As a university student, I had a skewed view of leadership. I wasn’t alone; most people do. I was a history major (which should alert you that I had issues). I loved reading about the historical “greats,” such as Winston Churchill, who stood toe to toe with Adolph Hitler and refused to back down, the Duke of Wellington, who faced down Napoleon Bonaparte so all of Europe wouldn’t have to speak French forever after, and George Washington, who led a ragtag group of colonials against the world’s superpower and its bright red uniforms.
I viewed leaders as larger-than-life individuals who could make inspired speeches, were fearless in battle (even as musket balls were raining down upon them), and could ride a horse. Like most people, I didn’t get too far down the leadership checklist before I realized I, along with 99% of the population, was woefully unqualified.
Then I became the pastor of a church that had suffered greatly through the years. Immorality, embezzlement, divorce, bitter arguments, and a wide assortment of other grievous sins had decimated the congregation. Seeing the remnant upon my arrival, I knew I had to do something soon. But I didn’t know what. I simply had to make things better than they were. Four years later, our little church was one of the fastest growing congregations in our denomination. Excitement filled in the air and laughter rang out in the hallways. Something had changed dramatically.
My next assignment was at a theological seminary and college. It, too, had experienced hard times. The property was in disrepair, the programming was lackluster, and several staff members were unqualified for their job (at least one of whom was threatening me with a lawsuit!). Finances were inches from a cliff. Again, I knew things could not remain as they were, or we would soon be out of business. Thirteen years later, the school hardly resembled the institution that hired me.
I then went to lead the non-profit ministry my father, Henry, founded, Blackaby Ministries International. The ministry had accomplished many great things, but it was getting tired and stale. The staff and volunteers were aging. Daily operations were driven by the past rather than the future. Once again, I knew that to stay as we were entailed planning for an organizational funeral. So, we changed.
I tell you these things, not to boast about my accomplishments, but to share what I learned about leadership. Experience, not graduate school, was my teacher. In my early years as a leader, I assumed my church, seminary, or non-profit needed a dynamic preacher, caring minister, or pristine theologian. But I came to learn that what they desperately needed was an effective leader. Throughout my career, I have come to believe this truth firmly: leadership makes all the difference.
As a seminary student, I took 12 hours of Greek and six hours of Hebrew but not one minute of leadership. Had my program required a leadership class, I would have been hard-pressed to find a good instructor. My school was staffed with academicians, not practitioners. They could lecture me on what the Greek or Hebrew word for “leader” meant, but they could not show me what leaders did.
Things have come a long way since then, but many Christians still struggle with the concept of leadership. I conduct leadership conferences around the world, and I often ask participants if they view themselves as leaders. Typically, less than half of the people raise their hands. Many of them mistakenly assume that if they view themselves as a leader, they must be egotistical or presume they are better than others. But being a leader has nothing to do with a person’s inherent self-worth. It simply describes that person’s God-given assignment. Throughout history, whenever society faced a problem, God used leaders to provide the solution.
When you view leaders as problem solvers, you gain a new perspective on the world around you. Politicians desperately want people to view them as leaders. They make impassioned speeches, covet the limelight, and often exude charisma. But too often they fail to solve problems. They are political celebrities, not leaders. Leaders solve problems.
Leaders have many responsibilities, but here are three of their crucial tasks:
1. Leaders solve problems.
If there were no problems, leaders would be largely unnecessary. Leaders don’t merely hold positions or talk about problems. They fix things. Have you known professional sports teams that were chronically bad? (I’m currently cheering for one.) A coach arrives promising to turn things around. A year or two later, that coach is gone and a different one is making the same promises. I have known churches that saw a steady stream of pastors leave discouraged and declaring nothing could change the dysfunctional congregation. Then a new pastor was installed, and within a few months a fresh breeze of the Holy Spirit blew through the congregation. I know businesses that chronically underachieved. Then a new manager was hired, and everything changed. The manager finally addressed issues that undercut morale and profitability for years, confronted troublesome employees, and sent the elephants in the room to the nearest zoo. The previous leaders were often aware of the problems, but they were too timid to tackle them.
Currently in North America, 70% of churches are plateaued or declining. Why? I believe this trend is the result of ineffective leadership. Church leaders refused to address problems, and now attendance is in steep decline. They didn’t call out sinful attitudes, carnal church members, or ineffective ministries, and now their church is in a tailspin. I talk with pastors frequently. They could all tell me about problems in their church. But only a fraction of those pastors is solving those problems. Sometimes pastors would rather move to another location and hope there are fewer problems there. Problem solving requires a higher level of leadership skills. Leaders must grow personally to overcome challenges.
