EFFECTIVE LEADERS TAKE RESPONSIBILITY, FOSTER SECURITY, CREATE SYNERGY, MODEL LONGEVITY, AND LEAVE A LASTING LEGACY.
Responsibility – don’t pass the buck, not only take responsibility for their own mistakes, but also shield their team from negative consequences, going to bat for them. (don’t blame or justify; vs. complacency & lethargy)
“In the final analysis, the one quality that all successful people have, is the ability to take on responsibility. Responsibility lifts talent to a new level and increases its stamina.” (Michael Korda)
We live in a culture that overvalues talent and undervalues responsibility. Responsibility strengthens talent and increases the opportunity for long-term success. Here’s how:
IF YOU WANT OTHERS TO TRUST YOU, GIVE YOU MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP, AND TO PARTNER WITH YOU, EMBRACE RESPONSIBILITY.
Becoming responsible is about taking a series of small steps, that add up to a big difference:
1. Start where you are. There is nowhere else to start! Don’t dream about what you’ll do “someday” when the situation is right.
2. Choose your friends wisely. It’s hard to be responsible if the people around you aren’t.
3. Stop blaming others.
“Do what you can with what you have, where you are.” (Theodore Roosevelt)
Responsibility – don’t pass the buck, not only take responsibility for their own mistakes, but also shield their team from negative consequences, going to bat for them. (don’t blame or justify; vs. complacency & lethargy)
“In the final analysis, the one quality that all successful people have, is the ability to take on responsibility. Responsibility lifts talent to a new level and increases its stamina.” (Michael Korda)
We live in a culture that overvalues talent and undervalues responsibility. Responsibility strengthens talent and increases the opportunity for long-term success. Here’s how:
- Responsibility provides the foundation of success. Taking on responsibility requires sacrifice, but it also brings tremendous rewards.
- Responsibility, handled correctly, leads to more responsibility.
- Responsibility maximizes ability and opportunity. Accepting responsibility causes us to take action and make things happen.
- Responsibility, over time, builds a solid reputation. People discover they can trust and depend on you.
IF YOU WANT OTHERS TO TRUST YOU, GIVE YOU MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP, AND TO PARTNER WITH YOU, EMBRACE RESPONSIBILITY.
Becoming responsible is about taking a series of small steps, that add up to a big difference:
1. Start where you are. There is nowhere else to start! Don’t dream about what you’ll do “someday” when the situation is right.
2. Choose your friends wisely. It’s hard to be responsible if the people around you aren’t.
3. Stop blaming others.
“Do what you can with what you have, where you are.” (Theodore Roosevelt)
“A trustworthy person addresses the gaps they have created.”
I commit to do what I say I’ll do & when I don’t, I’ll tell you. You won’t hear it from anyone else before you hear it from me.
I commit not to overpromise & under-deliver. But if it looks like that is the way things are headed, I’ll tell you. (Avoid surprises)
If you confront me about the gaps I’ve created, I’ll tell you the truth. (Don’t cover up mistakes)
4. Learn Responsibilities Major Lessons:
5. Make tough decisions and stand by them.
6. Live beyond yourself. Take responsibility beyond yourself by serving others.
Security – not competing with others, able to celebrate others’ successes, not threatened
To become a secure leader and remain secure …
1. Be generous with your praise.
This might sound trivial, but it’s not. Insecure leaders are often jealous people. One of the best ways to combat jealously is to privately and publicly commend and compliment others, especially if you don’t feel like it. If you’re afraid of building others up because you think it might diminish you in some way, that’s the perfect time to do it. Don’t remain silent.
Don’t give them a back-handed compliment (it’s about time he did something good) and don’t qualify the praise (it was pretty good given her track record). Publicly celebrating the success of others will move you much closer to what Jesus was talking about when He commanded us to love enemies and people who persecute us. Strangely, most of the people you don’t want to compliment aren’t close to being enemies. So in those moments when others make a difference, smile and acknowledge it: privately and publicly.
