There is no end to the resources available on leadership. Seminars and books on the subject are as numerous as the approaches they espouse. But which best fits the needs of your church and your style of leadership? This becomes the million-dollar question. My purpose in this article is not to try to convince you that one way is better than another. My goal is to share my experience in leadership and to offer some conclusions I have drawn from almost 40 years in ministry. I hope that these thoughts will help you as you seek to lead the people God has placed in your charge.
I would describe myself as a collaborative leader. I would define that label as “A leader who engages people in all aspects of the organization to work toward shared goals, fostering an inclusive environment where input is valued.”
Though this is my passion now, it has not always been the case. I come from a blue-collar family where you demonstrate your value by outworking those around you. My stepfather did not believe in taking sick days. I can remember him saying, “Time off is for the weak.” While this attitude is clearly unhealthy, it was ingrained in me from an early age. The corrosiveness of this philosophy is that it immediately placed everything in a competitive context and bred a judgmental attitude. Those who could not keep up were not valued.
Imagine the dysfunction this type of thinking brings to a ministry setting. Especially for one prone to being a workaholic because he thinks his worth is intricately linked to what he can produce. That was me! Though I sought to give my leadership style Christian verbiage, I found that my attitude was anything but Christian. Though I could spin a lot of plates at once, and I found that church members were more than happy to let me do as much as I could, I finally realized I was not leading at all. And I certainly was not demonstrating the attitude of Jesus.
Through a series of events, the Lord led me to repentance and showed me that my pastoral role was less about personal achievement and more about caring for and developing people. As I drew closer to Him, I gained a new perspective on shepherding and began to value giving others a voice, realizing everyone mattered.
For me, that expression of developing people came in the form of collaboration. As the definition above reveals, this is about the first-chair leader relinquishing control and building a team to help the church make decisions. Relinquishing control was a major hurdle. But as I trusted the Lord, my understanding of leadership began to grow. I realized that “control” was about seeking to influence outcomes. My new perspective taught me that the Lord has called us all to obedience; the results are in His hands.
Let me share at the outset that collaborative leadership is not about being lazy or naive. A first-chair leader is still responsible for doing their best to vet people and work hard, but the demanding work lies in bringing others into the decision-making process. We, as Southern Baptists, have long believed in the cooperative spirit that has defined us. Why should this only be seen in how we give to missions? Why shouldn’t the church and her God-called leaders exercise this as well? Collaborative leadership is about bringing qualified people from across congregational life together and giving them a voice at the table.
Let me share a few of the greatest joys I’ve experienced from leading this way:
1. I have found that people who have a voice in creating something will take ownership of it.
Think about ministries you have begun at your church. How did you communicate the reason for the ministry and how it would be carried out? Many pastors begin by sharing with key people and then announcing it to the congregation. In this approach, I found myself spending time trying to convince people that this was the right course of action. But in a team approach, those who prayed and planned through the options are sold on what they have constructed. And they will cast the vision to others.
2. I have witnessed people grow in their obedience to the Lord.
By building a team where people are equal, they feel the weight of their decisions and take responsibility for them. I have watched people grow as they stepped up and took charge of the church’s ministries. As they did this, their reliance upon the Lord grew and matured. This was an incredible blessing to see as a pastor.
3. I experienced better decisions being made.
Those who serve in specific areas of the church often have a clearer sense of what will work. Including them in decision-making gives a 360-degree view of ministry needs that most pastors do not see or consider.
While there is no silver bullet in leadership, we can all learn something valuable from those in our ministries. For me, collaborative leadership is the greatest tool for fostering spiritual growth and unity in the church. We really are better together!
Mike Proud serves as the Executive Director of Colorado Baptists.
