4] This means Onesimus would be help Paul with the great work of spreading the gospel and strengthening churches, which is very different than being a slave working on a farm or in a home. If Paul is able to successfully extend his influence to Philemon, Onesimus will benefit by being allowed to stay with Paul and continue doing great work to serve and help others.

This is the motivation for Paul setting up his letter to Philemon in a way that it is almost impossible for Philemon to say, “No” to Paul’s request.  We see Paul write,

“I always thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon, because I keep hearing about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people. And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ. Your love has given me much joy and comfort, my brother, for your kindness has often refreshed the hearts of God’s people.”[5]

Since Paul is portraying Philemon as a righteous man who is already doing good work, this positions Philemon to have to say, “Yes” to Paul’s request in order to stay congruent with Paul’s accolades about his righteous work. On top of that, Paul is not the only one to believe that Philemon is doing great work. We see Paul say, “I keep hearing” which means Paul is hearing about the good works of Philemon from other people throughout the Roman Christian Church. As a result of this good reputation, Paul hopes that Philemon lives up to that good reputation in this situation by allowing Onesimus to be sent back to Paul to continue their work together. This is evidenced when we see Paul request, “That is why I am boldly asking a favor of you. I could demand it in the name of Christ because it is the right thing for you to do. But because of our love, I prefer simply to ask you. Consider this as a request from me—Paul, an old man and now also a prisoner for the sake of Christ Jesus.”[6]

Paul is the unofficial leader of the Roman Christian Church, and he is probably the most influential Christian at that time. On top of that, Paul mentions that he is now imprisoned as an old man “for the sake of Christ Jesus.” A man who is the most powerful Christian in the church who is also imprisoned for spreading the gospel is asking a favor of you. Are you going to tell him, “no.” I don’t think so. Paul asks Philemon to do him a favor and reminds Philemon that he has the authority to demand it. But instead Paul wants Philemon to do the right thing for the benefit of Onesimus, and he hopes that Philemon lives up to this reputation that Philemon has built for himself among the Christian Church.

When reading and studying the text of Philemon, we can argue that Onesimus was useful to Paul and the church at that time, which happens to be the Hebrew meaning of his name.[7] In the past as a slave and possible criminal, Onesimus was not useful. Now, Onesimus has become a Christian and more than likely has found his spiritual gifts. Paul writes, “He (Onesimus) is more than a slave, for he is a beloved brother, especially to me.”[8] Paul sees Onesimus as a partner in working to spread the gospel. They are “beloved brothers” who share the same spiritual father and who serve the same God. Then Paul writes “Now he (Onesimus) is very useful to both of us.”[9] And finally, further explaining how useful Onesimus now is, Paul writes “I wanted to keep him (Onesimus) here with me while I am in these chains for preaching the Good News, and he would have helped me on your behalf.”[10]

Before, when Onesimus was working with Philemon, Onesimus was not much use for either Paul or Philemon. But now, Onesimus has committed his life to following Jesus Christ, he has discovered his spiritual gifts, and he is now very useful in Paul’s work of preaching the gospel and strengthening the church. Paul, arguably the greatest Christian alive at that time, saw Onesimus as useful to him for the work they were doing together, so useful in fact that he repeats it three times.  Paul extends his influence and takes a risk for someone he leads in the work of Jesus Christ because he sees Onesimus as useful. This is a great benefit to Onesimus that a leader such as Paul would extend his influence to make sure Onesimus gets to stay in a place where he is “useful” in deploying his spiritual gifts to serve Jesus and Paul in spreading the gospel.[11]

Like Paul, you too can extend the influence you have for the benefit of the people who follow you. How honored Onesimus must have felt to have a leader such as Paul advocating for him. Onesimus must have truly felt that he was useful for the benefit of Paul and the Good News. That is the benefit you offer when you—as a leader—extend your influence for the benefit of a follower. You give them tremendous encouragement to do the work they were meant to do.  As a result of you extending your influence for the benefit of the person who follows you, that person gains belief in herself, and she gets to be placed in a position to use her spiritual gifts. That is what happened Onesimus, as I will explain more in the final paragraph.

Depending on your own position working at an organization, you can also extend your influence for the benefit of the people who follow you. This is especially true if you are the leader of a successful company, nonprofit organization, government, or church. You have tremendous influence given to you because of the position you have earned. Paul used his influence to place Onesimus in a place where he could use his spiritual gifts to spread the gospel. Do your best to use your influence for the benefit of the people who follow you to help them work in the area of their spiritual gifts because those are the areas that God wants them to be.

In my own unique way, like Paul, I can extend my influence for the benefit of the people who follow me. I have some influence as a leader because I have founded and run a program for five years called A Day of Hope where we fed families in our community for Thanksgiving.  Recently I wrote a book by the same title, A Day of Hope: Leading Volunteers to Make a Difference in Your Community. Both of these experiences and accomplishments give me some influence that I can lend on behalf of others. If you dig into your background of experiences and accomplishments, I am sure you can find at least a few things you can point to that make you someone who has influence to lend.

Similar to Paul, I can utilize my influence among others based on what I have done for the community as a whole (serving the needs of families, similar to Paul serving the church). I can lean on the work I have done for one individual person (mentoring a young man individually, similar to Paul leading Philemon to Christ). Or, I can mentor a young man one-to-one, teach some guys in my Bible study, lead them in a growing relationship with Christ, or I can help clarify their gifts to be helpful in spreading the Gospel. As the leader who serves them, I have the opportunity (just like Paul had) to use my influence for good so they may be in a place where they are able to use their spiritual gifts to serve God (just as Onesimus was positioned in a place where he could use his gifts under Paul, instead of being a slave). Thinking about lending my influence to others takes me back to the four years of Auto Shop class I took while in High School.

Picture for me a ¼ size Craftsman wrench. A wrench can be very useful when you need to loosen or tighten a nut. If a nut needs to be loosened or tightened, the ¼ Craftsman wrench has the ability to loosen that nut so it can be taken off the bolt, free of being attached to the bolt.  And, that same Craftsman wrench has the ability to put the nut on a bolt, and tighten it down to do the good work of holding a piece of machinery so it can work properly. The variable is what size nut there is, and what size wrench there is. The benefit of a wrench is that it is about nine inches along which gives you leverage to loosen nuts that are very tight and to tighten nuts onto bolts so they do not move.

Paul, like a wrench, uses his influence and leverage as the prominent leader of the Roman Christian Church to loosen Onesimus from the tight hold his master, Philemon had on him. And after Paul loosens Onesimus from Philemon, he tightens Onesimus down into doing the good work of spreading the gospel and strengthening churches. This, lands Onesimus into the place he was supposed to be, all because Paul was that wrench who had the leverage and influence (leverage) loosen Onesimus from his position as a slave, and tighten him down to do the good work of spreading the gospel.

If you study ancient literature, the name Onesimus appeared again in a letter about 55 years later referencing Onesimus to be the highly-regarded bishop in the province of Asia.[12] We do not know if it was the same Onesimus mentioned in the book of Philemon, but it likely was. This shows that Paul truly did extend his influence for the benefit of his follower. As a result, his follower went on to do great things for the kingdom of God and spread the good news throughout an entire province. If this is what happened as a result of Paul extending his influence on behalf of Onesimus, think about the possibilities you and I both have to extend our influence on behalf of the people who follow us so that they may be useful in using their spiritual gifts.

---

[1] NLT Study Bible, ed. Roger Mohrlang (Carol Stream, Il: Tyndale House Publishers, 1998), 2076.

[2] D. Edmond Hiebert, The Pauline Epistles, vol. 2 of An Introduction to the New Testament (Waynesboro, GA: Gabriel Publishing, 2003), 244.

[3] NLT Study Bible, ed. Roger Mohrlang (Carol Stream, Il: Tyndale House Publishers, 1998), 2076.

