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Churches and Non-Profits Need Better Leadership and Management

 "The purpose for management for churches is not to make them more business-like, but to make them more church-like." - Peter Drucker

Peter Drucker, the late, great leadership expert highlighted in November's issue of Harvard Business Review. Drucker was a tremendous writer, management consultant, and self-described “social ecologist, and also "explored how humans are organized across the business, government and the nonprofit sectors of society."

Drucker leadership wisdom has impacted me in so many ways.  However, there is one quote that has stood out to me, here it is, "Non-profits (churches) need management even more than business does, precisely because they lack the discipline of the bottom line...and long-term vision." I have served in churches and non-profits organizations for over 15 years, and the one thing that I have found to be a constant challenge in non-profit/religious environments is the issue of "vision" and the "bottom line."  As non-profit/church leaders, we are taught in college/seminary to learn how to be effective bible teachers, preachers, and or course the "marrying and burying of folks."  However, "WE" as church leaders are not taught the principles of how to effectively lead and manage an organization.  

Whether Christian pastors/leaders would like to admit it or not, there is an organizational management factor in leading a successful church in the 21st century.  Therefore, it is critical for pastors to learn how to effectively lead and manage the organization effectively: the organizational vision, mission strategy, staff teams, board teams, networking, volunteer strategy...and the list goes on.  

Drucker highlighted leadership principles such as: Decentralization and simplification. Drucker discounted the "command and control" model and asserted that organizations work best when they are decentralized. According to Drucker, organizations (churches) tend to produce too many products (have too many ministries), hire employees they don't need, value effectiveness over efficiency (doing the same thing over and over again) and expand into too many "missions" that they should avoid.  There is the problem, non-profits/churches tend to bend toward the "top down" leadership style, while making the (organizational) environment very complex and busy with a lot of "STUFF."

Living Reruns

 A rerun or repeatis a re-airing of an episode of a radio or television broadcast.  The rerunning of summer television shows are finally over.  And the fall season is a time of the year when our favorite television shows are airing new and afresh.  However, what's amazing about reruns is that how many times we will watch a particular movie or television show over and over again (for me - the original Star Wars over 50 times). 

In a CD I recently listened to, Erwin McManus spoke about the subject of reruns, and how it relates to our lives, he said, Alot of us need reinvented lives, many of us are living a rerun...many of us need a fresh story. Do you wake up in the morning and are just waiting for your show to be canceled...our life can be an endless rerun with worn out story-lines, and meaningless characters. 

How many of us feel as if we are living a rerun? How many of us need a fresh storyline in our life?

A WOW Question

 

I recently was listening to a Catalyst Podcast that featured Michael Hyatt, he is Chief Executive Officer of Thomas Nelson Publishers, the largest Christian publishing company in the world. Michael focused part of his podcast interview on the subject of WOW experiences...What are the components that make up for a WOW experience? 

I began to think about the big implications of this question for those of us who help create and lead Sunday morning church environments and spiritual experiences.  I believe it is the job of church leaders to partner with the Holy Spirit to help create WOW experiences for those in our church community

Your opinion...

What are the components that make up a WOW experience?

(How do you intentionally create WOW experiences?)

What does your church do well?

"An organizations identity comes from it's ability to do something well because it has some special organizational talents: an abilty to network, change with speed, serve, change culture, learn, innovate, etc." - The Leadership Code

It makes a difference how you look at yourself.

In his book "Live Your Dreams", Les Brown suggests 4 questions to ask to boost self-approval:
1. What are your gifts? What do you do well?
2. What are 5 things you like about yourself?
3. What people make you feel special? These individuals inspire something within you. What is it?
4. What moment of personal triumph do you remember?

It makes a difference how you look at yourself!

Dreams defined

 

A DREAM IS AN IDEAL involving a sense of possibilities rather than probabilities, or potential rather than limits.  A dream is the WELLSPRING OF PASSION, giving us direction and pointing us to new heights.  It is an expression of faith, hope, optimism, and values lofty enough to capture the imagination and engage the spirit.  DREAMS GRAB US AND MOVE US.  They are capable of lifting us to new heights and overcoming self-imposed limitations. 

 

Everyone has a dream deep inside.  What’s yours?

As a leader, your tendency to motivate or de-motivate is your choice.

How do you motivate your people?  Everyone desires to serve a leader who motivates them to do their best.  There are many things leaders need to remember about motivating and de-motivating people.   

What motivates people  (given from John Maxwell's Developing the Leader Witihin Workbook):

Significant contributions- People want to belong to a group or pursue a cause that will have lasting impact.

Goal participation - People support what they create.  Allow people to have input toward change.

Positive dissatisfaction - Dissatisfaction can inspire change or create a critical spirit.  They key to direct dissatisfaction toward positive, effective change.

What de-motivates people:

Criticism- Public criticism hurts! Stay alert and be sensitive to the feelings of others.

Manipulation - Manipulation tears down te walls of trust in a relationship.  Honesty and transparency yield better results than crafty maneuvering tactics.

Iinsensitivity - Make people a priority.  Leann to listen without being preoccupied and in a hurry.  Let others know that you care.

Discouraging personal growth - Encourage your team to stretch and grow.  Give people opportunities to succeed.  Don't discourage growth because you may feel threatened by the success of others. 

Grow or Decline

I read an interesting quote, it said, "Non-growing organizations are a result of non-growing leaders."  Ouch, that hurts!  For leaders who are leading GROWING organizations I here your sigh of relief.  However, for those who are leading non-growing organizations, the quote SUCKS!

Great leadership is a life-long process.  That is why it is essential to persevere in strengthening our leadership skills if we are going to continually grow.  We don't argue this in the world of music, medicine, or psychology.  We know that a musician has to have a persistent march toward his craft if the he or she is going to have solid music.  The goes with a doctor, lawyer, or therapist.  Why not the leader?  Shouldn't the leader study leadership if he or she is going to lead effectively. We must have a tenacious attitude toward the development and sstrengthening our leadership skills if we are going to be effective.  Because, as goes the leader, so goes the organization. 

Self Leadership Questions:

1. What will it cost you to learn how to lead effectively?
2. Are you willing to carve your schedule in such a way that you allow time to learn how to be an effective leader?
3. What personal habits in your life are je;pong you become a better leader?
4. What personal habits in your life are hindering you from becoming a better leader?

Leadership Oxygen

  

George M. Adams said, "Encouragement is oxygen to the soul."  How true. Encouragement isn't automatic, therefore, we must be very intentional about giving it.  If you're a leader, then it becomes crucial to your effectiveness.

How to become an encourager (given by John Maxwell):

1. Appreciate the power of encouragement.

2. Build Relationships - The closer you are to people, the more your encouragement counts.

3. Believe in People - If you don't believe in people, they won't believe in you.

4. Walk Your Talk - Model first what you would encourage others to do.

5. Show People You Think They're Important - Remember names, and ask them for help.

6. Hold More Celebrations - Acknowledging wins motivates people to keep trying.

7. Raise the Bar - Many people will stretch to success if challenged.

8. Give People a Reputation to Uphold - People rise to the level of expectation.

Holistic Spirituality

 

Building Champions Ministry is our total body fitness environment that emphasizes holistic spirituality, core training and a healthy lifestyle. We emphasize the Hootcha attitude (Never give up) and incorporate such activities as Pilates, Tae Bo, cardio, weight training, and the "emotional and spiritual" for an overall fitness.