The Leadership Trap
I had a great conversation on Friday with a group of 12 guys in ministry throughout the country. Among other things, we talked about the leadership trap. You’ve probably experienced this before. It’s that feeling in your gut that says:
“If I don’t do it, no one will do it.”
You know that feeling don’t you? Every leader experiences it…especially in ministry where we’re dependent on volunteers to carry out the mission. Either we have that sense that if we don’t do it, it won’t get done. Or, we have the sense that if we don’t do it, it won’t be done right. You know what I’m talking about don’t you?
Here’s what’s crazy about that thinking. It’s not really true. Your mind says that’s truth, but it’s really a lie. Here’s the truth:
“If I do it, no one will do it.”
Did you catch that? Whenever you decide to step in an do it, you’re taking away the opportunity for someone else to do it. Whenever you step in to do it right, you’re denying the opportunity for someone else to do it better.
We are the body of Christ. God has gifted each of us uniquely. We were designed to serve Jesus differently. You may think you have all the gifts and all the abilities to do all the ministry, but that’s a lie from Satan. And, if you do it all, no one else will do it.
The workers are few but if you continue doing the work, the workers will be fewer.
Until we embrace that reality, our impact and influence as a church will be limited. When that happens it won’t be because God isn’t answering our prayers, it’ll be because we have decided we’d rather continue to sin.
What type of leader are you going to be? Are you going to deny the power of God working through others or are you going to empower people to live out their God-given purpose?
If you do it, no one will do it.
yes. sometimes the best leadership, is not leading. good stuff.
He’s not saying, Mark, that “sometimes the best leadership,is not leading.” He’s saying, “sometimes the best leadership is not DOING.” Leaders will need to strategically and intelligently (not merely lazily) let some thing,even good things, go undone. Sometimes, as in this particular post, it’s so that there is room for others to respond to God’s call. On other occasions it will be to maintain healthy boundaries or keep ones family.
thanks for clarifying that, richard. romans 12:8 is clear that some are gifted to lead. if that’s you and you’re not leading, that’s a sin as well. leaders can’t abdicate their leadership role.
tony
Here’s an example – for a time when our worship team was in flux I started playing electric guitar (I’m also the Senior/Teaching Pastor) ’cause we had no guitar player and someone’s gotta do it, right? Finally I said “enough”. After that 2 great players stepped up from the Body to play. What held them back? They figured if the Pastor was playing who were they to replace him?
Once I got out of the way – stuff started happening.
c’mon guys really?
do you think that Romans 8 has anything to do with the kind of leadership we talk about in our churches, have conference over and publish books around? Sure it’s the same word, but Paul is not writing to a culture who romanticizes leadership like we do. If you apply this kind of thinking to leadership in 12:8 you have to do the same for kindness 12:9 and it doesn’t transfer.
I hold to what I said. Sometimes the best leadership is not leading.
wow, mark. that’s a big stretch to say “leadership” doesn’t mean leadership. so, if Romans 12:8 leadership doesn’t mean leadership, what does it mean in your opinion?
tony
it seems that today leadership has a certain meaning influenced by the CEO style, business, Maxwell, type folks in a culture who has celebritized (is that a word?) leadership to a place where there is something of a romanticized role. In churches we play this out in a certain way. I won’t go into it here. but I think that paul is talking about leadership in a different way. yes he’s talking about leading people, but not the way we talk about it in 21st century America. The rest of the world doesn’t view leadership the way we do today either. They think we American’s are a bit silly with our love for leaders.
I simply saying that I don’t think Paul would say what we do in America is leadership has he’s defining it. Obviously Paul’s not Western, nor American, (i know, news right?) and their culture was so different. Leadership in Romans 12 seems to be specifically for people who find themselves leading, not so much as a gift in which you can or can’t use. But to people who are already leading.
Sure leadership means leadership. I would just suggest that 1st century leadership in the middle east is a radically different than 21st century leadership in America. To make them the same, seems a bit naive.
on the other hand, i’d agree with you that if you are called to lead and don’t it’s a sin.
But, i think everyone is called to lead in some capacity, if only in themselves and those around them. I think this is the essence of discipleship. To be responsible for your own life, and take action for those around you. To give up leadership of your life to another, a parent, a pastor, a friend, or a political representative is to become a consumer and give away your responsibility. Likewise, to be a pastor, who take the responsibility given to others (and freely given up by them) upon their shoulders is a sin as well. For instance, churches who take the leadership role of parents of children off of their shoulders by being the primary spiritual nurtures of kids. These churches say, we’ll do this ministry for you the parents and parents freely give it up. In these cases it’s a sin for the parent not to lead and I’d suggest that it’s a sin for the pastor, to lead.
But we could just be missing each other with our language.
I appreciate the opportunity Tony. Thanks.
First, confession – I know the feeling. I’m mostly fine with passing on responsibilities, but I have a few issues:
Issue 1 – there are things you just can’t stop doing – you need certain things to happen on a weekly basis and some of those things take skill. I think the bigger issue is how do we move from just doers to delegators and developers – and how do we create an on-going community to develop volunteers?
Issue 2 is the concept of spiritual gifts. Things like working with kids, music, tech and other skills are not spiritual gifts but we often treat them that way. I am not sure how this all plays into the Body of Christ and God providing all the roles in His church. And does that mean the kingdom view of church or as most people treat it – each local church? And I think people just put too much stock in spiritual gifts. We are ALL called to serve, lead, give, etc. some people are gifted but we are all called to do it.
So I guess my big picture is about creating an environment where people step up and were volunteers are developed instead of just leaders doing the work…can we create another discussion of that?
Paul definitely was speaking to a very different culture. However, his leadership style was based in the very same voice of God that we base ours upon.
The CEO style marketeer would say that “perception is reality”. Today’s church leaders and strategist who look to the word of God for guidance, like Tony, know that statement is completely false when applying scripture to their leadership methodology.
Thankfully, the truth of the scriptures aren’t contingent upon the way we perceive it.
So if the kind of leadership that we talk about in our 21st century churches, have conferences over, and publish books about is based upon the inerrant word of God, then yes, Romans 12:8 has everything to do with it then and now.
btw…my wife read this post and said, “Is this about you?” Ouch!
There needs to be a balance between the concept of servant leader and being a slave to church duties. IMO a Pastor should step back to allow others their chance to shine, but be there in case there is a real need to help. I have seen too many leaders be puffed up by others or exalt themselves into a place where they are out of touch with their flocks, and that is just as sad as “Groundhog Day” – style preventive maintenence. If we don’t train/disciple others, then who will God use to replace us?
I’m enjoying the discussion. Thanks for the space to have it Tony.
I guess for me the question is: Who does ministry belong to? The leaders or the people? If we say the people, then you can’t delegate ministry if it’s already theirs to begin with. You can only hoard it from them, and give them parts of what is already theirs.
If we say leaders, then we shouldn’t delegate at all, because that is passing along responsability to others that doesn’t belong to them.
mark, your last post about ‘ownership’ is right on. the way i see it, the leaders of the church are facilitators for the body to do ministry. aren’t pastors called to ‘EQUIP the saints to do the work of the lord’? tony makes a great point in this post. as church leaders, sometimes we need to get out of the way.