[4] Read more about Paul’s teachings about new believers receiving “spiritual gifts” in 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4, Romans 12:1-8, and 1 Peter 4

[5] Philem. 1:4-7

[6] Philem. 1:8-9

[7] J.B. Lightfoot, “Philemon,” in The Definitive Bible Commentary, ed. Owen Collins (London: HarperCollinsReligious, 1999), 1439

[8] Philem. 1:16

[9] Philem. 1:11

[10] Philem. 1:13

[11] Philem. 1:13

[12] NLT Study Bible, ed. Roger Mohrlang (Carol Stream, Il: Tyndale House Publishers, 1998), 2076-2077

A Guide for Busy Nonprofit Professionals  and Church Leaders

Acknowledgments

I am grateful to three specific people in my work on this project. First, my wife Jennifer has been the main reader of all my work through school and now after. Second, my faculty advisor Dr. George Hillman at Dallas Theological Seminary allowed me to pitch this idea and he faithfully provided feedback. Third, Amy Vickery who was my supervisor at United Way (she’s supervisor number three) and who read several revisions of this book.

Chapter 1: An Introduction to Leadership Development in
Nonprofits and Churches

Nonprofit organizations and churches are often understaffed and underfunded, resulting in over-worked mid-level managers. Most nonprofit managers and church pastors face the challenge of running a program, managing staff, providing monthly board reports, helping with various fundraising responsibilities, and last but not least, developing leaders within their staff. Sadly, all of the challenges nonprofit leaders face often prevent leadership development from occurring. While developing leaders can yield the highest outcomes for employee productivity and improvement in the community, this area often gets put aside amongst other pressures because it does not provide immediate results. Investing in leadership development, whether financially or timely, “can feel like a luxury compared with investing in needs at the heart of a nonprofit charitable purpose, but failure to invest in leadership, as well as services, puts the entire mission at risk.”[1] Investments in leadership development for nonprofit and church staff must be made.

I. MY STORY

I experienced this lack of leadership development during the six years I was an employee at a nonprofit organization. My primary responsibilities were to recruit, equip, train, and lead approximately 125 volunteers. During those five years I had three direct supervisors. These individuals were responsible for my growth as a competent employee and potential future leader within our organization.

As a twenty-two-year-old employee, my first supervisor provided a good orientation and training for me to learn the basics of my job. He took me along on his work, showed me the ropes, and gave me some basic guidance on how to do my job.  My second supervisor was good at providing clear goals and expectations for what I was and was not supposed to do. As an employee with some experience and skills, this was a good fit for me as I was provided freedom to complete my work in ways that matched my strengths.  This supervisor only wanted to know my results and ensure I had what I needed to succeed in my basic job responsibilities. Neither of these two supervisors showed interest in nor provided guidance for me to develop as a leader. Each was very busy and had a long list of responsibilities which left little time for leadership development of a younger staff member.

Finally, my third supervisor expressed interest in training me as a leader. Entering that working relationship was an important element in my growth as an employee and future leader. By the time supervisor number three became my boss I had become well skilled at doing my normal job. Yet she took the time to review my performance evaluations conducted before her arrival to assess my strengths and weaknesses. Based on these evaluations she and I discussed my desire to have a leadership position. Supervisor number three saw that while I had an opportunity to lead our volunteers’ council, I also needed to have someone to regularly talk to and discuss issues with. She worked with me on my one-year goals and determined we would follow up with each other every three months for a brief meeting to see how I was progressing.

My own experience of trying to develop as a leader in a nonprofit organization led me to research how leaders in nonprofit organizations and churches can develop potential leaders. Did all of my three supervisors at my past job want to develop me as a leader? I would think yes, but they lacked time to regularly invest in that for the future benefit of our organization. Therefore, I would characterize each of my three supervisors as good people who did a good job of managing me; yet they all faced the same issue. They recognized the need to develop me into a competent leader but lacked the time to implement leadership development.

II. THE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROBLEM

My experience is not an isolated experience. This is a common problem in the nonprofit sector. To benefit the agency, management must develop future leaders yet lacks the time to do so. Nonprofit leaders “grasp the value and importance of leadership development while conceding that it is something they do haphazardly and inconsistently, if it happens at all.”[2] This lack of leadership development is something that might not affect nonprofit organizations’ impact on the community today, but it will affect the future success of the nonprofit. Lack of leadership development leads to “missed opportunities and organizational missteps. Hence, when the pool of capable organizational leaders is not continually nurtured, the organization may stagnate in the short term and become vulnerable in the long term.”[3]

One might think that since management personnel often lack time to develop leaders besides their many other responsibilities, the solution is to send staff to outside leadership trainings. Thus, many may see budgeting for outside leadership development training as the biggest inhibitor of leadership development. Research conducted by The Foundation Center in 2011 found that while for-profit companies spend $150 per employee per year in leadership training, the nonprofit sector only spends $29 per employee per year in leadership training.[4]  However, the nonprofit battle cry of “we don’t have enough resources” is not an excuse for training and developing nonprofit leaders for “the lack of a discretionary budget for outside training should not be considered an insurmountable barrier to development.”[5] Numerous examples have shown that simply throwing money at a problem rarely solves it. One organizational leadership expert explains that expensive formal training programs are a “distant third in the hierarchy of effective leadership training techniques.”[6] Outside leadership development trainings are not as effective as in-house and on-the-job trainings.

Research conducted by The Bridgespan Group in 2012 shows that only 28 percent of nonprofit leaders have leadership plans for individuals to address leadership gaps. Yet, the best news is that 65 percent of nonprofit leaders report they have plenty of on-the-job opportunities for leadership development.[7] These “on-the-job” opportunities might be the best means for developing future leaders for these opportunities rarely cost additional funds and do not require potential leaders to spend time away at expensive training events. I will explore several of these opportunities in the chapters that follow. But first, let’s look at the importance of your organization’s culture and other staff when developing leaders.

Chapter 2: Get Support from People and
the Organizational Culture

To develop leaders, there must be buy-in from all levels of the organization. From the board of directors or elders down to the administrative support staff, everyone needs to believe in the importance of developing leaders. Besides support from people, there needs to be support from the systems and culture of the organization.

I. SUPPORT FROM PEOPLE

A. Board of Directors and Elders

To develop leaders in nonprofit organizations, Tom Adams says, “Top leadership commitment is the place to start.”[8] Within nonprofit organizations, top leadership is the board of directors. The board of a nonprofit holds more authority than any staff position in a nonprofit organization because the board is the governing arm that makes decisions about the CEO, key staff, budgets, and mission. Within a church the board is often called “elders”[9] or a “leadership board,” and according to Aubrey Malphurs and Will Mancini, the leadership board “in many ministries is more influential than the pastor.”[10] Therefore, conversations about leadership development of potential leaders start with the board of directors and elders. This can be done by bringing research and case studies to board meetings showing how leadership development will improve the organization.

B. CEO

Once support for developing leaders has been established from the board of directors, the second most important person is the president or CEO in a nonprofit or senior pastor in a church.[11] While the board might be more influential than any staff member of a nonprofit, Kirk Kramer and Preeta Nayak state that in an organization “no other staff member has more influence over the norms of an organization than the CEO.”[12] Malphurs and Mancini agree that the CEO or pastor must support leadership development because if this person “resists, drags his heels, or shows no interest in raising up this and the next generation of leaders, it won’t happen.”[13]

Obtaining support from the CEO or pastor starts with the board seeing the value of leadership development and taking the necessary steps to implement development of the CEO or pastor. This means the board evaluates the CEO regularly and in that process helps the CEO identify his own professional development goals.[14] In other own words, the second step to effectively developing potential leaders is to have a CEO actively developing himself.[15] The first step to getting CEO support for leadership development is to have the CEO create her own leadership development plan. (A leadership development plan will be explained later in chapter six of this book.)

C. Managerial Staff

According to Malphurs and Mancini, the managerial staff are the main players “involved in the process and mentoring emerging leaders.”[16] Managerial staff are crucial to leadership development because these are the people that will directly develop potential leaders throughout the organization.

Tom Adams, in his book The Nonprofit Leadership Transition and Development Guide, advocates that nonprofits should look three to five years in their future to see what their leadership needs will be. Once the board and CEO have determined what those needs are, a leadership development plan should be created and “completed by the CEO, board, and appropriate staff.”[17] The “appropriate staff” are the people who will do the day-to-day work of developing potential leaders. The process of leadership development might never occur if the board and CEO do not support it. If managerial staff do not support leadership development, it will occur but not very well.