Sadly, when leaders attempt to make necessary changes, people often criticize and resist them. It takes tough skin and a bucketload of grace to endure bitter opposition from the very people you are trying to help. But that’s leadership at its core.
Let me be clear. Leadership is not complaining about problems. It isn’t identifying problems. It isn’t merely developing a plan to address the problems. Dare I say this, it isn’t even praying about the problems (though praying is important). It is ultimately solving and overcoming the problems. I know some lovely souls who are great at praying for their church, but horrific at administering it. Leaders must do both! If your church, business, political office, or non-profit has the same problems when you leave that it had when you arrived, you may have held court, made speeches, conducted meetings, and built power points, but you didn’t lead effectively. Leaders solve problems.
2. Leaders make places better.
If you trace leaders’ careers, you will discover that they make every place they serve better. They might not perform miracles, but they make noticeable improvements. When I came to my little church as a pastor, the congregation could barely afford to pay me even the reduced pastor’s salary they had budgeted. During the four years I served the church, attendance grew, giving increased, and we paid off our mortgage early. The pastor who eventually took my place inherited a much better financial situation than I had! When I arrived at the church, the auditorium was drab and neglected. I made small changes, such as bringing in live plants and adding fresh paint. Before I became the pastor, the services were conducted in a loose manner that wasted a lot of time. I tightened things up and brought more flow (and energy) to the services. The congregation had been discouraged when I arrived because of all the people who had left the church. I celebrated the new people who joined. We had church-wide parties, outings, and tournaments that were a lot of fun. People began to enjoy coming to church.
These changes weren’t earth shattering. No church growth magazine sent a film crew to capture the magic we had achieved. But every time I saw something that could be improved, we made adjustments. Some changes were dramatic. Others involved merely a coat of paint. But small changes added up over time. Things looked cleaner and well maintained. Programming was modern and energized. Visitors had the sense that people cared about what happened.
If God has called you to be a leader, keep your eyes open for positive changes you can make. Don’t just focus on home-run-hitting changes that alter your organization right to its foundation. Those will happen. But sometimes necessary adjustments might involve bringing a box of nutritious treats to the leadership team meeting or replacing the dried flower arrangement that has been in place for five years. Small changes add up over time, and they create a sense of progress and momentum. They represent small wins, and enough small wins can add up to a big win.
Every time I left a job, I took an inventory. I listed what I was given when I arrived, and I listed what I was passing on to my successor. At my church, I was given a crippling debt. I handed my successor a debt-free organization. I was the only pastoral staff member when I arrived; my successor had two associate pastors, plus two other denominational leaders who had joined the church during my tenure. Cataloging these improvements allowed me to move on in good conscience, knowing I was leaving the place much better than I found it.
3. Leaders leave people better.
Leaders improve people’s lives. People ought to weep when their leader leaves. And they will, if their leader has invested in them. Leaders don’t lead organizations; they lead people. Genuine leaders love the people they lead, and they want what’s best for them. False leaders use people to accomplish their goals. True leaders bless them and help them grow.
While I was a seminary president, I strived to develop my staff’s leadership skills. I helped pay for several of our staff to receive further training and education. I encouraged the staff to assume greater responsibilities. I met with them regularly to offer encouragement. Some of them eventually leveraged their new skills and leadership abilities and moved on to higher positions in other organizations. Was I upset? No. I truly wanted what was best for them. Others stayed and continued to provide outstanding leadership to that school.
I recently returned to the two cities where I served as a pastor and seminary president. I left my church 26 years ago and the seminary 13 years ago. In both places, I met with people I used to lead. Many have followed my life and family on social media. It was a homecoming among friends. We laughed and reminisced about old times. That emotional experience reminded me that I had not merely been doing a job; I had been loving and investing in people. Successful leaders leave a trail of grateful people in their wake as they intentionally bless those who are under their care.
This list isn’t exhaustive. If you want to go into more depth, check out Spiritual Leadership: Moving People on to God’s Agenda, a book I co-authored with my father, Henry Blackaby. This post looks only at leaders’ fundamental roles. If you are not doing these three things, you are not ready to do what comes after.
Remember, leaders solve problems. Rather than worrying that God might call you to deliver a Churchillian speech before parliament or lead your soldiers into the barrage of a Napoleonic cannonade, look around and find something you could make a little bit better. Then do it. In time, you may accomplish far more than you bargained for, and you might just find that you enjoy leading very much.
