Courageous Leadership in Complicated Times
What does it take to lead well through change and crisis? What sorts of tools does a leader need in their tool belt when facing the tumultuous world in front of us today?
Annabel Beerel’s text on various leadership theories, their values, and limits, was insightful and helpful. The clear and easy layout of the text made the various parts of her work accessible and will be a great resource to explore further in the future. As I read her book, I started to notice which types of leadership I was drawn to and why that might be. I’ve always been interested in leadership in systems and neuroscience, but what drew me to this particular moment in time was “Leadership and Decision-Making.” I think part of the reason for this is a sense that we’re in a new age and era, not just as a global world, but in the church. Dr. Clark has often said that we are at an ‘epochal’ moment in human history, and while I tend to be dramatic, I would agree. The question then, is, what sort of leader is needed for such a time as this? In my context in the life and leadership in the church, what sort of leader can help faith communities navigate the complexities of the world.
I was struck the past few Sundays by the dramatic swing of attendance in our congregation for our Sunday morning worship. One Sunday, the building was full, the next we saw a 40% decrease in attendance from the week before. This was a stark reminder that the nature of church engagement and how people view it is constantly changing and needs to be assessed in faith communities. So, this post is really a space for me to process what is happening in my environment with Beerel’s book as a map.
In her text she talks about the ability of leaders to lead well in the context of crisis and uncertainty in in various ways. She states that,
“Leaders of today need to have the courage to stay in the confusion and uncertainty and not let their brain’s need for answers and surety sway them into a quick-fix, linear, data-driven conclusions. Courage is also needed to be prepared to unlearn old strategies, not to try to control outcomes, and to be vulnerable to failure and not knowing. Courage and humility are essential decision-making ingredients.”[1]
I’d like to further explore her list of three things to embrace courageously as leaders in uncertain times:
Unlearn Old Strategies
“That’s the way we’ve always done it,” was a constant refrain when I stepped into a lead pastor role with a church in transition twelve years ago. It was a phrase that people said as a way to acknowledge that I was questioning the effectiveness of what they had done. Often I would try to ask questions about the why behind these strategies or ministries and seek to understand them. Its difficult to unlearn what you don’t realize you know. Beerel suggests that, “Unlearning must become a specific conscious effort in generating new learning.”[2] Learning to ask questions about familiar strategies and look for other ways of doing things will help open up stuck thinking systems.
Not Try to Control Outcomes
This may be the hardest one for leaders (or at least for me) because so much of our success as leaders can be defined in what we get done. This drive to perform or produce can easily lead to a desire to control the outcome. As I reflected on the past few weeks in our worship gatherings, I’ve noticed that I’ve taken more responsibility in the services than normal without really processing the reason why. Is it because of the uncertainty I feel in the swing of Sunday morning attendance? There is a TON of great stuff happening in our church and lots of capable leaders. I need to refocus on the value of raising up new leaders and letting go of the need to control outcomes. Letting go of outcomes can be done if we remember our values and goals as a leader. One of mine is the raising up of young leaders. Barna president David Kinnaman found that young adults, “…want the church to be a laboratory for leadership, not just a place for spirituality. They want their faith to intersect the realities of life and, as budding Christian leaders, they want to address real life issues.”[3] Reflecting a open handed leadership style is key to being an adaptive leader and making room for others to learn, fail and grow is crucial in finding new ways forward in complex times such as these.
Be Vulnerable to Failure and Not Knowing
I’ve appreciated Dr. Clark’s post on Crisis and Opportunity and the integration of thinking and feeling in complex world. He states that, “Learning to think well is not about leaving emotions and moods at the door but rather about effectively regulating the affective as an integrated dimension alongside critical thinking.”[4] I think that part of the ability of letting go and abandoning outcomes stems from a willingness to fail and an honesty in now knowing the answers all the time. I used to think that strategic leadership meant predicting the future and executing it. Now, I think its more about gathering the right people to wrestle with the right questions.
I’m really not sure how to respond to the dramatic swings of worship attendance and changing ways people are engaging in the life of our church. However, I know its time to gather some of humble and thoughtful leaders, ask the hard questions and wrestle with this together. Beerel’s critiques on leadership theories and their applications for today have been extremely helpful in equipping me with the tools and questions needed to lead well in my church, and in our complex world, for the sake of God’s Kingdom coming one earth as it is in heaven. Which of these is hardest for you to implement? Why might that be?
[1] Beerel, Annabel. Rethinking Leadership: A Critique of Contemporary Theories. 158.
[2] Ibid. 158.
[3] Young Adults See Leadership Crisis in Society, Lack of Opportunities at Church – Lifeway Research
[4] Dr. Jason Clark. [Crisis and Opportunity: How affective is your leadership?](https://www.affectiveleadership.net/p/crisis-and-opportunity-how-affective?r=4wl32u&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web)
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