Before approaching managerial staff about developing potential leaders make sure that the board of directors and CEO have each signed off on leadership development. Then, approach managerial staff saying they need to actively look for potential individuals to develop into leaders. That active process of leadership development is discussed in chapters four through seven.

D. Non-positional Leaders

Last, the leaders in the organization without an official position of leadership need to support leadership development. These people are called “non-positional leaders”. Within churches this might be most important because according to Malphurs and Mancini, “non-positional leaders may actually lead the congregation.”[18] Non-positional leaders are the recipients of the leadership development program. Consequently, non-positional leaders must buy-in to the process of developing leaders. 

Non-positional leaders are perhaps the most difficult people to get buy-in for the leadership development process. The next chapter will provide a list of qualities and skills that will help management staff evaluate which non-positional leaders to get buy-in from (because those will be the people who are actively developed).

II. SUPPORT FROM SYSTEMS AND CULTURE

The culture of an organization is important because if the culture supports learning and leadership development, then it will happen. If the culture does not provide support for leadership development, no amount of pushing from staff or the board will make an impact.[19] In his book Informal Learning in Organizations, Robin Hoyle makes the important point that “culture can have an impact [on learning], not only on how people learn but what they learn as well.”[20] Four areas in an organization’s culture can support leadership development.

A. Mission

Part of getting support for leadership development is to do what Skip Bell calls, “rethinking mission.” Rethinking mission means that an organization focuses on its area of service while also creating a mission “in which personal transformation of its members is sought.”[21] In this way, an organization creates a marriage between its mission to serve the community and its development of the people who carry out that mission. This means that mission is no longer an accomplishment or goal, but instead, the mission becomes developing people who learn, change, and do while producing a product or service.[22] Part of developing systems that support leadership development is having a mission that supports it.

B. Responsibility

A culture must be created in which responsibility is taken by learners. This means learners assess their skills and knowledge and determine where they need improvement. Both the learner and the organization must place the responsibility on the learner. According to Robin Hoyle, “The organization has a requirement to create the environment in which learners can learn from their peers and can take responsibility for updating their own skills and knowledge. Even where individuals are not part of a large organization, learners are helped by a similar culture that expects professionals to continually learn and develop their practice.”[23]

C. Freedom

The culture of an organization also must provide potential leaders with some level of freedom to try new things and experiment. If potential leaders know they will be ridiculed and punished for doing something wrong, they will never try new things. Instead, potential leaders must be supported to try new and innovative practices that might improve their work and the organization they work for. Therefore, a balance of freedom to try new things and support after the work has been completed needs to exist to support leadership development.[24]

D. Budget

The last and most tangible expression of a culture that supports leadership development is an organization’s budget. While some people might see money invested in leadership development as discretionary, it is essential that funds are adequately provided to ensure that leadership development can happen in formal contexts (as will be discussed later).[25] Implementing a budget that supports nonprofit leadership development must be supported by both the CEO and the board to acquire the resources to support leadership development.[26] However, just because an organization’s budget provides financial support for leadership development does not mean that leadership development occurs. For good leadership development there needs to be financial resources to support the leadership development plans created and implemented by potential leaders.

III. CONCLUSION

The first step to developing potential leaders in an organization is to ensure the organization will support the process. And, by organization I mean the people who work there and the overall culture. When it is determined that the organization will support leadership development, the next step is to identify potential leaders for development.  

Chapter 3: Develop a Pipeline of Potential Leaders[27]

In organizations, people will always come and go. Therefore, to remain viable, an organization must develop a pipeline of potential leaders. John Maxwell describes the importance of looking for potential leaders when he writes, “There is something much more important and scarce than ability: It is the ability to recognize ability. One of the primary responsibilities of a successful leader is to identify potential leaders. It’s not always an easy job, but it is critical.”[28]  To develop this pipeline, one must identify potential leaders with both prerequisite qualities and prerequisite skills.

I. PREREQUISITE QUALITIES

Some people are happy with their current job responsibilities and do not want to stretch into new roles. This means that some people will not want to be developed into leaders. Maxwell’s summary is relevant: “Nurture all of your people, equip many. But develop only a few—the few who are ready and willing.”[29] Below are descriptions of the prerequisite qualities for potential leaders that should not just be nurtured or equipped, but also developed.

A. Good Character

Good character means potential leaders have a good reputation in their community as responsible citizens. This means potential leaders can pass simple background checks, are not being investigated by law enforcement for prior crimes, etc. Potential leaders are people of good integrity and are trustworthy.

B. Positive Attitude

While potential leaders need not be the most positive person in a room, they do need to have a positive outlook on situations. One of the main responsibilities of a leader is to solve problems and having a positive outlook on people and problems is required for potential leaders.

C. Servanthood

Servanthood should be seen in potential leaders’ willingness to submit, play as a team, and follow the leader. Part of servanthood is also seeing the big picture of an organization and focusing on contributing to fulfilling the organization’s vision. Potential leaders must show signs they will work hard, make tough decisions, and put the needs of the organization above their own. 

D. Teachable

Potential leaders must show a desire for professional growth and be open to coaching from other people. A desire to do their work well and improve means potential leaders accept constructive criticism and use it to improve their work and skills.

E. Follow-Through

The quality often overlooked in potential leaders is follow-through. American culture loves visionary leaders who are charismatic and likable. Yet, often visionary leaders are terrible at getting work done and seeing projects through completion. Follow-through is a must for potential leaders without a large staff working beneath them to catch all the loose ends that fall through the cracks. For potential leaders to succeed they should be known for saying what they will do and following through on those commitments.[30]

II. PREREQUISITE SKILLS

When creating an ongoing leadership development plan, leaders must clarify what competencies are needed for potential leaders.[31] Senior leadership at an organization must look at what leadership capacities they will need to fulfill their mission in the next three to five years and based on that, create a list of competencies and skills that leaders need to have.[32] While that list will be different for each organization, the development areas below should be a starting point for Christian and secular organizations. Most potential leaders will not have a high level of competency in each area, but current leaders need to believe potential leaders can learn and grow in these areas.

A. Ability

Ability is more than the desire or aspiration to be a leader. It is the innate characteristics and learned skills needed to carry out day-to-day work. These are things such as cognitive abilities, emotional intelligence, and technical skills. These are the leader’s actions and behavior in what is called hard or task skills and soft or relational skills. Hard or task skills are how to cast vision, develop core values, manage a budget, and teach. Soft or relational skills are how to listen to others, provide encouragement, mentor others, and resolve conflict.

B. Engagement

Engagement includes four elements. The first is emotional commitment, which is how the employee values, believes in, and enjoys the organization where he works. The second is relational commitment in which an employee believes that staying with the organization serves his best interest. Third is a discretionary commitment, which is the employee’s willingness to go the extra mile. Fourth is intent to stay as an employee desires to continue with that organization.

C. Feeling

Often this is described as the Personal Awareness and Management quadrant of “Emotional Intelligence” in which a person recognizes her emotions, identifies them as good or bad, manages that emotion, and explores why that emotion has arisen.[33]

D. Applied Researcher

Personal and professional growth are not enough for a potential leader. And a potential leader must anchor innovation and strategy in data and evidence. This data and evidence can be acquired through various means. Academic journals, books, magazines, and podcasts are all ways that potential leaders can acquire data and evidence for improved work.

E. Savvy Networker

A potential leader builds relationships with colleagues and taps into the resources he rarely has access to but which can be reached through others.[34]

III. CONCLUSION

The natural inclination is for current leaders to seek potential leaders like themselves. This list of qualities and skills should serve as a safe boundary that current leaders can use to identify potential leaders. With this list in place, current leaders can find potential leaders and implement the 70-20-10 principle for their development, which is the topic of the next chapter.  

Chapter 4: Implement the 70-20-10 Strategy

The 70-20-10 strategy was created by the Center for Creative Leadership based on thirty years of Lessons of Experience research.[35] The 70-20-10 rule for leader development follows this breakdown: 70 percent challenging assignments, 20 percent developmental relationships, and 10 percent coursework and training.[36] In nonprofit organizations, these three components reinforce each other and add up to a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.[37] Before examining the 70-20-10 strategy closer, it is important to describe what it is not. Robin Hoyle mentions he has seen the 70-20-10 approach misrepresented in these statements: 90 percent of learning is done on the job, it is how people naturally learn, the numbers do not matter, the 20 percent is done most effectively through Twitter and LinkedIn, and since most learning is done on the job there is no need for training courses.[38] However, let’s look at the correct understanding of the 70-20-10 principle.