2. Recruit and promote people who are better than you.
You will only be “best at” a few things in your organization. Your goal should be to find what others are amazing at and be content with the role you get to play.
3. Give thanks for who you are instead of lamenting over who you aren’t.
At the root of much insecurity are two beliefs. First, that God somehow got it wrong when He was creating you. And second, that you need to compensate for this. That’s why insecure people are jealous or resentful of others and why we somehow feel we need to “right” the situation by withholding praise, refusing to hire or recruit better people because it might make us look bad, and trying to control things so they work out in our favor.
Start each day thanking God for how He created you! God, You have given me everything I need to accomplish what You’ve asked me to accomplish and You’ve given others exactly what they need to accomplish their mission. That shift will also help you relinquish your controlling tendencies.
4. Learn instead of comparing.
Comparison is a losing game no matter how you try to play it. You end up feeling inferior (wrong) or superior (sinful) to others every time you compare. It corrodes your heart. So how do you interact healthily with others? Learn from them. Plain and simple. You grow by being around other people, so grow. What do they do well? What could you do differently? What are the charts and numbers telling you? How can you develop from what you’re learning?
5. Get ridiculously honest with yourself (and God).
“If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.” James 3:13-16 (NLT)
Level with yourself. And with God. We are masters of self-deception. When you stop the mastery, change begins!
Synergy – able to work well with others to produce an effect greater than the sum of their individual effects (team-building)
Team members working together to produce an effect greater than the sum of their individual efforts is synergism.
“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12
Synergistic teams are vital to the proper functioning of Jesus’ church. The task of evangelizing the world and building effective churches is too complex for one person — no matter how visionary, gifted, and experienced a leader he or she may be.
GREAT LEADERS ARE HUMBLE ENOUGH TO ACCEPT SUPPORT
“Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.” Numbers 12:3
When the Amalekites attacked the Israelites at Rephidim … “As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.” Exodus 17:11
“What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. But select capable men from all the people — men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain — and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.” Exodus 18:17–23
How many leaders burn out because they cannot admit their inability to handle the work alone? How many people go home dissatisfied because a harried, strained leader has not learned to delegate decision making and responsibilities to others?
“I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now.” Number 11:14-15
“The desire to serve others must be stronger than the desire to lead — so leadership becomes a means of serving.” Norman Shawchuck
“Servant-leaders find joy in encouraging others. They do not demand credit for their ideas. They base their authority on character, not on the office they hold.” (Roger Heuser)
“Servant-leaders avoid the number one leadership sin. They stay away from ‘top-down autocratic arrogance.’” (Hans Finzel)
“Servant-leaders shun the trappings of authority and status. Realizing that all are equals before Christ, they avoid titles that support hierarchical pecking orders and opt instead for functional language that describes what a person does.” (Greg Ogden)
“The servant-leader is servant first. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. The best test is: do those served grow as persons; do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?” (Robert K. Greenleaf)
“The truth is, many churches are more secular than the culture. Everything that transpires in them can be explained away in terms of human talent and ingenuity. Only when something goes on in church that can be explained as a God-thing will a spiritually fascinated culture pause to take notice.” (Reggie McNeal)
We must take seriously the role of the Holy Spirit in energizing the activities we are pursuing based on His leading. If we will stop relying on natural abilities and showmanship synergistic teams will emerge naturally.
Longevity – serving over the long haul, contentment, loyal vs. entrepreneurial leaders
Many leaders wonder if they should stay where they are, or seek a new place to serve Christ.
How do you know when you should stay or go?
1. You might consider moving on when your vision exceeds what others will allow.
Occasionally God will put a bigger dream in a person’s heart than the current ministry structure and culture will allow.
