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Apr 17th 2008 How (Not) to Pick a Leader (Leadership Selection Part 2)
Topic Started: Aug 10 2009, 10:16 PM (264 Views)
lightninboy

I almost submitted the following for the Blogging Tournament at PlantingSpace.com (You can see what I actually submitted by going there and voting.) I learned all of the following the hard way. At one point or another, I allowed people to be leaders based on one or more of the following characteristics, and lived to regret it.

“How to Pick a Leader You’ll Live to Regret”

1. Pick a leader based on how much money they give to the church.
2. Pick someone who has lots of influence in the city or in the church. (Note: Though leadership is influence, Godly leadership requires Godly influence.)
3. Pick a leader simply based on who wants to be one. (Note: Yes, it’s okay to desire leadership (1 Tim 3:1), but it seems that most who desire it are power hungry.)
4. Pick leaders based on who is initially very supportive of you. (Note: If they show up in church one day, and are supportive and encouraging…and want to be a leader, watch out!)
5. Pick a leader based on how talented they are at something you desperately need in church (like music, or children’s ministry).
6. Pick a leader because they talk a lot about their leadership skills. (Note: Leaders listen more than they talk, and are not proud or boastful.)

Now, after weeding out leaders with these seven “disqualifiers” if there is anybody left in our “potential leadership pool” Congratulations! You’ve found your leader!

And always remember…it’s okay to be “leaderless.” After all, if we have no leaders, it forces us to look to Jesus as our leader. And He does okay.

P.S. If you are looking for leaders, the best place to look is in the silent servants of the church. Who shows up and just serves, not looking for recognition or glory? These may make you best leaders. We have ”Servant Leadership” backwards. We think that ”servant leadership” means that leaders should serve. Actually, when we look at what Jesus teaches about “servant leadership” He is saying that servants should lead and that leaders should be taken from the servants. So you want to find leaders? Look to the servants.
No I will not, No I will not
Not go quietly
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lightninboy

Comments:

1. Jeremy Myers on 17 Apr 2008 at 10:41 am #
By the way….
If you want to rule your church or organization like a dictator while having the illusion of a plurality of leaders, you can do no better than picking leaders who give lots of money and are very supportive of everything you say and do.
I once worked very closely with an organization that was run this way. Most of the decisions were made by the Executive Director and his mentor (who wasn’t on the board) and then simply rubber stamped by the board members, who were chosen by the leader because they gave lots of money and never opposed the Executive Director (or his mentor) in anything.
To the outside observer, it looks like a very united board. But from the inside (which I observed), it is a very dangerous and harmful way to run an organization. At one point, two board members considered opposing a decision of the Executive Director, and he threatened to resign if they did. They knew that the organization would die if he resigned (that’s a huge red flag!), and so they went along with him. However, they were not asked to be part of the board the next year.
I’ve seen churches run the same way, where if you want to be a leader, you cannot and must not question or challenge the pastor, becuase he is “the Lord’s annointed.” You must follow his lead, or get out of the way.
To read more about this sort of thing, I recommend two books. One is called “The Dark Side of Leadership” and the other is “The Subtle Power of Spiritual Abuse.”
…I guess I should have made this comment its own blog post! Ha ha.
2. Mark Doebler on 18 Apr 2008 at 1:50 pm #
Jeremy,
As your fellow “competitor” in the Final Four, I want to commend you both on your entry and on this follow-up post. Leadership has been a real challenge for me and for our church. I have discovered that leadership isn’t nearly as easy to identify as I thought. What passes for leadership in many people is simply the desire to be in charge or have a title. Take those things away and “poof” goes your “leader”. I guess it’s true what the scripture says that man looks on the outside, but God looks at the heart. Wish we had that X-Ray vision too.
Blessings on your planting efforts (and your blogging adventure)
3. Jeremy Myers on 18 Apr 2008 at 4:32 pm #
Mark,
Thanks for the comment. I have really enjoyed reading your posts over there. I hope to meet you someday.
It is definitely tricky trying to find good leaders. Of course, one other thing I am learning is that lots of grace is needed. We are all flawed leaders.
4. Antonio da Rosa on 21 Apr 2008 at 2:55 pm #
Jeremy,
I think it is innappropriate to air out dirty laundry. I mean, do you think one wouldn’t know who or what you are talking about with your first comment?
A rebuke is not out of order.
Take it for whatever that you feel it is worth. I don’t believe you will feel you have done anything wrong in your comment; and I believe that will indeed be a shame.
Antonio da Rosa
5. Jeremy Myers on 21 Apr 2008 at 8:59 pm #
Antonio,
Are you saying it is okay to run an organization this way?
No I will not, No I will not
Not go quietly
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