I. THE 70-20-10 STRATEGY FOR LEADER DEVELOPMENT

A. 70 Percent Challenging Assignments

The on-the-job element of the 70-20-10 strategy is not simply doing one’s usual work but instead is “stretching” tasks and projects that provide the learner with new challenges and situations. But, why does this on-the-job element need to be the majority of potential leaders’ training? This is because “human beings retain information most effectively when they gain it in a practical context.”[39] Or, as Andy Stanley has stated, “People learn on a need-to-know basis.”[40] Malphurs and Mancini inadvertently agree with the 70 percent principle advocating that “you can’t learn leadership by simply being in a classroom or a seminar. It’s best learned while you are involved ‘up to your elbows’ in ministry in which you can apply and evaluate classroom or seminary instruction.”[41] One testimony from a lead pastor supports the 70 percent idea, “I made some huge mistakes as a young leader, but at the same time, it’s how I learned – through trying, failing and trying again.”[42]

B. 20 Percent Developmental Relationships

The 20 percent element of the 70-20-10 approach consists of conversations with coaches, peers, managers, role models, or experts. Kramer and Nayak believe, “Learning is even more powerful when the lessons of experience are reinforced through informal discussion with people who have performed similar work.”[43] One benefit of 20 percent conversations is that the conversations do not always have to be with a superior. Hoyle states that the 20 percent time can best be spent with coaches “who are specially trained to assist individuals to look at their own goals, assess the landscape and the challenges and opportunities they face and then plan action.”[44] The most important part of the 20 percent is that the learners are discussing their learning needs and are planning how to adapt what they are learning to their work. This also includes honest conversations with the potential leaders about themselves, their strengths, and their weaknesses.

C. 10 Percent Coursework and Training

The 10 percent element of the 70-20-10 model is formal training. These are workshops, eLearning modules, and even training simulations. While only 10 percent is formal learning in the Center for Creative Leadership’s model, it does not devalue formal classroom learning. Instead, it sees formal learning as most valuable when it “supplies technical skills, theories, and explanations that apply directly to what is learned through experience—and when it is both valued and quickly integrated within the work environment.”[45] The key here is that what is learned in the coursework and training is quickly integrated into potential leaders’ daily work. There must be a close connection between what is being learned and how it helps potential leaders do their work better and faster.

D. 20 and 10 Work Together

The 20 percent and 10 percent categories can take place in a variety of areas and often complement each other.[46] For example, the Center for Creative Leadership has been exploring four distinct areas where these two can occur. The first is feedback. This is honest feedback that a potential leader receives that helps improve performance. The second is social media. This is a way that potential leaders can get connected with other leaders to gain expertise, build community, and function as a virtual water cooler. The third is apps and mobile learning. These are performance support tools, job aids, learning “nuggets,” and effective examples. The key here is that an app can quickly pull up learning material when needed (instead of being buried in a workbook on a shelf). The fourth is massive open online courses (MOOCs). In this format thousands of people can explore ideas and solutions together.[47]

While two of these methods are digital, Ron Rabin at the Center for Creative Leadership admits, “Blended learning for leadership isn’t just about technology or mixing classroom with online experiences. It’s not about social media or the latest trends that promise to transform learning forever. It’s about building, in a thoughtful, systematic way, a structure to enable and support how leaders learn best.”[48]

II. IMPLEMENTING THE 70-20-10 STRATEGY

According to Kramer and Nayak, there are four steps to implement the 70-20-10 approach effectively in nonprofit organizations.

A. Cultivate Talent Champions

These are the managers who recognize the importance of developing up-and-coming leaders. Talent champions take responsibility for preparing potential leaders for leadership positions.

B. Identify the Organization’s Needs and Craft Development Opportunities

The next step is to identify ongoing activities that potential leaders can engage in to develop new and needed competencies. These opportunities should involve four areas. First is discomfort. Assignments should take potential leaders outside of their comfort zone and use skills they have not yet perfected. Second is accountability. Potential leaders should take responsibility for their assignments and take ownership of the results regardless of the positive or negative outcome. Third is clarity. There should be a lesson that can be learned, and that lesson should be clear to the potential leader. Fourth is relevance. Projects should teach potential leaders’ skills they need in their current roles.

C. Co-Create Individualized Development Plans

Managers must provide support and guidance for development plans, but potential leaders must take the initiative to create and execute the plan. Kramer and Nayak suggest that the potential leader and manager meet twice a year to follow up on development plans.

D. Follow Through on Development Plans

What gets managed gets done. Therefore, senior-level managers must ensure that managers are checking in and encouraging potential leaders to fulfill their development plans. [49]

III. CONCLUSION

This is a simple and short chapter on the 70-20-10 strategy. Many books and articles have been written about the strategy and can be explored for further assistance.[50] There are many ways to implement the 70-20-10 strategy so try some ideas out and see how it works best for your organization.

Chapter 5: Give Potential Leaders
New Projects and Tasks

In his book, Developing the Leaders Around You, John Maxwell writes, “Varied experiences add incredibly to people’s development. It keeps them growing, stretching, and learning. The broader people’s base of experience, the better they will be at handling new challenges, solving problems, and overcoming difficult situations.”[51] Providing potential leaders with new projects and tasks gives them the skills they need to develop into leaders. Thankfully, this idea helps current leaders because they can get rid of projects they are working on which can easily be delegated to potential leaders. However, this is not an opportunity for leaders to dump tasks that leaders do not want to do onto potential leaders.

I. LEADERS DELEGATE PROJECTS AND TASKS

Leaders must be intentional about what they delegate. Three criteria are important to follow when leaders look for projects to delegate to potential leaders.

• First, the project must be something that leaders regularly do.
• Second, the project must be something that will develop the qualities and skills of potential leaders.
• Third, the project must be something that potential leaders have both the capability and potential to do. 

With those three criteria in mind, current leaders can delegate a new project they have wanted to start but have not had the time. Or, current leaders can delegate some of their recurring work so they have time to start a new project.

II. FOCUS ON MEASURABLE OUTCOMES FOR LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

Every CEO, board member, and senior-level manager wants to see results. However, developing leaders is difficult to measure. One way that leaders can show they are developing leaders is through the results of potential leaders’ work. Current leaders can show upper-level management that new projects have been started or old ones have been improved because of the work that current leaders delegated to potential leaders. If leaders can show they have been more productive because they delegated work to potential leaders, then current leaders can show the results of leadership development in potential leaders. 

III. CONCLUSION

I cannot stress enough that giving potential leaders new projects and tasks is not an excuse to dump unwanted work. Busy leaders must think strategically about what projects and tasks they can give to potential leaders for leadership development.

Chapter 6: Potential Leaders Design and Implement a Professional Growth Plan

Professional growth is a requirement for potential leaders. While people might have potential for leadership, active professional growth removes the gap between potential leaders’ current skills and the skills they need to lead. Professional growth must be customized to the learning of the individual and it must occur regularly. Individuals learn in many ways; therefore, a one-size-fits-all approach is not appropriate for professional growth plans. An organization should require professional growth of potential leaders, but it should not require the specific details of how that growth occurs.

I. THE DIFFERENT TRAINING TYPES

A. The Four Training Types

Aubrey Malphurs and Will Mancini comprehensively explain the different training types in their book, Building Leaders. While they describe eight training venues and eight event venues, the four training types are most relevant to this chapter.

1. Learner-Driven

The first training type is learner-driventraining. In this type, potential leaders take responsibility for their own growth for self-development of character, knowledge, skills, and emotions. Ways this training can occur are reading books, listening to conferences on CD, interviewing successful leaders over lunch or coffee, or attending classes and seminars.

2. Content-Driven

The second training type iscontent-driven training. In this training type, there is a clear transfer of knowledge where a body of information is the basis for the learning. This type of training can be formal or informal. Usually, content-driven training focuses on specific and technical knowledge such as human resource (HR) laws in the workplace, or in a church content-driven training would focus on systematic theology topics.