2. It might be time to move when you and the leaders are in constant conflict.
All ministries have people in power. If you’re constantly butting heads and you can’t agree on the ministry strategy, vision, or direction, you’ll likely want to wrestle with these questions:
If you’re repeatedly facing battles and the “spiritual bloodshed” exceeds the “spiritual benefit,” you have two options:
a. Make the best of your current assignment with a genuinely submissive and supportive heart.
b. Acknowledge you’ve done all you can do at your current place and be open to a new ministry.
3. You should consider leaving your current ministry when you realize that you are in the way.
Could your negative attitude be slowing the progress of the church? If you hate everything about where you are, maybe it is time to do ministry somewhere else.
4. Sometimes you love where you are and what you do, but God just does something that defies logic.
Just when you least expect it, God might apparently disrupt an otherwise productive ministry and lead you to take a bold step of faith into the unknown. When He does, have the courage to follow His voice. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. If you wake up comfortable but can do ministry without any faith, God may speak to you and ask you do something that will prove His faithfulness. If God speaks to you and calls you out, it is time to move! I believe that people in ministry should lean toward long tenures. Ministry is a marathon more than a sprint, and I’m concerned that most aren’t wearing out their running shoes.
As you ponder whether it's time to leave or make a transition, I encourage you to read Jeff Henderson's book, What To Do Next - Taking Your Best Step When Life Is Uncertain. Click here to view my highlights.
For some additional thoughts read Carey Nieuwhof's 5 Signs It's Time To Move On blog post and also listen to The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast: 114: William Vanderbloemen on How to Know When It’s Time to Quit.
Craig Groeschel's Podcast entitled Four Questions To Ask Before You Quit Your Job may provide further thoughts for you to consider in a transitional season. Download the show notes here.
If you decide it's time to "go" I believe you will find these guidelines (from Natalie Thomas Runion) to be helpful: “When God Calls You To Go, Leave The House Better Than You Found It …”
The Six F’s – criteria for pondering whether the grass-is-greener – determining longevity:
Faith. Ask yourself, do I believe God has called me to this ministry? Do I trust God in my situation, especially when it’s hard? Can I rely on God with an overbearing leader? A whiny leader? Do I have faith in God?
Family. Families must determine if it’s financially, emotionally, and relationally realistic to go or stay. How is my family holding up?
Fun. There has to be some excitement and adventure in order to thrive in ministry. Do you enjoy your ministry, or is it too painful to hang in there? Is ministry a bummer or a blast? Am I having fun yet?
Freshness. Don’t stress over dry times, but be concerned if you find yourself unable to refuel. Constant output with little input always leads to a crash. The Apostle Paul spoke of “pouring” himself out as an offering. Pouring out isn’t the problem; it’s when we lose the ability to replenish ourselves. Is my soul able to stay fresh?
Focus. What is your “sweet spot”? Are you functioning in that arena? If not, you’ll be miserable. Say yes to your “loves” in life—family, vacations, Sabbath, exercise, friendships, your giftedness—and say no to your deficiencies. Am I focused?
“Don’t be too easily convinced that God really wants you to do all sorts of work you needn’t do. Each must do his duty in that state of life to which God has called him.” (C.S. Lewis)
Fruitfulness. The reality of ministry is making an impact. If life transformation isn’t happening, then some hard questions need to be addressed. If you’re making a difference, there will be a sense of joy and purpose. Is my ministry bearing fruit?
TO STAY OVER THE LONG HAUL, WE MUST BE GROWING IN FAITH, FAMILY, FUN, AND FRUITFULNESS.
