Leadership – Infusing people not confusing people!
Leadership – Infusing people not confusing people!
November 13, 2014
The best book out the bunch for me thanks Jason Clark. I went over so many things that I am battling with as a leader in a church and in a denomination. I wanted to pick up on what Dave Young did but he did such a fantastic job I wont even go there. I was reading his blog and did not know it was him because of the picture he put up. Great job Dave. But I really loved what he bought out it could not have been bought out better. But as a pastor and leader we are always confronted with the reality that a lot of our denominations and churches are not always doing what they are doing for the sake of Christ or for the sake of developing other leaders. Some are just protecting their financial pot of gold and they don’t want anyone to come against it or speak against it. One of the things they come up with that amazes me is that they will put everything on the devil. They will steal money and say the devil is acting up when they are confronted for their mismanagement and lack of transparency. The devil did not use that money though. Another issue is numbers and to measure success is to measure by numbers. Well this is very grievous for a person who starts a church and struggles with it for years and don’t have the greatest of success in numbers. In this evaluation process their faithfulness, commitment, sacrifice, and dedication to Christ is completely devalued. I like what some of scholars like Weber, Barnard, and Selznick said regarding this. “These scholars were not concerned with leadership because the concepts to explain economic performance, but of its importance for infusing purpose into the lives of individuals.”[1]I have been in churches and with leaders who make my skin crawl because they promoted people not because of their superior performance but because they help them pay their bills. I understand how important paying your bills are but not at the expense of people. And then most of them really did not care about infusing people with purpose or importance as long as they pay tithe and attend their church what they turn out to be is not important. The more we know the more we are responsible for even if we turn a blind eye. God knows that you know and our conscience should be our Moses on Sinai!
Our job is about infusing people to help spread the gospel of Christ. If you can view this video of Myles Monroe before he died tragically in an airplane crash listen to what he says. I could not upload it but its on my Face Book page! Too many leaders don’t understand that what they do as leaders should never die with them it should go on without them. Jesus is the prime example of this. He had to go away so that we could do great things. Leaders who don’t train, prepare, equip, pour into others are not good leaders at all. They are more like demigods who are more concerned with infusing their pockets and personal agenda than equipping new leaders to lead the charge. There are too many different things to talk about in the Handbook of Leadership Theory and Practice and my dissertation will reflect many of the principles and ideas that Nohira’s and Khurana’s book details. I cant act like its not true and it is! God judges us for what we know and we don’t do. And ignorance is not a shelter either. You should know if you are a leader!
[1] Nitin Nohria and Rakesh Khurana, HandBook of Leadership Theory and Practice (Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation, 2010) 120-121 of 6889, (Nook Edition)
About the Author
Travis Biglow
Pastor of Victory Empowerment Center. Regional Chaplain High Desert Regional Center Graduates Azusa Pacific University. Licensed General Contractor B. I am the married with one daughter, two grandsons and one step son.15 responses to “Leadership – Infusing people not confusing people!”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Thanks brother! Powerful video by Myles Munroe. Thanks for posting it…I love when you said, “infusing people with purpose or importance.” I think one day you are going to be the type of leader Dave talked about in his post (you already are!). I know you have a heart for your denomination and I’m really looking forward to watching this process play out for you and read your dissertation.
Nick and Travis. I want to affirm that Nick. Travis I suspect that your denominational tribe is going to do one of two things with you by the time we’re done. Either embrace your perspective and move forward in transformation OR keep you pushed out to the margins because you force difficult conversations! Either way, keep your head up and keep speaking truth in love.
J
Thank you Jon,
I got saved and filled with the Holy Spirit in this denomination and it is a great one. I just want to develop a new model of leadership in it and by God’s grace it will happen.
John and Travis,
Unfortunately, it is true that many denominations don’t want to listen or change. I see the same focus – money. Money seems to be the root of much evil in churches that either have too much or too little. Many leaders have wrong priorities. Nohria and Khurana ask, “Will leadership largely be seen as a means of getting ahead, of gaining power, rather than of being understood as a serious professional calling with social responsibilities?” So many times, we can see church leaders focused on power, money or growth. It is typically obvious when they do not have a calling with social responsibility, yet church boards and membership still vote for them and allow them to practice. Often churches accept, encourage, and promote this type of leader. It begs the question…with this type of leadership so prevalent, what will the church of the future look like?
Handbook of Leadership Theory and Practice (Kindle Locations 112-113). Kindle Edition.
