I am not exactly a hat connoisseur, but I do own some. My wife bought me one to keep the sun off my head when I am out in the yard working. It kind of makes me look like Indiana Jones (well past his prime). Then there are the baseball caps. I think I have only bought one in my life. Most of the rest have been gifts from various places I have spoken. One is my trusty running cap. It is so severely sweat stained, I wear it only when I don’t care what it endures while perched on my head. I also have caps I wear on very special occasions, like my Buffalo Sabres cap I don when they are in the playoffs (it still looks new!). My wife occasionally demands I contribute my three least-favorite caps to the Goodwill box, but I steadfastly hold on to certain ones (one day I will need that playoff hat . . .).
Leadership also involves a variety of hats. Though it is impossible to anticipate every hat a leader might need to wear, I’ll look at three of the most important ones.
- The Start-Up Hat
One of leaders’ key roles is making things that did not previously exist. Leaders address problems, and sometimes the solution is to create something new. This process may involve starting a new church, launching a new company, initiating a new program, creating a new service, or establishing a new nonprofit. At times leaders must construct an entirely new organization. On other occasions, they make something new within an existing organization.
Some leaders love to start new things and grow bored maintaining existing programs. These leaders are typically entrepreneurs. They see possibilities where others see problems. Some leaders don’t necessarily have the entrepreneurial spirit themselves, but their leadership invites creativity, exploration, and daring enterprise among their people.
Most leaders must occasionally put on their start-up hat, because the world keeps requiring new things from organizations. Leaders who never don their start-up hat will eventually run antiquated organizations that fail to meet people’s needs.
I have never been highly creative. But as a leader, I have encouraged creativity in others. When crazy ideas begin percolating within my organization, I try to create room for the entrepreneurs to spread their wings and help our organization create something new.
I am currently walking with a CEO who is considering a new job opportunity. The organization he is talking with is a good company but not necessarily one that challenges him. I have reminded him not to look merely at what is already there but at what could be there. Leaders who are wearing their start-up hat see potential.
Some leaders excel when wearing their start-up hat. In fact, it’s their go-to headwear. The problem is that leaders can’t continue wearing that hat year after year. At some point, they have to wear other hats as the organization grows and matures. If leaders recoil from changing hats, then they must move on to new roles that will allow them to keep using the same set of skills.
I recently spoke with a pastor who is a gifted church planter. He loves to walk into a community and start a church from nothing. He excels at tackling start-up problems like finding a facility and molding a group of strangers into a church body. But once the church is established and begins growing, it requires additional leadership and a larger building. At that point the pastor must remove his start-up hat and don another one. But this pastor sees so many other communities that need new churches and countless unbelievers who still need to hear the Gospel. The thought of leading church council meetings and dealing with church members’ complaints deadens his soul. So, the pastor allows his church to find someone with different skills and passions, and with his startup hat firmly in place, he sets off to start something new.
Many of the most influential companies, churches, and programs were founded by a leader wearing a start-up hat. The world desperately needs those leaders.
2. The Fix-Up Hat
A second hat leaders must wear at times is their fix-up hat. Every organization, no matter how well run, will eventually need fixing. Great organizations are successful not because they are without problems but because their leaders immediately and effectively address their problems.
This side of leadership is messy, and this hat often gets the most sweat stains! Unfortunately, leaders often need to wear this hat when they arrive at an organization. Their predecessor either did not address problems or was unable to cope with the challenges and moved on.
Some people love to fix things. My dad was called to churches that desperately needed fixing. Every church he took on was in worse shape than the one he left. My gifting is similar. If you put me in a community by myself and told me to start a church, I’d probably flounder. But give me a core group of twenty people, and I’ll love and lead those people to grow into a much larger church family. Some leaders love to build morale and address concerns. They don’t mind having meetings and dealing with personnel issues.
Leaders make places better. Whether in their family, Bible study group, company, division, or church, they attack problems and build people up. All leaders should aim to leave their organization stronger and more fruitful than they found it.
Many leaders love to envision new possibilities, but they do not like administering what they have. I have known some pastors who loved to evangelize unbelievers but grew weary when discipling church members. Some business leaders love designing new products but neglect to market the ones they already have.
Leaders may avoid cleaning up messes because, well, it’s messy. People will inevitably disagree with a leader’s approach (especially if they are the ones creating the mess!). But leaders with integrity cannot ignore problems.
I, like many leaders, don’t like conflict. It can ruin my day. But I also know that there are times when I must put on my fix-up hat and make a difficult phone call or schedule that potentially contentious meeting. Because that’s what leaders do.
At times, the fix-up hat is necessary. And the sooner you put that hat on, the sooner you will be able to take it off.
3. The Forward Hat.
After addressing an organization’s problems, it’s time for it to move forward to achieve its purpose. Organizations do not exist to solve their own problems; they exist to solve society’s problems. Consider a family vacation. Some people love to plan vacations. They research popular destinations, shop for the best deals on theme parks and hotels, plan travel routes and schedules. Some families plan all year for their next odyssey. But there are also problems to solve. The family vehicle needs an oil change, there is that strange rattle under the hood, and the front tires need to be replaced. Those tasks take time. Then the vehicle needs to be cleaned, packed, and fueled. None of these activities are fun. But they are necessary. Finally, after all the planning, preparation, and problem solving, it’s time to hit the open road and start making progress toward the destination. The third hat is required when making headway on the organization’s purpose.
Some leaders are particularly gifted at this stage. They would probably not have the patience to start something from scratch and might grow weary of the organizational challenges that come with addressing foundational problems. But when the organization is a finely tuned racing machine, they can step on the gas.
This kind of leadership may look easy. These leaders lead growing, effective organizations and enjoy the perks that come with their role. But driving an 18-wheeler or a cruise ship can look easy until you get behind the wheel! The reality is, working with teams, keeping the vision fresh, and overcoming obstacles and crises demands high-level leadership.
One word of caution at this point. Some people are perennial “fix-up” people. Even after their organization is totally reorganized and relatively problem free, they can’t keep their meddling hands off of it! Rather than enjoying well-deserved results, people are constantly having to adjust to the boss’s latest brainchild. Results may be lost because leaders feel the need to justify their role by meddling in things that don’t need adjusting.
Of course, this is the type of leadership that gets most of the press. We see Steve Jobs unveiling the iPhone or iPad. We don’t see him trying to drum up financial backing to build Apple’s first computer or returning to the company after being fired. If leaders stay at an organization long enough, they’ll have to wear all three hats, because organizations require all three types of leadership.
It may be fine to work at starting something new for a while, but eventually leaders want to enjoy the fruit of their labors. Leaders can address problems for a time, but eventually they grow weary of conflict and tension in the workplace. And while it might seem nice to cruise comfortably down the highway with a well-administered organization, many leaders eventually find this stage to be boring. So they move on.
Conclusion
Leaders wear many hats. We have looked at three of the most common ones. It is truly a rare luxury for a leader to wear the same hat for years. Inevitably, challenges arise that call for a different form of leadership. Most leaders have a preferred mode. But effective leaders will don a different hat, at least for a while, to do what is required of them. As you consider the organization you lead, regularly ask yourself this question: In light of the current situation, am I wearing the right hat?