Legacy – raising up future leaders who are C7 quality, creating a depth to the bench, finishing well
“Through it all, the legacy you leave—the imprint that your life leaves on this earth—will determine what your life on earth meant.” - Tony Dungy (Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance)
“By asking ourselves how we want to be remembered, we plant the seeds for living our lives as if we matter. By living each day as if we matter, we offer up our own unique legacy. By offering up our own unique legacy, we make the world we inhabit a better place than we found it.” (Kouzes & Posner)
“Asking the question about legacy brings forward a central observation: leadership is not solely about producing results. Success in leadership is not measured only in numbers. Being a leader brings with it a responsibility to do something of significance that makes families, communities, work organizations, nations, the environment, and the world better places than they are today.” (A Leader’s Legacy)
“The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.” (Richard Foster)
“Disciples [deep people] are not manufactured wholesale. They are produced one by one, because someone has taken the pains to discipline, to instruct and enlighten, to nurture and train one that is younger.” (Oswald Sanders)
What might happen if a church made the development of deep people its highest priority? What if a church decided that its pastor’s greatest responsibility was to lead the effort to produce a continuous flow of deep people? How can our church enlarge its core congregation with deep people who are prepared to take us into tomorrow exemplifying the Christ-following life and inspiring us to fulfill the mission God has given us? When did we stop asking our leaders to give their primary energies to the thing they were called to do: turn people into disciples of Jesus, become spiritual leaders who can help the church do what it’s supposed to do? Is there a way to produce a continuous flow of men and women who are mentored into spiritual depth and trained to lead when God calls them?
“As a person moves into the latter years of his or her leadership, the priority needle has to point more and more in the direction of investing in younger generations.” (Gordon MacDonald)
We must consider our church a teaching church in the same way that some hospitals are called teaching hospitals. Our vision might be reduced to three words: training, training, training.
AN ORGANIZATION IS ONLY AS GOOD AS ITS COMMITMENT TO TRAINING LEADERS FOR THE FUTURE.
“Just as you received Christ, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:6–7
It’s my prayer that my legacy will be that I faithfully loved my wife, intentionally developed my children and that I purposefully raised up leaders who would follow Jesus.
“Achievement comes to us when we are able to do great things for ourselves. Success comes when we empowers our 'followers' to do great things with us. Significance comes when we develops leaders to do great things for us. But a LEGACY is created only when we put our organization into the position to do great things without us.” - John Maxwell, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
Listen to Andy Stanley interview John Maxwell on Building Your Leadership Legacy Now. Show notes here. A follow-up podcast episode is here.
Resources: Blog post by Carey Nieuwhof, lead pastor of Connexus Community Church; “Synergy: The Multiplying Impact of Ministry Teams” by J. David Arnett; “Should I Stay or Should I Go” blog entries by Craig Groeschel; “Factors To Help You Determine Your Longevity In Ministry” by David Olshine; “Going Deep” by Gordon MacDonald; “A Leader’s Legacy” by Kouzes & Posner
- Gaining success means practicing self-discipline.
- What you start, finish.
- Know when others are depending on you.
- Don’t expect others to step in for you.
5. Make tough decisions and stand by them.
6. Live beyond yourself. Take responsibility beyond yourself by serving others.
Security – not competing with others, able to celebrate others’ successes, not threatened
To become a secure leader and remain secure …
1. Be generous with your praise.
This might sound trivial, but it’s not. Insecure leaders are often jealous people. One of the best ways to combat jealously is to privately and publicly commend and compliment others, especially if you don’t feel like it. If you’re afraid of building others up because you think it might diminish you in some way, that’s the perfect time to do it. Don’t remain silent.
Don’t give them a back-handed compliment (it’s about time he did something good) and don’t qualify the praise (it was pretty good given her track record). Publicly celebrating the success of others will move you much closer to what Jesus was talking about when He commanded us to love enemies and people who persecute us. Strangely, most of the people you don’t want to compliment aren’t close to being enemies. So in those moments when others make a difference, smile and acknowledge it: privately and publicly.
2. Recruit and promote people who are better than you.
You will only be “best at” a few things in your organization. Your goal should be to find what others are amazing at and be content with the role you get to play.
3. Give thanks for who you are instead of lamenting over who you aren’t.
At the root of much insecurity are two beliefs. First, that God somehow got it wrong when He was creating you. And second, that you need to compensate for this. That’s why insecure people are jealous or resentful of others and why we somehow feel we need to “right” the situation by withholding praise, refusing to hire or recruit better people because it might make us look bad, and trying to control things so they work out in our favor.
