Learning and Leading in Ministry

Introduction

Jesus and the twelve learners? How about the twelve students? Or, pupils? Uh-h…no. Not the same. Jesus and the twelve “disciples” has a ring to it that “learners”, “students” or “pupils” don’t have. But, the core definition of disciple is “one who learns.” In training future leaders of the church, Jesus knew that learning goes with leadership like sun goes with moon and leaves go with trees. Leadership is dynamic rather than static and leaders who stop learning will lead their followers astray or lose them entirely.

Twenty-first century business gurus speak of the learning organization, “a group of people who are continually enhancing their capabilities to create what they want to create.” The old model led organizations to train workers for one-dimensional jobs---duties that they performed until the day they retired. Plebes down the chain of command were informed on a “need to know” basis. Inflexible and bloated, corporate methodologies descended from sacrosanct penthouse boardrooms. Today, with change measured in nanoseconds, that old construct guarantees certain disaster…quick. New ideas do not wait for osmosis. In this volatile atmosphere, learners must aggressively pursue new methods and technologies.

Age-old principles in scripture remain our guide for today’s ministry, but their effectiveness depends on how we use them. Unless we implement them through cutting edge techniques, relevant vocabulary and continual attention to the present environment, we will get disappointing results. Effective leaders are learners. Learn how to learn; learn what to learn; learn when to learn; learn what to unlearn. Greater energy, stronger convictions and better decisions will flow from learning.

1. Leadership Goes Beyond Charisma

He could charm a diamond out of a piece of coal. People flocked to his steady stream of expansive smiles, effusive compliments and engaging conversation. Unfortunately, he knew his powers, and not long into his young career, he started playing his giftedness to the hilt. He believed that his charismatic personality exempted him from banalities like honor, preparation and hard work. Early on, his appealing ways got him by. The next phase, however, took him beyond the role of an innocuous charmer. He gradually slid into sinful, even shocking behavior, knowing that he could rely on his personality to cover everything up and keep going. When his wrongs came to light, he found out that the rollicking personality that once made people laugh now infuriated them. Charisma is like a picture frame: the fanciest frame in the world won’t make a picture beautiful. Conversely, a true work of art needs only the simplest frame to accent its beauty.

In leadership, you can’t help if you have charisma. That’s just you. You can help it, however, if you rely on it instead of sound principles like planning, communication, responsibility and integrity. Don’t turn your good personality into a license to manipulate or take advantage of people. The most extreme example of this is Jim Jones, the notorious cult leader who, on the strength of his domineering personality, led 914 people to commit mass suicide in 1978. “Perhaps the single most defining characteristic of a cult is a charismatic personality like Jones who becomes the group’s defining element and a locus for absolute power. Tellingly, the so-called “ Peoples Temple ,” ultimately became known as ‘Jonestown.’”

(Rick Ross, 11-29-02 ).

2. Keep Pouring in Energy

Several years ago, I came up with a brilliant plan to mobilize the church into evangelism and new convert retention. I called it the “Evangelism Commission.” It addressed five critical areas of growth: Outreach, In-Reach, Follow-Up, Discipleship and Service. I further subdivided each of these areas into teams with specific jobs, chose a coordinator to supervise the ministry and selected heads over each area. When I presented it to the congregation, it generated tremendous excitement and it began working flawlessly…for about two months. Why? Awash in self-congratulations, I had backed away from it and turned my attention to other pressing needs. My coordinator encountered a personal slowdown due to a job situation, one departmental head moved away and two others found that their work schedules would not allow them to continue. Several other key people on different teams became discouraged and let their responsibilities go. I discovered that my long-ago high school physics lesson was true: there really is no such thing as perpetual motion!

Organizations, businesses and projects that require leadership stagnate without a constant inflow of energy. You cannot let up. Think of an eight cylinder engine when it comes to providing leadership. When half your people are satisfied and pumped, the other half are coming back for more, and none of them are on the same timing cycle. And you are more than just a spark plug; you are the battery that makes the spark plugs spark! People feed off of the leader’s energy. When he or she fails to pump that energy in, all the air goes out.

Steve Pavlina, personal development expert, says “Educate yourself on what it will take to achieve your goal. And I mean really educate yourself to the point where you become an expert. Keep pouring knowledge into your head until you succeed — continuously. Don’t just read one book on the subject. Read 10. Then read 10 more. Then 10 more. Listen to audio programs. Talk to experts. Never let up on your self-education.” (Making A Quantum Leap, StevePavlina.com).

In order for a rocket launched from earth to reach outer space, the rocket must exert a sufficient amount of sustained force to overcome the earth’s gravity. If the rocket’s engines cut out prematurely, the rocket will crash back to earth. Just as it can take a massive amount of sustained force to put a rocket into orbit, recognize that there are certain areas of your life where you may need a large force to knock you into a higher state. Small efforts over a long period of time may do absolutely nothing for you. You can read one time management book a year and be no better at your managing your time.

