In his book \u201eGood to great. Why some companies make the leap and others don\u2019t\u201c Jim Collins presents the results of an intensive research process. Joined by a large team, Collins studied why some average companies become major leaders and others fail. He looked at a period of 15 years and compared his selected companies with other strong companies on the market, which were successful, but couldn\u2019t make it to the top as a reverence group.<\/p>\n
Collins researches showed, that the most successful leaders could be characterized by their humility and a professional and strong will. After presenting the results, Collins presents the so called Level 5 Leadership Model. As one of the first steps of a successful leadership on level 5, he suggest to reflect on the potential team mates.<\/p>\n
\u00a0\u201eThe good-to-great leaders began the transformation by first getting the right people on the bus (and the wrong people off the bus) and then figured out where to drive it.\u201c (p. 63)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
This is where my heart broke.<\/p>\n
Last week I was on a training course for pastors. We worked about volunteer motivation, democratic structures in church like the church boards etc.<\/p>\n
And again and again, we came to a point, where pastor in the course complained about straining team members or elders in their congregations. \u201cIf XY weren\u2019t there, everything would be easier. He\/she destroys the whole process.\u201d<\/p>\n
If the church was a company, rated by standards, which Collins suggests, the annoying volunteer had to go, \u201cleave the bus,\u201d Collins calls it.<\/p>\n
I am happy that we have all people on the bus. The annoying, lazy, handicapped, unfriendly and unsuccessful, because it is not up to us, to kick them out.<\/p>\n
This is by no means, an invitation to half-heartedness and laziness in our congregations, its more a matter of grace and the reflection of \u201csimul iustus et peccator\u201d. The following example hopefully shows, what I mean.<\/p>\n
Nadia Bolz-Weber, Pastor of House for all sinners and saints is interviewed by Krista Tippet at Wild Goose Festival.<\/p>\n
I suggest to watch the whole video, because it is really awesome.<\/p>\n
If you just want the snippet I refer to, skip to 00:11:00.<\/p>\n
Seeing the Underside and Seeing God: Nadia Bolz-Weber with Krista Tippett at the Wild Goose Festival<\/a> from On Being<\/a> on Vimeo<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Nadia is open about all the people on her \u201cbus\u201d House for all sinners and saints\u201d and she shows how this mixed bus glorifies God, in this heterogeneous body of Christ in the Lutheran Liturgy. Skip to 00:25:00.<\/p>\n
Is Nadia\u2019s love for the liturgy and the way, she leads her congregation in the services something that Jim Collins would consider a humble leader full of humility? Wearing clergy, but sitting in a circle around the altar with all the other church members, having church members doing the readings and prayers and the pastor only being responsible for the sermon and the benediction?<\/p>\n
But how does this fit with the other standard, Jim Collins asks for: \u201cprofessional and strong will.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are anti-excellence and pro participation\u2026\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n
Pastor Nadia states. This destroys all the measurable qualitative and quantitative scales Collins would use, to rate Nadia Bolz-Weber and her congregation. I guess there is nothing to rate. Nadia is hardworking and a willfull woman (also in sports, by the way), but this is not what church is about. Churches \u201cwork\u201d different, than companies do. The success lies on a different level. The theological view comes from a different angle.<\/p>\n