3. Mentor-Driven

The third training type is mentor-driven training. Potential leaders are matched with a mentor who provides help by giving instruction, being a model, providing observations on the strengths and weaknesses of the mentee, as well as evaluating the progress of the mentee.

4. Experience-Driven

The fourth training type is experience-driven training. In this training type, potential leaders grow by practicing the skills and knowledge they need while doing the work.[52]

B. Potential Leaders Chose and Design the Training Type

1. Choose the Training Type

Each potential leader should choose the training type (or types) that best first his or her personality and learning style. Because potential leaders have different ways of learning it is important that the organization and current leader do not set a “one size fits all” approach for leadership development. Potential leaders should be able to evaluate the different training types and chose the one that fits their personality best.

2. Design the Training

After the current leader has expressed that potential leaders must have a growth plan and the potential leaders have identified which method they best learn in, it is then time for the potential leaders to design their growth plan. I suggest that current leaders create a meeting with potential leaders to explain the need for leadership development, explain the four training types, then put the responsibility on potential leaders to create their own professional growth plan. Once that professional growth plan has been created by potential leaders, the current leader should meet with each of the potential leaders to briefly review the plan and agree to follow up every month for a brief coaching session (as will be discussed in chapter seven of this book).

III. REFLECTION AS THE MOST POWERFUL GROWTH TOOL

The most effective and cost-efficient way for potential leaders to grow is through daily reflection. Regarding reflection John Maxwell comments, “There are many different ways of growing and an infinite number of lessons to be learned in life. But there are some kinds of growth that come to us only if we are willing to stop, pause, and allow the lesson to catch up with us.”[53] Therefore, potential leaders must take a moment every day to pause and reflect about the projects they are working on, the experiences they have had, and the things they have learned. This may be thirty seconds to five minutes.

A. Questions for Reflection

There are some basic questions that potential leaders can ask when they take time to reflect. What did I do well today? What can I improve on? What did I learn today from the tasks and projects I worked on? What did I learn today from the people I met with? What did I learn today from the things I heard? What did I learn today from what I read?

B. Record the Reflections

Reflection is useless unless potential leaders record their learnings and review them regularly. Potential leaders must find a place to record the things they have learned. For example, potential leaders should write their reflections in a small journal, record them into an audio file, write them on a legal pad, put them in the “notes” feature in a phone, or organize the reflections into an Excel spreadsheet. The place and method of recording the reflections is not as important as the necessity of doing the reflection daily.

IV. HOW TO IMPLEMENT A PROFESSIONAL GROWTH PLAN

A. Steps for Implementation

To implement a professional growth plan several things must be in place. First, this plan must be agreed upon by the leader and potential leader. Second, it must be put into writing. Third, the leader must follow up with the potential leader regularly to assess progress with the plan. Fourth, potential leaders must show growth through their recorded reflections.

B. Time for Implementation

The goal of implementing a growth plan is not to provide potential leaders with one more thing to do. Once potential leaders have assessed the best ways they learn, they should seek ways they can implement their growth plan with minimal time and effort.

1. Growth at Work

There are numerous times throughout the day that potential leaders can seize extra time to complete their growth plan. For example, if a potential leader finds himself at a meeting waiting for it to start, he can grow from his peers by asking different questions about their work and what they are learning about leadership. Another idea is to have a book or some type of reading related to leadership that potential leaders can read while they wait for their computer to boot up every morning.

2. Growth outside of Work

While a leader cannot require potential leaders to carry out their growth plan outside of work, here are some ideas for potential leaders who want to utilize extra time outside of work hours for their growth plan. For example, when a potential leader waits in line at Starbucks every morning he can pull out his phone and read a blog post or two related to leadership growth he has put into his RSS feed. Instead of listening to the same news headlines told repeatedly on the radio during a potential leader’s drive to work, he can be intentional about leadership growth by listening to podcasts or books on tape. If a potential leader has to go to a doctor’s appointment, he can be intentional about growth by bringing a book or magazine related to leadership that he can read while he waits for his appointment. The goal is to find methods that are effective and require minimal time.

V. CONCLUSION

There are different training types and different ways that people learn. Yet, reflection can often be one of the most powerful growth tools. The key idea is that growth needs to occur even if it is in small increments every day through various means.

Chapter 7: Give Potential Leaders Thirty Minutes of Coaching a Month

Coaching is an essential element to groom potential leaders. Even if potential leaders do new projects and actively pursue professional growth, they still need a little bit of coaching every month from their direct supervisor. What is coaching? According to Clinton and Stanley, “The Coach’s central thrust is to provide motivation and impart skills and application to meet a task or challenge.”[54] Let’s look at how to do that.

I. THIRTY MINUTES A MONTH

In this model, it is proposed that potential leaders receive thirty minutes of coaching per month. Thirty minutes might sound like a lot, but if the typical nonprofit leader or pastor works fifty hours a week and provides thirty minutes of coaching a month to a potential leader, that is only one quarter of one percent (.0025%) of the leader’s time every month. Any leader can carve out one-quarter of one percent of her time every month to coach a potential leader.

II. FOUR BASIC COACHING STRATEGIES

When conducting coaching sessions with potential leaders four basic elements should be present.

A. Be a Good Listener

First, leaders must be good listeners. They must listen to what potential leaders are going through and, if necessary, ask questions of the potential leaders. How have things been going? Do you feel you have succeeded? What are you struggling with?

B. Provide Resources and Ideas

Second, leaders must provide resources and ideas to potential leaders. If potential leaders are struggling in an area and appear to be stuck, leaders should step in to provide resources or ideas that will help potential leaders solve the problem.

C. Give Encouragement

Third, leaders must offer encouragement to potential leaders. People experimenting and trying new things will have limited success. Therefore, offer encouragement to potential leaders because they must know that their leaders still believe in them.

D. Restate the Vision

Fourth, leaders must restate the vision for the organization or program that potential leaders are working in. Potential leaders can become consumed with the details and forget about the larger picture. Every coaching meeting should end with the leader restating the vision of the nonprofit organization or church. This reminds potential leaders that what they are working towards is bigger and more important than themselves.

III. CONCLUSION

Any leader who carves out thirty minutes a month for leadership coaching and who follows the four basic coaching strategies can have confidence that leadership development will occur.

How Busy Leaders
Develop Potential Leaders

Although busy nonprofit leaders struggle to find time to develop potential leaders, there are several ways that leaders can overcome this hurdle. Leaders can get the support of the organizational culture, identify the qualities to be developed, and implement the 70-20-10 principle for leadership development. Busy leaders can develop potential leaders by providing new projects to work on, having potential leaders create and follow a customized professional growth plan, and by participating in coaching. These solutions may not completely solve the problem of nonprofit leaders and church pastors having limited time to develop potential leaders, but they can significantly improve this common problem.

Bibliography

Adams, Tom. The Nonprofit Leadership Transition and Development Guide: Proven Paths for Leaders and Organizations. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2010.

Bell, Skip. “Learning, Changing, and Doing: A Model for Transformational Leadership Development in Religious and Non-Profit Organizations.” Journal of Religious Leadership 9, no. 1 (Spring 2010): 93-111.

Callanan, Laura. “Under-Investing in Social Sector Leadership.” Philanthropy News Digest, February 11, 2014. http://pndblog.typepad.com/pndblog/2014/02/underinvesting-in-social-sector-leadership.html. Accessed July 9, 2015.

Edmondson, Ron. Ron Edmondson: The Blog of a Leader, Pastor, and Church Planter. www.ronedmondson.com. Accessed July 14, 2016.

Goleman, Daniel, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee. Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press, 2002.

Goleman, Daniel. Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More than IQ. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1995.

Hoyle, Robin. Informal Learning in Organizations: How to Create a Continuous Learning Culture. Philadelphia, PA: Kogan Page, 2015.

Jones, Karen. “Preparing an Organization to Sustain Capable Leadership.” Nonprofit Quarterly, June 21, 2008. https://nonprofitquarterly.org/management/1022-preparing-an-organization-to-sustain-capable-leadership-html. Accessed May 28, 2015.