3. Let it Slide

If you insist that everyone dot every “i” and cross every “t”, you will destroy your rapport with your people. In the people business, you have to wink at human foibles and insignificant lapses. Someone has said, “Don’t waste a hundred dollars on a ten cent decision.” Learn to let the petty things slide. Becoming irritated over a minor detail today can cause disproportionately huge problems tomorrow.

4. The Silhouette Syndrome

A silhouette appears when light shines on everything except the actual subject. In leadership, you not only reveal your true interests and thought patterns by the things you do, but also by the things you don’t do. Ignoring a problem may be worse than mishandling it because it looks like you don’t care about it.

5. The Law of Unintended Consequences.

According to the Law of Unintended Consequences, today’s solutions often become tomorrow’s problems. But, “unintended” need not be “unforeseeable.” Ask yourself what the impact of each action will be, and then plan for it. Example: Years ago, our support of Saddam Hussein in his war with Iran was intended to stabilize the region. Instead, we created a tyrant that eventually drew us into Iraq to face the very weapons and military machine that we bought and built in the first place.

6. Differential Reciprocity.

Sorry for the big words, but they are necessary to make the point. People do not see you the same way you see them. Therefore, they will not reciprocate with the same mindset, motive or quality of effort. People tend to view their leaders from a personal, one-dimensional paradigm. Just as patients have little concern for their doctor’s other patients, followers may not care much about the full load their leader carries. If you expect people to give you back exactly what you give to them---and for the same reasons---you will live in a state of constant irritation and disappointment. Case in point: Mary and Martha. Both responded to Jesus in a completely opposite manner. Followers caught up in personal bias, narrowly defined commitment or selfish agendas will reciprocate differentially to identical appeals put forth by the leader.

7. Superman is a Fictional Character

You are headed for a crackup if you insist on being an indestructible superhero. Only the delusional or nut cases go at full tilt without a break. Consider vacations mandatory. Give your body and brain ample rest. “Divert daily; withdraw weekly; abandon annually.” If you don’t, you will have to borrow from tomorrow’s energy. When you arrive at your tomorrow, the supply will be gone.

8. Twenty-Four to Two

Jesus had two hands. His twelve disciples had twenty-four. Do the math. It is a clear reminder that the leader must decide that he will not do the work himself, even though he could do it better than his followers. Every time a leader rolls up his sleeves, pushes underlings aside and plunges into the work himself, he is doing what he could train others to do and he abandons the job that no one else can do. A general can do a soldier’s work, but a soldier cannot do the general’s work. In the end, the general’s job is far more critical to the total success of the campaign.

9. Icantdecide.

Homicide. Suicide. Patricide. Matricide. Icantdecide falls into the same category, more or less. A leader plays many roles, but only the role of decision-maker makes him the leader. You can’t just not decide. When a leader abdicates this responsibility and commits icantdecide, somebody’s going to die, figuratively if not literally. A good leader establishes criteria for decisions, assesses his options, acts boldly and endures the aftermath. Those who can’t do this need to get out of the way and let someone else lead.

10. Get Help.

Nearly every leader I’ve met who has suffered loss or failure has admitted that he or she should have called for help. As the critical point of their crisis approached, pride and prejudice seized their better judgment. They chose to betray their followers’ futures rather than show their personal weakness. Stop. Do not cling stubbornly to a losing strategy. Sacrifice your pride in order to save your people. Help is out there if you will go get it.

11. Just Stop It.

Takeru Kobayashi of Nagano , Japan has been crowned the world’s greatest competitive eater. According to the website of the Nationwide Speaker’s Bureau, Inc., Kobayashi dominated the sport of competitive eating in 2004. At a Coney Island event, he ate 53.5 hot dogs and buns in twelve minutes and sixty-nine Krystal hamburgers in eight minutes! His performance reportedly sent shock waves through the competitive eating community. The Japanese native has been named the greatest competitive eater in International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE) history and some observers even consider him to be the finest athlete of our time. With dozens of records worldwide, he is undefeated in IFOCE competition. I suspect that Kobayashi, along with his fellow IFOCE athletes, never learned how to stop.

Learning when to stop---usually the mantra of those against driving drunk, overeaters or workaholics---applies to leaders all too well. When you achieve an important victory and find yourself awash in congratulations, you must put things into perspective. Has success changed your inner person? Are you still lean and hungry? Are you okay with simply doing better than the competition or do you have a need to totally obliterate it?

The moment of victory may also be the moment of greatest peril. Arrogance and overconfidence in your success create enemies. How does this happen? Here’s how: despite all insistence to the contrary, success causes a definite change to anyone who achieves it. First, you accomplished something that you never did before. Second, success relieves tension and doubt incited by prior failures. Third, winning automatically made you superior to your competitors. All winners find themselves accompanied by these new facts.