Start each day thanking God for how He created you! God, You have given me everything I need to accomplish what You’ve asked me to accomplish and You’ve given others exactly what they need to accomplish their mission. That shift will also help you relinquish your controlling tendencies.
4. Learn instead of comparing.
Comparison is a losing game no matter how you try to play it. You end up feeling inferior (wrong) or superior (sinful) to others every time you compare. It corrodes your heart. So how do you interact healthily with others? Learn from them. Plain and simple. You grow by being around other people, so grow. What do they do well? What could you do differently? What are the charts and numbers telling you? How can you develop from what you’re learning?
5. Get ridiculously honest with yourself (and God).
“If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don’t cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God’s kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.” James 3:13-16 (NLT)
Level with yourself. And with God. We are masters of self-deception. When you stop the mastery, change begins!
Synergy – able to work well with others to produce an effect greater than the sum of their individual effects (team-building)
Team members working together to produce an effect greater than the sum of their individual efforts is synergism.
“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12
Synergistic teams are vital to the proper functioning of Jesus’ church. The task of evangelizing the world and building effective churches is too complex for one person — no matter how visionary, gifted, and experienced a leader he or she may be.
GREAT LEADERS ARE HUMBLE ENOUGH TO ACCEPT SUPPORT
“Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.” Numbers 12:3
- Be humble enough to recruit team members with different proficiencies – Moses had Aaron
- Be humble enough to accept support from the team – Joshua, Aaron & Hur
When the Amalekites attacked the Israelites at Rephidim … “As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.” Exodus 17:11
- Be humble enough to delegate responsibilities to others – Jethro
“What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. But select capable men from all the people — men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain — and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.” Exodus 18:17–23
How many leaders burn out because they cannot admit their inability to handle the work alone? How many people go home dissatisfied because a harried, strained leader has not learned to delegate decision making and responsibilities to others?
- Be humble enough to respect the anointing resting on other team members – 70 Elders
“I cannot carry all these people by myself; the burden is too heavy for me. If this is how you are going to treat me, put me to death right now.” Number 11:14-15
“The desire to serve others must be stronger than the desire to lead — so leadership becomes a means of serving.” Norman Shawchuck
“Servant-leaders find joy in encouraging others. They do not demand credit for their ideas. They base their authority on character, not on the office they hold.” (Roger Heuser)
“Servant-leaders avoid the number one leadership sin. They stay away from ‘top-down autocratic arrogance.’” (Hans Finzel)
“Servant-leaders shun the trappings of authority and status. Realizing that all are equals before Christ, they avoid titles that support hierarchical pecking orders and opt instead for functional language that describes what a person does.” (Greg Ogden)
“The servant-leader is servant first. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. The best test is: do those served grow as persons; do they, while being served, become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants?” (Robert K. Greenleaf)
“The truth is, many churches are more secular than the culture. Everything that transpires in them can be explained away in terms of human talent and ingenuity. Only when something goes on in church that can be explained as a God-thing will a spiritually fascinated culture pause to take notice.” (Reggie McNeal)
We must take seriously the role of the Holy Spirit in energizing the activities we are pursuing based on His leading. If we will stop relying on natural abilities and showmanship synergistic teams will emerge naturally.
Longevity – serving over the long haul, contentment, loyal vs. entrepreneurial leaders
Many leaders wonder if they should stay where they are, or seek a new place to serve Christ.
- Too many leaders leave before they’ve finished their current assignment.
- Too many leaders stay longer than they should.
How do you know when you should stay or go?
1. You might consider moving on when your vision exceeds what others will allow.
Occasionally God will put a bigger dream in a person’s heart than the current ministry structure and culture will allow.
