A Better Metric for Strong Leadership
“Why is he seen as a leader?” This was on my mind often when this ministry leader at the megachurch I worked at came to mind. The staff culture possessed a great emphasis on “leadership.” A “strong” leader was taken seriously and had a future within the organization. This particular ministry leader, we’ll call him Kevin, baffled me. Why? Because no one on his team liked him. He was arrogant, driven, results-oriented, abrasive, and had a talent for burning through staff members under him. But he was a high performer. He got results. He was a leader according to some. Confused? So was I.
Simon Walker, author of Leading out of Who You Are[1], highlights that despite the plethora of examples of people who made an impact through strength and power, this is not the whole story of leadership. Leadership being solely about strength and power is a myth. Yes, there are the likes of Genghis Khans and Alexander the Great who shook humanity and shaped the trajectory of history. But then there are those who, Walker would argue, made a greater impact. Those who chose a different way of leadership – the path of weakness and releasing power, such as Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, and Jesus of Nazareth.
The world of the American Megachurch is guilty of largely taking its leadership cues from the meritocratic business world.[2] When numerical results are the sole metric of success, how many bodies an individual gathers into a room becomes prioritized above all. Charisma covers a multitude of sins. The insidious virus of narcissism crouches at the church’s doorstep.[3]
But the business world is not completely oblivious to the flaw of prioritizing “strength” over character. Dr. Tim Irwin used a former CEO of Home Depot as an example of power-wielding leadership – Bob Nardelli. Nardelli “seemed bent on motivating people by fear and control.”[4] Though he took a position of strength and power, he eventually failed as a leader. As Irwin writes, “While no one will argue that Nardelli is highly capable, he will likely not fulfill his potential as a leader until he learns what all great leaders know: greatness does not result from competence only; it flows from an inspired workforce who trusts the character of its leader.”[5] In the words of Walker, “Leadership is about who you are, not what you know or what skills you have.”[6]
There are four key qualities Irwin focuses on as essential for immunity from leadership failure. They are authenticity, self-management, humility, and courage.[7] Bravado is not the sign of strength in the business world. Humility is the key ingredient. Jim Collins famously shed light on this in his business classic Good to Great.[8] Through researching companies that went from good to great – the first key component Collins found was the kind of CEOs at such organizations. He found these leaders to possess “extreme personal humility with intense professional will.”[9]
Kevin may have been effective in getting results. But he does not fit this definition of a strong leader. He was arrogant, and humility is a sign of strong leadership. The business world is catching on to this. Maybe the megachurch can too. Though my understanding of strong leadership was marred, nowadays it is reoriented around Jesus and his example of meekness. Walker reminds us that those who leave the greatest impact in the world are those who use deliberate acts of self-sacrifice and weakness. They are those who have the integrity to lead with moral authority. They lead by example by leading out of who they are.
[1] Simon P. Walker, Leading out of Who You Are: Discovering the Secret of Undefended Leadership, The Undefended Leader Trilogy. 1 (Carlisle: Piquant, 2007).
[2] Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer, A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing (Carol Stream, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, 2020), 203.
[3] This is highlighted in Chuck DeGroat, When Narcissism Comes to Church: Healing Your Community From Emotional and Spiritual Abuse (Downers Grove, Illinois: IVP, 2020).
[4] Tim Irwin, Derailed: Five Lessons Learned from Catastrophic Failures of Leadership (NelsonFree) (HarperCollins Leadership, 2012), 30.
[5] Ibid. 35.
[6] Walker, Leading out of Who You Are, 5.
[7] Irwin, Derailed, 17.
[8] James C. Collins, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap–and Others Don’t, 1st ed (New York, NY: HarperBusiness, 2001).
[9] Ibid. 21.
About the Author
David Beavis
David is Australian by birth, was raised in Southern California, and is the Youth and Young Adults Pastor at B4 Church in Beaverton, Oregon. David and his wife, Laura, live in Hillsboro with their dog, Coava (named after their favorite coffee shop). M.A. Theology - Talbot School of Theology B.A. Psychology - Vanguard University of Southern California7 responses to “A Better Metric for Strong Leadership”
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David
My husband and I are currently working for a company with leaders who exemplify what you describe here: leaders possessing “extreme personal humility with intense professional will.” It is amazing to work for them. They are incredibly generous with their people, intentional about having fun (their parties help employees engage one another), and are open to explore new ways of doing things. It is refreshing to be apart of this company and this company’s culture! How would you say you are experiencing positive leadership currently (ministry context or otherwise)?
You reference this book in your blog:
Tim Irwin, Derailed: Five Lessons Learned from Catastrophic Failures of Leadership (NelsonFree) (HarperCollins Leadership, 2012), 30.
This looks like a great resource! Before I would order it on Amazon, would you have any comments that you would want to share first?
Kristy
Hey Kristy,
In regards to your second question, “would you have any comments that you would want to share first?” I honestly have no further comments other than “Get it!” and “It’s a fun read!” It has fascinating and memorable stories of poor leadership. We sometimes need examples of what NOT to do, don’t we?
For your first question, the positive leadership I have experienced recently has come from my previous boss whose role I am now serving in. He led the team with relationship, trust, and care. This is what I want to be as a leader for them.
My guy, how is it that your posts are always so well mapped and written AND always posted so early in the week? I’m wondering if you might share how your experience working with (or it seems “working under” could be more accurate) Kevin affected you and how it might have been different if he were instead an undefended leader?
Thank you Caleb! Your encouragement means the world to me my friend.
Fortunately for me, I served on a separate team from Kevin. But I had friends who worked under him, and it pained me every time they were run out of the ministry he led. If he were an undefended leader, he would have been receptive to feedback, more interested in elevating others, and listening more than talking. He did the opposite of these things.
Amen!! To call this a stellar post would be such an understatement. You nailed it with this example and I could not agree more that Jesus is the ultimate leader we need to follow, not “Kevin.” You brought life into one of my biggest complaints of the Church. If we are measuring “success” by worldly metrics, we are missing the point. If our focus is to entertain, fill seats, contributions, or sell tee-shirts, we do not have our priorities straight; and we certainly are not looking to the Bible or the Spirit for our guidance. People matter. Relationships. Being a Sheppard to the flock, regardless of the size. How often can a megachurch “leave the 99” and go after the lost soul? It is difficult to say the least. When numbers are high, and objectives are based on that type of “performance,” I think it is next to impossible to have the relationships with people that Jesus intended to have. Worse, if our priorities lie in worldly metrics, we will consciously or unconsciously be led to preach or speak in that frame of reference. This will undoubtedly take us away from what the Spirit has in mind for us. It reminds me of mapping examples Dr. Clark has spoken on, if our goal is not aligned with our Saviors goals, our path will have tribulation.
You have heard me say it o you in person but I cannot help but say it again in front of the entire cohort, you’re writing skills are impeccable and you have a true gift to illustrate your points. I look forward to hearing you preach one day. You are truly an inspiration. Well done!
Michael,
Thank you so much for the encouragement! Your words from our time in Cape Town have stuck with me and increased my confidence in writing.
Again, thank you my friend. Your words are a gift to me.
As always a favorite read!
David, when you picture yourself as a leader now how do you see yourself turning Kevin’s lemons into Lemonade?