I get the amazing opportunity to coach sharp, humble and growing pastors every week. They are processing new ideas and making sense of how to best lead their congregations and staff. Occasionally I step back and wonder, What good decisions are wise pastors making?
Here are a few trends that I have noticed. Every ministry leader can try these, no matter the size of the church, the makeup of the team or the age of the leader.
- Redesigning meetings. Wise leaders are realizing that people will no longer tolerate bad meetings. If it’s a waste of time, people check out (especially over Zoom). Wise leaders are reshaping meeting frequency, length and effectiveness. Create a format that works, and hit play every week or month. Aim for more quality, less quantity.
- Reflecting personally and as a team. Due to cultural rush and perma-anxiety, the act of pausing to reflect is becoming more powerful. If we avoid reflection, we will lead in a hurried way and miss spiritual formation opportunities with our team. I’ve watched the value of focused reflection spike in the coaching sessions and group experiences we host. Utilize one powerful question paired with silence for best results.
- Pruning the good. Most teams and churches are doing too many things, resulting in scattered focus on subpar results. Eliminating opportunities that are draining will naturally create focus and channel resources toward the best opportunities. But that can mean eliminating good things. Once you’ve pruned, there might be space for that thing you are burning to start.
- Preparing ahead of time. Leading on the fly is not working very well. It leads to thin thinking, ineffective meetings, disengagement and eventually to burnout. Wise leaders are preparing for conversations and meetings, and forcing their teams to do this by coming with developed thoughts. People want to be led and shepherded by grounded spiritual leaders.
- Leading through questions. We’ve had a steady diet of information overwhelm and a lot of online shouting matches the last few years. This creates a massive opportunity to ask engaging questions and really listen. Questions have always been powerful, but they are a secret engagement weapon right now.
- Sharing context. The last three years have been a blur of constant change, which has led to a unique cultural moment. We must slow down this year to acknowledge two things: where we’ve come from and where we are. Only after we recognize those two things can we assess where we are going. We must make sense of where we’ve been and where we are before we can truly make progress.
- Personalizing communication. In a mass-everything world, personal touches are more powerful than ever. Handwritten notes and a quick call to check in are invaluable. My favorite method is short, personal phone videos with the intent to thank and encourage.
Which of these is your greatest opportunity?