Kramer, Kirk and Preeta Nayak, “A 5-Point Plan for Grooming Future Leaders.” Chronicle of Philanthropy 24, no. 14, June 28, 2012. Accessed May 14, 2015.

Kramer, Kirk and Preeta Nayak. Nonprofit Leadership Development: What’s Your “Plan A” for Growing Future Leaders? Boston, MA: The Bridgespan Group, 2013.

Kramer, Kirk. “Solving the Time and Money Puzzle in Leadership Development.” Nonprofit Quarterly, December 11, 2012. https://nonprofitquarterly.org/management/21481-solving-the-time-and-money-puzzle-in-leadership-development.html. Accessed May 28, 2015.

Malphurs, Aubrey and Will Mancini. Building Leaders: Blueprints for Developing Leadership at Every Level of Your Church. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2004.

Maxwell, John. Developing the Leaders Around You: How to Help Others Reach Their Full Potential. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1995.

Maxwell, John. The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Live Them and Reach Your Potential. New York, NY: Center Street, 2012.

Rabin, Ron. Blended Learning for Leadership: The CCL Approach. Greensboro, NC: Center for Creative Leadership, 2014.

Stanley, Andy Deep and Wide: Creating Churches Unchurched People Love to Attend. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012.

Stanley, Paul and J. Robert Clinton. Connecting: The Mentoring Relationships You Need to Succeed in Life. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 1992.

The Bridgespan Group. “The Challenge of Developing Future Leaders: Survey Results Say…” The Bridgespan Group. Boston, MA: 2012.  http://www.bridgespan.org/Publications-and-Tools/Career-Professional-Development/Develop-My-Staff/The-Challenge-of-Developing-Future-Leaders-Survey.aspx#.VaewaPlVikp. Accessed May 15, 2015.

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[1] Kirk Kramer and Preeta Nayak, “A 5-Point Plan for Grooming Future Leaders,” Chronicle of Philanthropy 24, no. 14, June 28, 2012. Accessed May 14, 2015.

[2] Kirk Kramer, “Solving the Time and Money Puzzle in Leadership Development,” Nonprofit Quarterly, December 11, 2012. https://nonprofitquarterly.org/management/21481-solving-the-time-and-money-puzzle-in-leadership-development.html. Accessed May 28, 2015.

[3] Karen Jones, “Preparing an Organization to Sustain Capable Leadership,” Nonprofit Quarterly, June 21, 2008. https://nonprofitquarterly.org/management/1022-preparing-an-organization-to-sustain-capable-leadership-html. Accessed May 28, 2015.

[4] Laura Callanan, “Under-Investing in Social Sector Leadership,” Philanthropy News Digest, February 11, 2014. http://pndblog.typepad.com/pndblog/2014/02/underinvesting-in-social-sector-leadership.html. Accessed July 9, 2015.

[5] Karen Jones, “Sustain Capable Leadership.”

[6] Kirk Kramer, “Solving the Time and Money Puzzle.”

[7] The Bridgespan Group, “The Challenge of Developing Future Leaders: Survey Results Say…” (Boston, MA: The Bridgespan Group, 2012), http://www.bridgespan.org/Publications-and-Tools/Career-Professional-Development/Develop-My-Staff/The-Challenge-of-Developing-Future-Leaders-Survey.aspx#.VaewaPlVikp. Accessed May 15, 2015.

[8] Tom Adams, The Nonprofit Leadership Transition and Development Guide (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2010), 230.

[9] To learn more about elders in the Bible read 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-3.

[10] Aubrey Malphurs and Will Mancini, Building Leaders: Blueprints for Developing Leadership at Every Level of Your Church (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2003), 108.

[11] While I do not have the space to explain my position, I see “pastor” and “elder” as two terms used to describe the same person doing the same ministry in the New Testament.

[12] Kirk Kramer and Preeta Nayak, Nonprofit Leadership Development: What’s Your “Plan A” for Growing Future Leaders? (Boston, MA: Bridgespan Group, 2013), 48.

[13] Malphurs and Mancini, Building Leaders, 107.

[14] Kramer and Nayak, Nonprofit Leadership Development, 39.

[15] Ibid.

[16] Malphurs and Mancini, Building Leaders, 108.

[17] Adams, Nonprofit Leadership Transition and Development, 256 (emphasis added).

[18] Malphurs and Mancini, Building Leaders, 110.

[19] Robin Hoyle, Informal Learning in Organizations: How to Create a Continuous Learning Culture (Philadelphia, PA: Kogan Page Limited, 2015), 68.

[20] Ibid., 68 (emphasis added).

[21] Bell, “Learning, Changing, and Doing,” 107.

[22] Ibid.

[23] Hoyle, Informal Learning in Organizations, 38.

[24] Ibid., 44.

[25] Adams, Nonprofit Leadership Transition and Development, 230.

[26] Malphurs and Mancini, Building Leaders, 110-111.

[27] This terminology is adopted from Dr. Aubrey Malphurs.

[28] John Maxwell, Developing the Leaders Around You: How to Help Others Reach Their Full Potential (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 37. 

[29] Ibid., 109.

[30] Malphurs and Mancini, Building Leaders, 136-137; Maxwell, Developing Leaders, 23.

[31] Adams, Nonprofit Leadership Transition and Development, 256.

[32] Kramer and Nayak, Nonprofit Leadership Development, 54.

[33] See Daniel Goleman, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More than IQ (New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1995), 43, 48; Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee, Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with Emotional Intelligence (Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press, 2002), 39-50, 253-256.

[34] Callanan. “Under-Investing in Leadership.” Kramer and Nayak, Nonprofit Leadership Development, 64-65. Malphurs and Mancini, Building Leaders, 147-151.

[35] Ron Rabin, Blended Learning for Leadership: The CCL Approach (Greensboro, NC: Center for Creative Leadership, 2014). The 70-20-10 principle is also described by Kramer and Nayak, Nonprofit Leadership Development, 82-101; Kramer, “Solving the Time and Money Puzzle”; and Hoyle, Informal Learning in Organizations, 168-177.

[36] Rabin, Blended Learning for Leadership, 2.

[37] Kramer and Nayak, Nonprofit Leadership Development, 83.

[38] Hoyle, Informal Learning in Organizations, 169.

[39] Kramer and Nayak, Nonprofit Leadership Development, 83.

[40] Andy Stanley, Deep and Wide: Creating Churches Unchurched People Love to Attend (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 69-85.

[41] Malphurs and Mancini, Building Leaders, 156.

[42] Ron Edmondson, “7 Ways to Raise up Young Leaders,” Ron Edmondson: The Blog of a Leader, Pastor, and Church Planter, July 14, 2015, at www.ronedmondson.com/2015/07/7-ways-to-raise-up-young-leaders.html. Accessed July 14, 2015.

[43] Kramer and Nayak, Nonprofit Leadership Development, 83.

[44] Hoyle, Informal Learning in Organizations, 168.

[45] Kramer and Nayak, Nonprofit Leadership Development, 83.

[46] Rabin, Blended Learning for Leadership, 6.

[47] For more on MOOCs see Hoyle, Informal Learning in Organizations, 137-157.

[48] Rabin, Blended Learning for Leadership, 7.

[49] Kramer and Nayak, Nonprofit Leadership Development, 85-101.

[50] Ron Rabin, Blended Learning for Leadership: The CCL Approach (Greensboro, NC: Center for Creative Leadership, 2014). The 70-20-10 principle is also described by Kramer and Nayak, Nonprofit Leadership Development, 82-101; Kramer, “Solving the Time and Money Puzzle”; and Hoyle, Informal Learning in Organizations, 168-177.

[51] Maxwell, Developing Leaders, 118.

[52] Malphurs and Mancini, Building Leaders, 152-156.

[53] John Maxwell, The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Live Them and Reach Your Potential (New York, NY: Center Street, 2012), 51.

[54] Paul Stanley and J. Robert Clinton, Connecting: The Mentoring Relationships You Need to Succeed in Life (Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 1992), 73.

What does the Bible say about leadership? The Bible can be used as a textbook for leadership because it can be seen as a history of God raising those who led his people according to his will.[1] This paper will explain the biblical history of three leaders and their unique characteristics that reflect a biblical philosophy of leadership.

