John Maxwell teaches The Law Of The Inner Circle which says, “Those closest to the leader determine the success of the leader.” So the question begs, what type of leaders should pastors surround themselves with?
As a member of INJOY Stewardship Solutions, I wrestle with this question daily because of my regular dealings with church leadership teams. These teams are either staff led or consist of a mixture of volunteers and staff. When it is a mixture, the staff and volunteers have varying levels of influence based upon the church’s culture and DNA.
Last week I met with one of, if not the most competent church leadership teams since my time with INJOY. As I was flying back into Atlanta, I documented what made this group so unique and effective.
The following are 13 Qualities Of Great Church Leadership Teams which I learned from my meeting with these leaders:
- Great Church Leadership Teams Love Jesus – You could tell by the countenance, conduct and conversation each team member deeply loved Jesus and were motivated by a deep desire to please Him in all they did as leaders.
- Great Church Leadership Teams Love Their Pastor – I going to say this as boldly and straightforward as I can – If you are not for your pastor, you should not be on a church leadership team. You must WANT to help your pastor.
- Great Church Leadership Teams Are Highly Competent – Pastors should not only surround themselves with leaders who WANT to help them, they must surround themselves with leaders who are ABLE to help them. This group consisted of both experienced staff and highly successful business leaders. It was a smart room.
- Great Church Leadership Teams Ask Great Questions – These leaders are continual learners and highly inquisitive.
- Great Church Leadership Teams Find Solutions – What made these leaders’ questions so good was they were seeking solutions to the issues they were facing. A bad leadership team asks questions for the purposes of poking holes in good ideas or shutting down church initiatives. Great leaders are solutions based.
- Great Church Leadership Teams Are Humble – In a room full of highly competent, successful leaders, it would be the norm to encounter hubris. This group, however, was genuinely humble to be part of an incredible move of God. They were literally in awe of what God was doing and honored to be a part of it.
- Great Church Leadership Teams Embrace And Embody The Church’s Core Values – I asked each leader what they enjoyed most about the church and kept them coming back. As I reviewed their list, I realized each one of the church’s core values were represented. This group were truly living out the church’s values.
- Great Church Leadership Teams Are Focused On Vision And Life Change – I love meeting with Finance Committees. This group is responsibility not just for developing and managing the church budget. They are responsible for stewardship the flow of financial resources for maximum Kingdom impact. The church’s Finance Team members were not bean counters. They were agents for the church’s mission and vision and how it could be advanced.
- Great Church Leadership Teams Respect Each Other – There was genuine respect amongst the team members and several comments about how each were asking great questions.
- Great Church Leadership Teams Are Multi-Cultural – There was a good mix of races in the room.
- Great Church Leadership Teams Are Multi-Generational – There was a good mix of twenty-s0methings to senior adults in the room.
- Great Church Leadership Teams Are Great Thinkers – This group of leaders could think on multiple layers. In other words, they could take multiple initiatives such as stewardship education classes, outreach, message series, volunteerism, year-end giving and capital campaigns and blend them into a singular spiritual journey for those who attend their church.
- Great Church Leadership Teams Are Optimistic – Great church leadership teams do not have a devil’s advocate. The devil does not need any help. They also do not have Debbie Downers. Great church leadership teams consist of individuals who recognize all God is doing and wants to do at the church and subsequently use their influence, gifts, talents, abilities and resources to see it come to pass.
Pastors, does this describe your leadership team? If so, forward this post to them as a form of encouragement.
If not, you are surrounded with people who cannot make your successful. They either need to be developed or replaced.
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