Hi Dawnel,
My exact concept. It is my vision and desire to do something about it in the corner of the world I am in. I pray that God would give me grace to go forward with a vision of transformation. I like the missional leadership concept and i will be implementing it in my denomination and with my church. I am asking God for grace to approach leadership in a respectful way but with real issues that plague our churches. I dont think its for everyone but it sure is for me. I wanted to just go non-denominational and who knows what the future holds. But i do love our church and change from with in to me now is the best antidote not getting out of it and pointing fingers at it!
God bless you Nick. I pray that we will all fulfill our destiny and utilize what we take away from this program to be a blessing in an ever changing world! Blessings!
“But as a pastor and leader we are always confronted with the reality that a lot of our denominations and churches are not always doing what they are doing for the sake of Christ or for the sake of developing other leaders.”
This is a great point, Travis. That is why it is so important to know whom we serve and to whom we are accountable. This is also the one who gives us the gifts that we need to lead. A truly godly leader is a leader no matter where they are or what they are doing. Whether or not there is a title of authority, a leader will still lead and inspire those whom God places around them.
Blessing Brian,
Leadership is a great task for us because we are in front. You are not supposed to have days you dont feeling like doing it. But we are humans too. I take leadership more serious because the implications are so great. I hope for more grace to do this great work Christ has give us to do!
Travis – the mark of a leader is the one who inspires others to continue on in the vision of what that leader offered. It’s more than a legacy…it’s a movement of some sort. Your words around the necessity to “pass it on” ring true in how I see the most effective leaders. They hold their influence in such a way that inspires, not controls. I remember someone asking me what I would miss most about leaving my ministerial position. I immediately said, “my authority in the role.” She looked back at me, and said, “Mary, God gives you the authority. You don’t need a position for that.” That’s what I hear you saying – rising to the call of God’s anointing by being faithful to God’s faithfulness.
God bless you Mary,
Leadership from my perspective has become a little easier because of what i think it takes to be a good leader. Being an example of what you believe more than just a teacher of what you believe. I take my ministry little by little because I want to get it before I teach someone else too. Trying to prepare myself spiritually and academically is two of the things i try to be an example in. Even though i dont have every thing down pact I am in motion to be better at it. I lead from this. Jesus was our example and he taught us with his words and his actions. I think action speaks louder than words but we need them both! Blessings
Travis,
We look inside and what do we see? Do we see a gapping hole? A hole that needs some prestige that comes from exercising power over others. Or is it a hole that needs the ‘bling’ and other stuff of this world, so I can be seen as successful. Will that hole finally be full if I when I get enough credentials, enough evidence that I’m smart.
Your post reminds me that we church leaders are so susceptible to all these temptations. A true leader looks inside and sees the greatest leader the world has ever seen. She wakes up and bends her knees and prays for help. Prays to reflect Him a little more each day.
Amen Dave, that is it. Looking inside is the key. Looking to Jesus the author and finisher of our faith is what leaders should do. Looking to him till the end and never becoming self sufficient or isolated from connection to him. Thank you Dave and i would have wrote on the same thing as you again. lol. Great blog
Travis, Nice post and I do think being a pastor involved at a denomination level or with many denominational interactions is a good seat to sit in when reading this book and find so many things that apply to “leadership” we experience. Your statement, “I have been in churches and with leaders who make my skin crawl because they promoted people not because of their superior performance but because they help them pay their bills.” exposes the battle of success and self-preservation and any cost. It is sad what human leaders will become when faced with greed and self-preservation. I really hope I have been and will continue to be the kind of leader who is selfless and sacrifices for the greater good readily when faced with a window of choice or all cards having to be played. Definitely a good way for us all to be praying to one another!!!
Amen Nick,
I think as leaders we should not get caught up in the world system when it comes to money. I think we should live within our means until God blesses us to do something else. Many preachers get over their head financially doing things that God did not tell them to do anyway. Recently two leaders in our church had to get rid of these big buildings they had purchased because they could not keep up with the payments. They did it out of trying to keep up with the Jones. This is why they will become so adamant about finances and who is paying. Who is important to them becomes who can help them keep up their image they want to portray. So sad! I had to preach in front of both of them and said, “The blessing of the Lord makes rich and adds no sorrow. If you cant sleep at night over your bills and what you have to pay, that might not be the blessing of the Lord that makes rich.” I did not even know that they were struggling with their bills. One of the leaders even said he had to go to the hospital for heart problems. We should not be that connected to anything in this world. That’s just my feelings!!!!!
Hear hear!
Or in the words of Travis Biglow… “halllllelllujah….”