I. JOSHUA’S EXAMPLE OF GROWTH IN GOD’S WORD

The example of Joshua displays the growth of a leader in God’s Word. That growth started in the book of Deuteronomy. Addressing the nation of Israel Moses declared,

“Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deuteronomy 6:4–9, New Living Translation).

The book of Deuteronomy is characterized by this statement by Moses known as the “Shema” which is named after the Hebrew word שָׁמַע for “hear” in verse 4. In addition to the Shema there are eight other passages in Deuteronomy affirming a similar message of whole hearted devotion to grow in God’s Word.[2] The Shema is seen as the fundamental dogma of the Old Testament and was identified by Christ in Mark 12:29-30 as the most important of all of the commandments.[3] The importance of the Shema for the Israelites was that they were to love their God with their whole being (intellect, emotions, will, etc.).

Joshua, as Moses’ assistant (Joshua 1:1) and servant of the Lord (24:29) was given the task of leading the Israelites into the Promised Land and was entrusted to lead Israel in obedience and growth in God’s Word.[4] Joshua, as Israel’s new leader, highlighted God’s call for Israel to be God’s holy Word.[5] Joshua emphasized and encouraged the people of Israel to keep growing in the Word of God in several ways. Among his first words to Israel as its new leader Joshua said, “Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left” (Joshua 1:7). He continued, “Study this book of instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it” (Joshua 1:8). These introductory remarks from Joshua are the first of what he would restate three more times throughout his time as Israel’s leader (12:32; 22:5; 23:6). In this way, Joshua was commanding the people of Israel to grow in the Word of God and to become more and more holy to God.

With Joshua’s example of a Godly leader growing in God’s word and encouraging others to grow it is clear that a requirement for a leader is a passion for God and his Word. In his book, Spiritual Leadership, J. Oswald Sanders states, “Spiritual leaders of every generation will have a consuming passion to know the Word of God through diligent study and the illumination of the Holy Spirit.”[6] Sanders continues, “The leader who intends to grow spiritually and intellectually will be reading constantly.”[7] Just as Joshua encouraged the people he led to “be very careful to follow everything Moses wrote in the Book of Instruction” (Joshua 23:6) so also must God’s leaders of today. Living out Joshua’s statement means that reading is required of the leaders God choses. Reading the Scriptures in order to grow is what Paul encouraged Timothy to do when he wrote, “Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers, and teaching them” (1 Timothy 4:13). This reading of the Scriptures refers to the public reading of the Old Testament.[8] The same Book of Instruction introduced by Moses and implemented by Joshua was still being read and followed more than 1,400 years later. The concept of daily devotion to the Word of God as a way to mold and grow a leader is essential. With technology the method of growth can look very different for each leader based on his preference, but the thing that must not be different in a leader’s devotion to God’s Word.

II. NEHEMIAH’S EXAMPLE OF PERSISTENCE IN THE DIRECTION OF GOD’S GOALS

Nehemiah, a leader living in the fourth and fifth centuries B.C., received a vision from God but also encountered opposition when attempting to implement that vision. In his time the walls and gates of Jerusalem needed to be rebuilt because the people of the city needed security against their enemies[9] as well as a method to keep the Jews as a separate and holy people from foreigners. Both of these were critical problems to the Jewish population,[10] and Nehemiah needed to be persistent to overcome them.

The first sign of Nehemiah’s persistence was that he was prepared. When the king asked Nehemiah why he looked sad and what was wrong with him, Nehemiah was prepared for the opportunity to do something. He replied, “How can I not be sad? For the city where my ancestors are buried is in ruins, and the gates have been destroyed by fire” (Neh 2:3). When the king offered to help, Nehemiah was prepared with his proposition about what he could do to help his ancestors saying, “If it please the king, and if you are pleased with me, your servant, send me to Judah to rebuild the city where my ancestors are buried” (Neh 2:5). Based on Nehemiah’s responses to the king it is clear that Nehemiah had prepared himself well. He asked for a specific amount of time to complete the project (Neh 2:7), authorization for passage to Judah (Neh 2:7), and for the materials he needed (Neh 2:8).[11]

After Nehemiah had completed half of the walls’ height all the way around the city of Jerusalem, Nehemiah 4:7-8 tells of how Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, Ammonites, and Ashdoites all made plans to fight Nehemiah and his people. Nehemiah showed persistence toward the vision God gave him by praying: “But we prayed to our God and he guarded the city day and night to protect ourselves” (4:9). As if this was not enough trouble for Nehemiah, opposition to God’s work arose from within the people Nehemiah was working with (Neh 4:10), his enemies continued to plot against him (Neh 4:11), and as a result the Jews working on the wall became greatly afraid (Neh 4:12). However, Nehemiah responded in a way that showed how persistent he was in attempting to complete the work God led him to do. He acted by placing guards to protect the people (Neh 4:13), and he spoke with conviction about continuing the work (Neh 4:14). In light of these events in Nehemiah’s story it is clear that he squarely faced opposition regardless of it was from the people working with him or from an outside enemy.[12]

Yet again, opposition occurred from the local people who were loaning money to the Jews working with Nehemiah (Neh 5:1-5). What was being done to people rebuilding the walls was a violation of the Law of Moses in Deuteronomy 15:1-18; 24:10-13 (the same law Joshua worked so hard to implement and regularly encouraged the Israelites to obey). Nehemiah stood strong against the people taking advantage of his workers. He stated that what they were doing was not right and that they should stop (Neh 5:7-11). In this circumstance Nehemiah displayed courage which is a requirement for a leader who has persistence. Courage is defined as “that quality of mind that enables people to encounter danger or difficulty firmly, without fear of discouragement.”[13] Tremendous courage was required by Nehemiah to stand in opposition to his enemies in order to persist toward God’s goal. When persisting towards a goal a courageous leader must face unpleasant and difficult situations with composure. Then, he must act decisively even if the action is unpopular.[14] A leader must rest assured that his work is to and for God, for he is working toward the goal God has given him.

The strongest opposition against Nehemiah and his work involved threats to his life. Nehemiah’s enemies, Sanballat and Geshem, found out Nehemiah’s work was almost complete, so they sent threatening letters to him. Nehemiah resolutely replied, “I am engaged in a great work, so I can’t come. Why should I stop working to come and meet with you?” (Neh 6:3) as well as “There is no truth in any part of your story. You are making up the whole thing” (Neh 6:8). Nehemiah finally concluded that, “I continued to work with even greater determination” (Neh 6:9). Nothing could stop him from doing the work God had directed him to do.

Only a short time later Nehemiah encountered opposition that would test his persistence in reaching the goal God had given him. Someone falsely claimed to have received a word from God and told Nehemiah he should hide in the temple. Nehemiah’s response shows his persistence toward the goal when he said, “Should someone in my position run from dangers? Should someone in my position enter the temple to save his life? No, I won’t do it! (Neh 6:11). Nehemiah knew that hiding in the temple would greatly discredit him (Neh 6:13), so he stayed outside knowing the he must ensure that the work continued.

With the walls and gates of the city of Jerusalem finished, Nehemiah again encountered opposition to his overall mission of keeping the people of Jerusalem as a holy and separate people. Because Nehemiah was focused on restoring religious practices and a holy  community of people, he continued to persist towards God’s goal, even after the walls and gates were rebuilt. However, Nehemiah learned about four evils (Neh 13:4-5, 10-11, 15, 23-24) that were preventing the Jews from remaining a separate and holy people. These evils led Nehemiah to purify and reform what the people were doing. More than 12 years had passed since Nehemiah’s work to rebuild the walls and gates (Neh 2:1 and 13:6), yet he was still persisting toward God’s goal of having the people be a holy community distinct from foreigners and devoted to God (Neh 13:30-31). This segment of Nehemiah’s leadership shows the patience he had. How does a leader display patience with the people he leads? He does this by not getting too far ahead of the people he leads because it discourages them. He must stay close enough to them that they can see him and hear his call forward.[15] Leadership requires patient persistence because it is the process of guiding people through challenges, transition, recovery, and new beginnings.[16]

Nehemiah has shown the requirement that a biblical leader be persistent. Similarly, Howard Hendricks described leaders as being focused like a laser beam, obsessed in their work, and having meaning with mission.[17] This was Nehemiah. He was focused like a laser beam, obsessed with getting the walls and gates rebuilt, and had meaning in his mission which God had led him to do.

