Many high-capacity business leaders I have encountered over the years have on-going problems with the pastors on their staff. It is standard operating procedure and part of the job description for these leaders to do the following in the course of a normal week:
- Make tough decisions
- Have hard conversations
- Be highly accountability to both those they report to as well as those they lead
- Must deliver on measurable goals
- Develop innovative strategies
- Continually improve
- Create new products
- Buy and sell goods
- Turn a profit
- Fight off competition
- Gain new customers
This is a normal week. And then they come to church. For many business leaders, coming to church creates a sense of leadership whiplash because many do not see this.
This is because of a natural tension which exists – Business leaders focus on transaction (the buying and selling of goods). Pastors focus on transformation (human life-change).
But as you study the leadership styles of pastors and church leaders, expecting them to lead a like business leader during the week may be completely unrealistic.
Dr. Sam Chand in his classic book Leadership Pain: The Classroom For Growth says, “All of us (pastors), and I mean all of us, from the most successful to those who are just starting out, need to realize the blessings and limitations of the gifts God has given us to lead our churches. Only Jesus had all the gifts.”
He then places pastors in four types of categories:
Entrepreneurs
These pastors are great visionaries. They can see the future and paint a compelling picture others wish to follow. Dr. Chand pointed out, “God often reveals a glorious future to entrepreneurs who refuse to settle for anything less than its fulfillment.” Business leaders love entrepreneurial pastors as long as the vision ultimately becomes reality. If not, trust will be lost.
Shepherds
This type of pastor is not a visionary per se, or a great strategist, and often doesn’t have a lot of difficult conversations. But what they are is kind, loving, comforting, compassionate, soothing, and often great evangelist because they have a broken heart for the unchurched. Business leaders love shepherds when their marriage is struggling or children have gone off the rails. But during seasons of plenty, business leaders can grow impatient because the church’s mission and vision does not seem to be advancing at a preferred rate. Shepherds can appear to be easily bullied. This is a mistake many business leaders make. They confuse meekness with weakness.
Teachers/Preachers
These individuals love the hidden truths of the Bible and are gifted communicators. Their language, illustrations, insights, and practical applications inspire and challenge their listeners each week. But Dr. Chand offers this warning, “Sometimes a church’s existence can become based solely on the talents of a phenomenal speaker. When this happens, the pews may be full each week, but the leadership team may not have clear direction, programs are poorly led, and a world of conflict bubbles beneath the surface. As long as the plates are full of donations, the disaster can be averted – at least from week to week. Sooner or later, however, the neglected aspect’s of the church’s life will cause problems that can no longer be avoided.”
Administrators
Those with the gift of administration create strategic plans for the church. They have a special talent for identifying and leverage the resources needed to see vision become reality within specific timelines. But Dr. Chand offers another word of warning, “Occasionally, administrators are so driven to create the perfect system, they can’t pull the trigger to start the always messy process of growth. Administrators love paper trails, but others see this as wasted time, or worse, a leadership flaw of micromanaging people and events.” Administrators can often also lack any sense of compassion as well. They have a tendency to use people, to see them as a means to end, rather than love people.
Business leaders must understand pastors do not have all the gifts. They cannot be experts at each portion of ministry. No pastor is all four.
When business leaders have the expectation of a “Shepherd” to be a superior “Administrator”, this is a recipe for disappointment, frustration, and unrealistic expectations.
The following is my advice to business leaders when dealing with their pastors and key staff – Determine which type of leader they are. Then, keep your conversations and expectations within their gift mix.
This approach will position your pastor for success and save yourself from unnecessary stress. The benefits for business leaders of this lack of stress are the following:
- Better church-going experience.
- Increased ownership in your church’s mission and vision.
- Longer-term membership in your church. In other words, less hopping from one church to another.
- Generational impact. Your happiness with your local church increases the odds your children will grow up loving church and continue attending as they enter adulthood.
- More influence with your pastor. And business leaders LOVE influence.
So business leader, allow me to ask you a series of questions. What category from the list above would your pastor fit into? And then, have you had unrealistic expectations of your pastor based upon how God gifted them? If so, will you repent and apologize to them today?
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