5. Give leaders ownership and accountability.
Managers wait for orders and then go make it happen. Leaders grow frustrated over time taking orders. You need both managers and leaders in healthy organizations. Leaders, though, want a voice setting the goals and establishing the strategy. They want real responsibility for building the team and setting direction. At the same time, though, everyone needs clear expectations and accountability.
6. Invest time in the future rather than urgent needs.
What’s the strategy for accomplishing your vision? Are you working as a team to move the ministry toward that vision? Analyze your meeting agendas or notes from recent months. Have you invested more time moving forward or putting out fires? Leaders can get addicted to the urgent (“killing cockroaches“) because the challenge is right in front of us, and there’s immediate gratification when we fix it. It takes discipline to stay focused on the vision.
7. Expect your team to look outside the organization for opportunities and threats.
The culture around us is changing. People are changing. Families and communities are changing. Your “competition” is changing. The senior leadership team, in particular, has to look beyond the four walls or your organization to consider how your systems and strategies need to evolve over time.
Good leaders will leave your organization if they aren’t empowered to make decisions and lead. That means you get to decide who stays and who leaves. Are you embracing an approach that empowers leaders to be who God created them to be or is your approach pushing them away?
For those of you who consider yourself leaders, what would you add to this list? How are you best positioned to use your leadership gifts to accomplish your organization’s mission? Join the conversation by sharing your comment.
By the way, if you’re interested in reading more about my thoughts on leadership, you may want to download my free eBook on Developing a Theology of Leadership.