2. It might be time to move when you and the leaders are in constant conflict.
All ministries have people in power. If you’re constantly butting heads and you can’t agree on the ministry strategy, vision, or direction, you’ll likely want to wrestle with these questions:
- Can the ministry structure/system/culture support what you feel called to do?
- Are you the right person to bring about the changes?
- Do you have the right idea but you’re at the wrong place?
- Could it be that you have the wrong idea?
- Will the (possible) results be worth the cost to move forward?
- Are you spiritually and relationally strong enough to endure the pain of progress?
- Are you willing to risk your job to move the ministry forward?
- Are you seeing more spiritual fruit this year than last year?
- If you didn’t work at your church, would you worship there?
If you’re repeatedly facing battles and the “spiritual bloodshed” exceeds the “spiritual benefit,” you have two options:
a. Make the best of your current assignment with a genuinely submissive and supportive heart.
b. Acknowledge you’ve done all you can do at your current place and be open to a new ministry.
3. You should consider leaving your current ministry when you realize that you are in the way.
Could your negative attitude be slowing the progress of the church? If you hate everything about where you are, maybe it is time to do ministry somewhere else.
4. Sometimes you love where you are and what you do, but God just does something that defies logic.
Just when you least expect it, God might apparently disrupt an otherwise productive ministry and lead you to take a bold step of faith into the unknown. When He does, have the courage to follow His voice. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. If you wake up comfortable but can do ministry without any faith, God may speak to you and ask you do something that will prove His faithfulness. If God speaks to you and calls you out, it is time to move! I believe that people in ministry should lean toward long tenures. Ministry is a marathon more than a sprint, and I’m concerned that most aren’t wearing out their running shoes.
As you ponder whether it's time to leave or make a transition, I encourage you to read Jeff Henderson's book, What To Do Next - Taking Your Best Step When Life Is Uncertain. Click here to view my highlights.
For some additional thoughts read Carey Nieuwhof's 5 Signs It's Time To Move On blog post and also listen to The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast: 114: William Vanderbloemen on How to Know When It’s Time to Quit.
Craig Groeschel's Podcast entitled Four Questions To Ask Before You Quit Your Job may provide further thoughts for you to consider in a transitional season. Download the show notes here.
If you decide it's time to "go" I believe you will find these guidelines (from Natalie Thomas Runion) to be helpful: “When God Calls You To Go, Leave The House Better Than You Found It …”
The Six F’s – criteria for pondering whether the grass-is-greener – determining longevity:
Faith. Ask yourself, do I believe God has called me to this ministry? Do I trust God in my situation, especially when it’s hard? Can I rely on God with an overbearing leader? A whiny leader? Do I have faith in God?
Family. Families must determine if it’s financially, emotionally, and relationally realistic to go or stay. How is my family holding up?
Fun. There has to be some excitement and adventure in order to thrive in ministry. Do you enjoy your ministry, or is it too painful to hang in there? Is ministry a bummer or a blast? Am I having fun yet?
Freshness. Don’t stress over dry times, but be concerned if you find yourself unable to refuel. Constant output with little input always leads to a crash. The Apostle Paul spoke of “pouring” himself out as an offering. Pouring out isn’t the problem; it’s when we lose the ability to replenish ourselves. Is my soul able to stay fresh?
Focus. What is your “sweet spot”? Are you functioning in that arena? If not, you’ll be miserable. Say yes to your “loves” in life—family, vacations, Sabbath, exercise, friendships, your giftedness—and say no to your deficiencies. Am I focused?
“Don’t be too easily convinced that God really wants you to do all sorts of work you needn’t do. Each must do his duty in that state of life to which God has called him.” (C.S. Lewis)
Fruitfulness. The reality of ministry is making an impact. If life transformation isn’t happening, then some hard questions need to be addressed. If you’re making a difference, there will be a sense of joy and purpose. Is my ministry bearing fruit?
TO STAY OVER THE LONG HAUL, WE MUST BE GROWING IN FAITH, FAMILY, FUN, AND FRUITFULNESS.