III. JESUS’ EXAMPLE OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP

Among the many examples of servant leadership in the Bible Jesus provided the most vivid picture of what servant leadership should look like. Within the framework of Luke’s gospel the message of servant leadership is provided. Luke’s thinking in his Gospel is very God-centered[18] with a strong theological emphasis on the poor, tax collectors, sinners, Samaritans, Gentiles, women, and outcasts.[19]

When some of the disciples had been arguing about which of them was the greatest (Luke 22:24) Jesus decided that it was time to teach one more lesson to he beloved disciples. He told them,

“In this world the kings and great men lord it over their people, yet they are called ‘friends of the people.’ But among you it will be different. Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant. Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits at the table, of course. But not here! For I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:25–27).

In this passage Jesus provided a description of what worldly leadership, is and what godly leadership is. In order to appropriately understand godly leadership, worldly leadership must be defined because they are sharply contrasted.

The New Living Translation uses the words “kings” and “great men” in verse 25 to describe the worldly leadership of Jesus’ culture. In this way Jesus reminded his disciples of two objectionable characteristics of the secular rules of his time: 1) lording power over others and 2) receiving the title of “benefactor.”[20] Jesus had to combat the aggressive and competitive nature of the disciples which showed them to be very selfish. When describing modern day leadership in his book, LeadershipNext, Eddie Gibbs writes, “Some individuals aspire to leadership out of a sense of adventure, while others do so for the satisfaction of being recognized and followed. For still others, being a leader strokes their ego. They imagine the power and privilege that a position of leadership brings.”[21] Like Jesus, Gibbs describes the same type of worldly leadership style that seeks self-preservation and self-escalation of power. When looking at Jesus’ description of servant leadership a very different picture emerges because he saw leadership as service and sacrifice.[22]

Jesus stated that, “Those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank, and the leader should be like a servant” (Luke 22:26). This verse shows that greatness in God’s kingdom is contrary to the world’s values because it involves serving rather than being served.[23] Self-serving action has no place in Jesus’ kingdom[24] because according to Jesus, the one who is truly the greatest is the one who serves.[25] Why? Jesus came to serve others by pouring out his blood as a sacrifice for those he loved. When pointing to this passage as the ideal passage for servant leadership, Andrew Seidel states that servant leadership is not motivated by personal power or gain but by the fulfillment of God’s purpose for both the organization and people in that organization.[26]

With his statement, “For I am among you as the one who serves” (Luke 22:27), Jesus wanted to place a spirit of servanthood on his disciples.[27] In that spirit of servanthood J. Oswald Sanders lists several qualities of our Lord that should also be embodied in servant leaders today:

1. Dependence: Just as Jesus surrendered everything for his people a current leader also should “empty” himself;
2. Modesty: A servant of God conducts a ministry that might appear self-effacing;
3. Empathy: Jesus was sympathetic with the weak and merciful to those who err;
4. Optimism: An essential quality for a leader in order to battle darkness; and
5. Anointing: As the Holy Spirit came and rested on Jesus he will also rest on his leader.[28]

What does servant leadership look like in the 21^st century? First, a servant leader is to be self-sacrificing rather than self-seeking, active and not passive. Second, he leads with the influence of example and relationship, not from position and pressure. Third, he exercises authority when necessary for progress toward the mission and not for personal gain. Fourth, he leads by personally being involved in caring for people and their needs, not demanding that his own needs are met. Finally, a servant leader gives direction, equips others for work, and uses his character and gifts for God’s Kingdom.[29]

IV. MY PLAN TO BE A BIBLICAL LEADER

A biblical philosophy of leadership consists of (but is not limited to) growth in God’s Word, persistence in the direction of God’s goals, and servant leadership. Thankfully, through the examples of Joshua, Nehemiah, and Jesus, there are patterns and paths I can follow to become a godly leader. I plan to continue reading four chapters of God’s Word every day, persisting towards God’s goal of a Master of Arts in Christian Leadership degree, and serving others for their benefit as a leader. With these three practices I hope that like Joshua, Nehemiah, and Jesus, I too can become a godly leader.

Bibliography

Arnold, Bill and H. G. M. Williamson. Dictionary of the Old Testament: Historical Books. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2005.

Coleson, Joseph. “Joshua,” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary. Vol. 3, ed. Philip Comfort .Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2012.

Gibbs, Eddie. LeadershipNext: Changing Leaders in a Changing Culture. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2005.

Hendricks, Howard. “Ten Common Factors in Leadership.” Unpublished class notes for SL305. Dallas Theological Seminary, Spring Semester, 2014.

Howard, David. An Introduction to the Old Testament Historical Books. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1993.

Kouzes, James and Barry Posner. The Truth About Leadership: The No-Fads, Heart-of-the-Matter Facts You Need to Know. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2010.

Longman, Tremper, III, and David E. Garland, eds. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Luke–Acts (Revised Edition). Vol. 10. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2007.

Sanders, J. Oswald. Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2007.

Seidel, Andrew. “Identity and Leadership.” Unpublished class notes for SL305. Dallas Theological Seminary, Spring Semester, 2014.

Seidel, Andrew. Charting a Bold Course: Training Leaders for the 21^st Century. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2003.

Smith, Gary. “Ezra-Nehemiah, Esther,” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, ed. Philip Comfort. Vol. 5b. Carole Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2010.

Stein, Robert H. “Luke,” Vol. 24 in The New American Commentary. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992.

Trites, Allison. “The Gospel of Luke, Acts,” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, ed. Philip Comfort. Vol. 12. Carole Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2006.

Wolf, Herbert An Introduction to the Old Testament: Pentateuch. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1991.

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[1] Andrew Seidel, Charting a Bold Course: Training Leaders for the 21^st Century (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2003), 25.

[2] See Deuteronomy 4:29; 10:12; 11:13; 13:3; 26:16; 30:2, 6, 10. Herbert Wolf, An Introduction to the Old Testament: Pentateuch (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1991), 256.

[3] Wolf, Introduction to the Old Testament: Pentateuch, 256.

[4] David Howard, An Introduction to the Old Testament Historical Books, (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 1993), 67.

[5] Joseph Coleson, “Joshua,” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, vol. 3, ed. Philip Comfort (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale, 2012), 18.

[6] J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2007), 102.

[7] Ibid.

[8] Ibid., 101.

[9] Howard, Intro to Historical Books, 332.

[10] Gary Smith, “Ezra-Nehemiah, Esther,” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, ed. Philip Comfort, vol. 5b, (Carole Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2010), 9.

[11] Howard,  Intro to Historical Books, 340.

[12] Bill Arnold and H. G. M. Williamson, Dictionary of the Old Testament: Historical Books (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2005), 722.

[13] Sanders, Spiritual Leadership, 60.

[14] Ibid., 62.

[15] Sanders, Spiritual Leadership, 69.

[16] James Kouzes and Barry Posner, The Truth About Leadership: The No-Fads, Heart-of-the-Matter Facts You Need to Know (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 2010), 93.

[17] Howard Hendricks, “Ten Common Factors in Leadership,” unpublished class notes for SL305 (Dallas Theological Seminary, Spring Semester, 2014).

[18] Allison Trites, “The Gospel of Luke, Acts,” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, ed. Philip Comfort, vol. 12, (Carole Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2006), 14.

[19] Stein, Robert H. “Luke,” vol. 24 in The New American Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 49-50.

[20] Longman, Tremper, III, and David E. Garland, eds. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Luke–Acts (Revised Edition). Vol. 10. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2007, 316.

[21] Eddie Gibbs, LeadershipNext: Changing Leaders in a Changing Culture, Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2005), 179.

[22] Ibid., 179.

[23] Stein, Luke, 550.

[24] Trites, “The Gospel of Luke,” 290.

[25] Longman and Garland, Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Luke-Acts, 316.

[26] Andrew Seidel, “Identity and Leadership,” unpublished class notes for SL305 (Dallas Theological Seminary, Spring Semester, 2014).

[27] Sanders, Spiritual Leadership, 24.

[28] Ibid., 24-25.

[29] Seidel, Charting a Bold Course, 34.