The Leadership Stakes Are So High Pastors Must Do These 24 Things

The stakes pastors face on daily basis are unspeakably high.  Pastors are engaged in a battle between Heaven and hell with people’s eternities hanging in the balance.  Therefore, pastoral leadership is the highest stakes game in town.

For top leadership performance in high stakes environments, I found a set a guiding principles in an unusual place – professional playoff hockey.  In the world of sports, few environments are as pressure-packed and consequential.

I analyzed five different Sports Illustrated articles on the subject spanning the last four years.  The leadership lessons were incredibly applicable to pastors and ministry leaders.

Just so you know, this list is not all-inclusive.  It does not include core disciplines like prayer and Bible study.  However, the following are 24 Things Pastors Must Do Because The Leadership Stakes Are So High.  First, the principle followed by supporting quote or comment.

June 10, 2013

• The Higher The Stakes The More Discipline Is Required – The nature of playoff hockey is it requires more sustained physical and mental discipline.  So then how much more physical and mental discipline is required for pastors?
• The Higher The Stakes The Harder It Is To Keep Up – Players struggle to keep up with the pace of playoff hockey.  The pace of ministry is even faster.
• The Higher The Stakes The More Resilient You Must Be – Playoff hockey requires players to ignore pain.  Pastors may not face physical pain but they sure do need thick skin.
• The Higher The Stakes The More Character Matters – Boston Bruins’s team captain Zdeno Chara’s father Zdenek said, “What I wanted most for him was that he be honest and humble…I told him always that there are two magic words to live by: ‘please’ and ‘thank you’.  These are the two words that open doors all over the world.”  Humility and gratefulness are attractive qualities which open doors for pastors all over the world.
• The Higher The Stakes The More Breaks You Need – Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask said, “They hit three posts.  I can’t be that lucky every night.”  Pastors call this the favor of God.
• The Higher The Stakes The More It Must Be About Others – The best hockey traditions, like the end-of-the-series handshake, cast the spotlight onto others.  Smart pastors are always putting the spotlight on others – specifically Jesus, their staff and people in their church.

May 25, 2015

• The Higher The Stakes The More You Discernment You Need – Hockey announcer Bill Clement says, “The longer you play in overtime, the more it becomes a trek through the desert and you can see what looks like an oasis up ahead.  But only the winning team discovers the oasis.  The losing team discovers the mirage.”  Successful pastors do not succumb to temptation and counterfeit options (mirages).

May 23, 2016

• The Higher The Stakes The More Energy Is Required – St. Louis Blues Alex Pietrangelo is cherished by his teammates for his limitless energy.  Likewise, the most important thing pastors can bring to their ministries is positive energy.
• The Higher The Stakes The More Of Your Time Is Needed – Bruins teammate Ryan Reeves said, “I don’t know how he’s (Pietrangelo) always in a good mood playing 30 minutes a game.  If that was me, I’d be in bed every day, miserable.”  Don’t be mistaken, being a pastor will require more of your time than you ever thought.
• The Higher The Stakes The More Sacrifices You Must Voluntarily Make – The best defensemen carry similar traits – great skating, strong passing, and “the competitive desire for voluntary exhaustion.”  Being a pastor means you must also be willing to experience voluntary exhaustion as well.
• The Higher The Stakes The More You Must Focus On Things No One Sees – Adam Foote said, “It’s so important, and it makes things work, but someone’s got to do it.  Someone’s got to work in the mud.”  Pastors, it is the lonely work you do which often make you a success.
• The Higher The Stakes The Smarter You Have To Get – Tampa Bay Lightning’s Victor Hedman said, “These players doing it now, whether it’s Brent Burns or Kris Letang, you’ve got Victor, Pietrangelo, they’re smart players.  They don’t waste a ton of time getting caught up in arguments or pushing and shoving after the whistle.”  Though already highly-educated, pastors should always assume the posture of a continual learner and be working on their craft.
• The Higher The Stakes The More Likely You Are To Make Mistakes –  Pietrangelo added, “You’re out there 30 minutes, you’re going to make mistakes, unfortunately.  Sometime’s your body’s feeling good, but mentally you’re making mistakes because you’re tired and overextending yourself more than you need to.”  Failure can be your friend.  Pastors can get exponentially better by learning from failure.
• The Higher The Stakes The More You Must Limit Distractions – On limiting distractions and getting rest, Pietrangelo said, “Whatever it is, those little things add up.”  Pastors must stay focused and manage their personal calendars well.
• The Higher The Stakes The More Your Physical Health Matters – Letang said, “Conditioning, that’s it…We have conditioning every day to build tolerance.”  The most neglected area in a pastor’s life is often their physical health.  If you are not around, your influence will not be felt.

June 13, 2016 – This section is on the value of team depth and the benefit it can have for pastors.

• The Higher The Stakes The More Help You Need – Pittsburgh Penguins Carl Hagelin said, “You need contributions from every single player.  It’s a thin line between your superstar and just a good player in the league.  Before, if you looked at the superstars compared to the fourth-liners, it was a big gap.  Now it’s not like that.”  Pastor, you cannot do it all alone.
• The Higher The Stakes The More You Need To Upgrade Your Team’s Talent – San Jose Sharks winger Joonas Donskoi chose to play for the team largely because they were the first to show serious interest in him.  Pastors, are you continually looking for top talent to add to your staff.
• The Higher The Stakes The More You Need Contributions From Others – Sharks center Chris Tierney said, “The battle of the depth guys.  Whenever you get this deep in the playoffs, someone’s going to step up at some point.”  Pastors, who do you have stepping up to help you at critical times in your ministry?
• The Higher The Stakes The More Team Depth Matters – Penguins assistant general manager Bill Guerin said, “You have to have scoring depth.”  Pastors, the quality of your ministry will largely be determined by the quality depth of your staff.

June 20, 2016

• The Higher The Stakes The More You Must Be Willing To Change – Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford said, “We had to change the (team) speed.”  As ministries grow, change is required to sustain the growth.
• The Higher The Stakes The More Aggressive You Must Be – Guerin said, “This is more aggressive…We’re going to throw our speed at you every night.  That was the attitude.  We’re coming.”  Successful ministry and passivity cannot occupy the same space.
• The Higher The Stakes The More Options You Need – Penguins defenseman Justin Schultz said, “There’s always a guy open (when you play fast).  You’ve just got to find them.”  Pastors, your staff and people in your church are capable of far more than you may ever know.  You just need to find them.
• The Higher The Stakes The More Your Need Team Chemistry – Guerin said, “He (Sullivan) fit what we were trying to do.” Pastors, hire staff who are a great chemistry fit for your church.
• The Higher The Stakes The More Leadership Matters – Rutherford on new head coach Mike Sullivan, “He knew the young guys and they knew him.  They had confidence in the coach, and he had confidence in them.”  There are few things as meaningful to staff members as when their pastor believes in them.

What is one thing you can learn from this list which can make you a better pastor or ministry leader?

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