Craig Groeschel, Lead Like It Matters: 7 Leadership Principles for a Church that Lasts (affiliate link). Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2022. 247 pages.
Craig Groeschel holds the current distinction of pastoring the largest church in America. As of this writing, his Oklahoma City-based church, Life.Church, met in 40 locations and 12 states. Groeschel also hosts a popular podcast on leadership, and his church launched the popular YouVersion Bible app. He originally wrote this book in 2008, but he decided to revise it and re-release it in 2022. It is impossible to keep up with every megachurch pastor, but as Groeschel has grown dramatically in influence in the church scene during the last few years, I wanted to familiarize myself with him and his approach.
The title of his book heralds his focus. He claims some churches have “it,” that “special sauce” that causes them to grow and thrive. The entire book addresses how to get “it” and keep “it.” Groeschel claims, “‘It’ is hard to define because you can’t see it” (1). At times, when he continually refers to “it,” I wish he would define “it” using more specific words. The repetition of “it” throughout the book without offering a thorough definition wears thin at times. Nevertheless, he has clearly stumbled on a successful approach to church growth, so it is worth overlooking occasional shortcomings in style.
Groeschel was saved as a college student and was soon on fire to serve God. His first church position was at First United Methodist Church in downtown Oklahoma City (14). In 1996, he started Life.Church in Oklahoma City.
Groeschel presents seven elements churches that have “it” all possess. He, like many successful pastors, lists the ingredients he believes are key to having a thriving church. His list isn’t unusually brilliant or breathtaking. But perhaps, as in sports, successful teams stick with the basics. Groeschel begins by acknowledging that any success comes from God and his willingness to bless our efforts. He notes, “That’s why we have to embrace the fact that God makes it happen. It is from him. It is for him. It is for his glory. We can’t create it. We can’t reproduce it. We can’t manufacture it” (25). All we can do is strive to operate in a way God is pleased to bless and then watch to see what he does. Groeschel notes, “When a minister has it, most things the leaders try seem to work” (26). He cautions, however, that “. . . leaders in churches without it often try to manufacture it. Problem: it cannot be manufactured” (28).
These are the seven key ingredients Groeschel highlights:
- Vision
- Divine focus
- Unmistakable comradery
- Innovative minds
- Willingness to fall short
- Hearts focused outward
- Kingdom-mindedness
There is nothing unusual here. Not all of these elements flow clearly from biblical examples or teachings. They seem more like conclusions from someone who has been at it for a while and experienced unusual success. There is nothing inherently wrong with this approach. I like hearing the reflections of people who have enjoyed unprecedented success. I also appreciate his self-deprecating humor and honesty about his own shortcomings. He certainly comes across as an ordinary, relatable person, even though his church is much larger than ours.
The book is an easy read. The following are some comments that stood out to me. He claims “A white hot vision inspires generosity, motivates selflessness, and releases an unstoppable passion to honor God and serve people” (40). He cautions that “Without vision, people become comfortable with the status quo” (42). Vision is a staple of leadership books. It may have been helpful for him to help churches learn how to discover a vision for their church. He does note that “. . . ultimately, the vision comes from the leader’s time of hearing from God” (45).
Groeschel wisely observes that “. . . ministers that have it tend to be focused on a limited set of targets. They do a few things as if all eternity hinged on their results” (53). Interestingly, he also observes that “There is nothing like a genuine move of God to threaten the traditional religious establishment” (55). He cites Warren Buffet, who noted that “The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything” (57). He refers to this method as “planned abandonment” (60). He notes that for almost a decade, his church did only five things (65). Though they had the capacity to do more, the church remained focused, and that was why it grew so much. He notes, “Those who have it, stick with what brings it” (67).
He refers to a Gallup poll that found that friendship at work boosted employee satisfaction by almost 50% (70). He concludes that happier people make better team members (70). He observes, “. . . the reality is that people would rather follow a leader who is always real than one who is always right” (81).
Groeschel notes that “Innovation is different than creativity” (90). “. . . people with new ideas are not necessarily innovators. People who do new ideas are innovators” (90). He suggests that “Problems aren’t things to be feared but opportunities to be embraced” (93). Interestingly, he suggests “The truth: you have what you need. Watch out for the excuses” (95).
I like his take on being willing to try things even if they lead to failure. His motto: “Failure is not an option. It is essential”(111). He notes that “God gave me the gift of failure early in my ministry” (113). He quotes Mark Betterson, who said, “The antidote for the fear of failure is not success but small doses of failure” (112). He adds, “You could say we have failed our way to success” (114). He also suggests it is “Better to make aggressive mistakes than passive ones” (119). He argues, “Failure is often the price you pay for success. Don’t fail and then not get what you paid for. Try again!” (126). Of course, the object is not to fail but to take bold steps of faith and then learn from the results.
Groeschel notes that “If you are a leader of your ministry, you need to recognize that, for better or for worse, your ministry reflects you” (131). This truth can be troubling if your ministry is not doing well.
One interesting comment Groeschel makes was that he has often borrowed ideas and even sermons from other ministers, such as Andy Stanley and Ed Young Junior (143). He admits, “I have benefitted countless times from others’ hard work” (143). I struggled a bit with this statement. I certainly would agree to learn from others, but simply lifting other people’s sermons without doing the hard work of study and preparation seems to run counter to common wisdom.
Groeschel notes, “Snowflakes are one of nature’s most fragile things, but just look at what they can do when they stick together” (144). He also states, “To reach people, we don’t just preach Jesus, we follow Jesus” (166).
Groeschel includes a section on systems and habits. He has recently released a new book (affiliate link) with that focus (177). He tips his hat to James Clear, author of Atomic Habits. It is obvious he has taken much of what he writes from Clear. But to his credit, Groeschel has already admitted he borrows ideas from others.
I enjoyed this book. Clearly, Groeschel is a charismatic leader who has found the “secret sauce” to growing a church in America. I appreciate his discussion on being kingdom minded and how his church gives away a lot of its resources to other churches. He seems to have found a healthy balance of focusing on growth and being willing to bless others. He also confesses mistakes, such as promoting ads that seemed to denigrate other churches. He admits to being an “adrenaline junkie.” To accomplished what he has, he must be wired for action.
As someone who reads a lot of leadership literature, I did not find many new, deep leadership insights in this book. Groeschel seems to be someone who has learned from his mistakes and refused to give up. He is a practitioner who has found much success. He seems to have retained his humility. He also claims to be best friends with many of his long-time colleagues at work, which says a lot.
I recommend this book to pastors. You cannot merely copy what he did and hope for success. But you can follow the principles he lays out and trust God for his blessing. In an age when as many as 80% of America’s churches are plateaued or declining, it is refreshing to read of someone who has broken the traditional growth barriers and found a way to reach people in an increasingly secular, even hostile culture. Read this book and then prayerfully ask God what you might do that he would be pleased to bless as well.
Rating: 3
