HEALTHY CHURCH: Leading Others
Truth does not change — you must lead yourself in the right ways and the right things before you can correctly lead others. You lead first by example in character and then, and only then, in competencies and skill sets. Do you possess, practice and are you able to teach others the Great Commission (GC) skills? Are you able to lead someone to Christ, and is there evidence of it? Are you able to disciple and teach the one you lead to Christ, and is there evidence of it? Are you able to reproduce yourself in another leader, and is there evidence of it? In other words, you know these skills, you are practicing these skills and you are also able to teach others how to grow in all three areas.
Somewhere along the line, our sense of urgency and passion to bring people to Christ must meet up with a pursuit of excellence. Leader’s Summit gives 12 Indispensable Leadership Skills. These include six hard skills (what a leader does) with six soft skills (who a leader is). Each hard skill corresponds to and is supported by the soft skills that are a part of the leader’s character.
• Hard skill number 1 is vision. “A leader must have vision (a picture of the future that produces passion).” You lead others by being able to cast a vision others will follow. Leadership is influence, and if you think you are leading and no one is following, then you are actually just out taking a walk. Leadership is earned by trust, and that takes time to build.
• The second indispensable is a soft skill — Life-Long Learning (L3). “A leader must continually grow and develop as a person and lead from the overflow of a vibrant life.” You should never stop being a student of the Word of God, the leadership of the Holy Spirit, the circumstances and experiences God allows you to go through and being mentored by others on the journey beside you. It has been well stated, “When you stop learning, you start dying.” Jesus was a Master Teacher and repeatedly in the Scriptures, we are instructed to “command and teach these things.” The biblical order is to learn what is being taught, do what you have been taught, teach others what you have learned and continue growing and learning.
• Team Building is the third skill set (hard) that is indispensable. “A leader inspires and influences followers and chooses and works through a team. Jesus built a team and told them in John 14 they would do even greater things than He did. Think of how the original disciples actually turned the world upside down. In Jesus on Leadership, C. Gene Wilkes said TEAM stands for Togetherness, Empowerment, Accountability and Mentoring. This is where the multiplication of disciples, leaders and churches can actually happen. The most important question is not “How many people have you discipled?” The greater question is, “How many disciples have your disciples discipled?” How sad it is when a “leader” leaves and the ministry crumbles.
• Number 4 is authenticity (hard skill). “Every person is unique on the ‘inside.’ An effective leader knows himself and lives an authentic life.” The dictionary defines integrity as “steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.” Integrity means you remain true to God’s standards and do not waver. Scripture teaches us that integrity describes a wholeness, purity and completeness of heart. Job was called a man of integrity because he feared God and turned away from evil. Authenticity is the exact opposite of hypocrisy, and it means you live by your convictions all the time. A conviction is not something you hold. A conviction is something that holds you and causes you to be a person of authentic integrity.
Proverbs 11:3 states, “The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.” Jesus instructed us to make sure that our yes was yes and that our no was no, reminding us of the importance of character and integrity. Ted Engstrom describes integrity as “doing what you said you would do.” Pastor David Jeremiah defines integrity as “keeping my commitment(s), even if the circumstance when I made the commitment(s) has changed.” Integrity is seen in the result of daily choices because character causes you to make the best choices. It has been pointed out many times, and it is true, that leaders are not made in a day, but one bad choice on any day can disqualify a leader.
These 12 indispensable characteristics (we have mentioned the first four) emphasize that success is not achieving the right thing but being the right person. Jeff Swart wrote in the Church Planting Modules, “Who you are is of greater importance than what you accomplish. Doing is not nearly as important as being. What you are will determine what you accomplish. Remember that success without God and godly character is ultimately failure,” and “integrity alone will not make you a great leader, but without it, you won’t lead long.”
• Then you can become the fifth characteristic, a change agent (hard skill). Leader’s Summit says, “A leader must be willing and able to negotiate major changes within the organization.”
• This requires emotional intelligence, number six (soft). This requires a leader to be “aware of and know how to properly respond to the emotional world.” Mac Lake reminded us that when moving forward in change, think small, not big, and think slow, not fast. You must learn to empathize with those you are leading by cultivating a true understanding of the challenges they are experiencing in the change. Leadership means you are willing to slow down and have important conversations explaining the why behind the changes you are leading them in. If they believe in the why, they will accept the what. Clarify the vision by learning together as you build your team with character. Then, you can lead change by empathizing with those you lead.
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Larry Barker
Director of Church Planting and Church Health Larry Barker submits a weekly column titled, Healthy Church Solutions, designed to strengthen and encourage the local church.
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