Legacy – raising up future leaders who are C7 quality, creating a depth to the bench, finishing well
“Through it all, the legacy you leave—the imprint that your life leaves on this earth—will determine what your life on earth meant.” - Tony Dungy (Uncommon: Finding Your Path to Significance)
“By asking ourselves how we want to be remembered, we plant the seeds for living our lives as if we matter. By living each day as if we matter, we offer up our own unique legacy. By offering up our own unique legacy, we make the world we inhabit a better place than we found it.” (Kouzes & Posner)
“Asking the question about legacy brings forward a central observation: leadership is not solely about producing results. Success in leadership is not measured only in numbers. Being a leader brings with it a responsibility to do something of significance that makes families, communities, work organizations, nations, the environment, and the world better places than they are today.” (A Leader’s Legacy)
“The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people, or gifted people, but for deep people.” (Richard Foster)
“Disciples [deep people] are not manufactured wholesale. They are produced one by one, because someone has taken the pains to discipline, to instruct and enlighten, to nurture and train one that is younger.” (Oswald Sanders)
What might happen if a church made the development of deep people its highest priority? What if a church decided that its pastor’s greatest responsibility was to lead the effort to produce a continuous flow of deep people? How can our church enlarge its core congregation with deep people who are prepared to take us into tomorrow exemplifying the Christ-following life and inspiring us to fulfill the mission God has given us? When did we stop asking our leaders to give their primary energies to the thing they were called to do: turn people into disciples of Jesus, become spiritual leaders who can help the church do what it’s supposed to do? Is there a way to produce a continuous flow of men and women who are mentored into spiritual depth and trained to lead when God calls them?
“As a person moves into the latter years of his or her leadership, the priority needle has to point more and more in the direction of investing in younger generations.” (Gordon MacDonald)
We must consider our church a teaching church in the same way that some hospitals are called teaching hospitals. Our vision might be reduced to three words: training, training, training.
AN ORGANIZATION IS ONLY AS GOOD AS ITS COMMITMENT TO TRAINING LEADERS FOR THE FUTURE.
“Just as you received Christ, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.” Colossians 2:6–7
It’s my prayer that my legacy will be that I faithfully loved my wife, intentionally developed my children and that I purposefully raised up leaders who would follow Jesus.
- Demonstrate a consistent loyalty to Jesus and speak of Him as their redeemer and Lord.
- Have a hunger to keep on growing in every aspect of their lives, regardless of age.
- Have a clear sense of how a Christian conducts him-/herself in the larger world.
- Maintain personal relationships that appear to be healthy and life-giving.
- Are respected because of their wisdom and integrity.
- Are aware of how the Holy Spirit has gifted them & possess a sense of personal mission or call.
- Love to inspire and lead others toward personal Christian growth.
- Have firm convictions about faith, yet are not rigid, pushy, or judgmental.
- Are generous with what they have and always seem to know just how to serve others.
- Are compassionate, the first ones to spot people who need counsel or encouragement.
- Are people you love to be with because they love life and seem to know the best ways to live it.
- Are influential wherever they go.
“Achievement comes to us when we are able to do great things for ourselves. Success comes when we empowers our 'followers' to do great things with us. Significance comes when we develops leaders to do great things for us. But a LEGACY is created only when we put our organization into the position to do great things without us.” - John Maxwell, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
Listen to Andy Stanley interview John Maxwell on Building Your Leadership Legacy Now. Show notes here. A follow-up podcast episode is here.
Resources: Blog post by Carey Nieuwhof, lead pastor of Connexus Community Church; “Synergy: The Multiplying Impact of Ministry Teams” by J. David Arnett; “Should I Stay or Should I Go” blog entries by Craig Groeschel; “Factors To Help You Determine Your Longevity In Ministry” by David Olshine; “Going Deep” by Gordon MacDonald; “A Leader’s Legacy” by Kouzes & Posner
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