I work with church leadership teams literally every day of my life. It is absolutely one of the most joyous things I have the privilege of doing. When you get a group of passionate Christ-followers unified around a compelling mission and vision who also possess the desire, gifts, talents, abilities and resources to move it forward, few things are as exhilarating.
As thrilling as this type of leadership culture is, the opposite is equally as frustrating. When leadership teams needlessly stall the advancement of mission and vision over C-issues, it becomes truly maddening.
Yes, maddening. My heart breaks for pastors in these types of churches because they simply have no chance.
John Maxwell was right when he taught that a leader’s success is determined by those closest to them.
The following is a list of 10 People You Do Not Want on Your Church Leadership Team. Pastors, these individuals will ensure you and your church have little chance of success.
1. The ’80s Man.
This person continually celebrates the achievements of the past (sometimes long, long ago) and views those methods as the only ways to advance mission and vision.
The ’80s Man has not had a new thought since the ’80s. Rick Warren says, “You have to learn to honor the past without perpetuating the past. We all are products of our past but not prisoners of it.”
2. The Devil’s Advocate.
First, the devil does not need any help.
Second, I do not want to be in a room with people who tell me why something will not work. I want to surround myself with people who bring solutions and help make things work.
3. The Cannibal.
This is the person who feels it is their job to keep everyone else accountable. They simply eat people alive. They do not foster accountability. They foster cannability.
4. The “No” One.
This is the person who leads with “No” rather than “Yes.” They have to be convinced to agree to even the most minor leadership decisions.
It just becomes exhausting getting them on a train which has already left the station.
5. The Feeler.
The Feeler has no idea why they are against the ministry initiatives. They just are, even though no one else has any concerns.
There is a caveat here—any experienced leader has had times when something doesn’t feel right in their gut. You should trust this feeling. When this happens, humbly say, “I know this doesn’t make sense, but something just doesn’t feel right here. What do you think?”
This approach is healthy. The problem comes when a person says this about each and every issue.
