Leadership-Style Envy
Accept the way God designed us as leaders, even when those styles don’t get much attention.
I’ve taken leadership tests and evaluations in the past, so I know how they usually work. They shape a better understanding of our strengths and weaknesses, giving us a boost of encouragement in the areas where we do well, and dispensing a healthy dose of reality in the areas where we lag. But they shouldn’t typecast us. Just because I rate strongly as an administrative leader one day doesn’t mean I can’t be called to become a visionary leader the next. Assessments merely provide guidance; they do not cement our destiny.
Yet I can't help but read into results. It's just my nature, and I suspect it's the same way for a lot of other people. The descriptions and rating criteria for this particular assessment were based on a Leadership journal article written several years ago by Bill Hybels, Willow Creek Community Church’s founding and senior pastor. It isn’t scientific, nor is it meant to be, but I respect the veteran perspective Hybels brings to any discussion on leadership. I feel reasonably good about the insightfulness of this assessment’s results.
Which brings me to my reaction: I scored strongest as an encouraging leader.
While it wasn’t a surprise—in a recent Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, my personality almost perfectly fits the traits of Hybels’s encouraging leader—it was a disappointment. Big time. At first, anyway.
Here’s why: In terms of the leadership landscape, my style is a lot less sexy than others. When is the last time you saw—in a secular or Christian setting—a best-selling book focused on the effective practices of the encouraging leader? The irrefutable laws of encouragement leadership? Better yet, try to think of a book written by a well-renowned leader best known for their encouragement savvy?
They’re not out there, and if they are, I’ve missed them. The leadership “industry” of the past 30 years has paid most of its attention to the visionary leaders, the entrepreneurial leaders, the ones who blaze new trails, take new risks, and lead people to successful, unprecedented heights.
Encouragement is always considered an attribute of a leader on the road to that success, but rarely, if ever, is it portrayed as the dominant one. In most of the prevailing writing and discussion, encouragement gets listed as one trait among many, one tool on the toolbelt of the visionary or entrepreneur. We don’t see it portrayed the other way around—an encouraging leader who uses the tools of vision or entrepreneurship to guide a team or organization to success.
That’s why I initially reacted with a tinge of disgust to my assessment’s results. Encouragement? It sounds so passive. The industry says it’s visionaries, entrepreneurs, and risk-takers who get the jobs done, and move on to bigger and better things. Not encouragers. They might be on a leadership team, but they stand on the sidelines, cheering on the visionary leader at the helm.
I stewed on this for a while. And then that still, small voice whispered to me. Who cares what the industry says? What am I telling you to do?
As I looked deeper, I was reminded of the powerful role encouragement played to Paul and those around him during his conversion in Acts 9. I thought of Romans 12, the oft-quoted passage about the very important gifts in the body of Christ (including encouragement, in Romans 12:8), and how no one gift ranks higher than another.
These thoughts not only helped settle my mind, but they also reinvigorated my confidence. As I reflect on my leadership traits, I really do thrive as a leader when I know I pour into those I’m leading. I like knowing they are challenged to accomplish our bigger goals. I like giving the occasional loving kick in the pants when something needs to get done. And I often feel a deep, inner satisfaction—a confirmation from the Holy Spirit, I believe—whenever I provide the encouraging word or note that gives them that last little edge to complete the job.
I really value relationships; it means a lot to me to personally thank people when they help my team or me. Why succeed if we steamroll people in the process? It only matters if we accomplish our goals, while seeing to it that those who help with that success find themselves drawn closer to God—or ministered to because they saw God in action by the way we treated them.
I can cast vision; I can take risks; I can manage a project and see things through to completion. But I know my strongest leadership style is to encourage, boosting the team to get the job done while using those other leadership styles as tools on my toolbelt.
So if you’re not a visionary or an entrepreneur, or you find yourself lost amidst the seemingly unending parade of leadership books and resources explaining how to lead as a visionary or entrepreneur, then take heart. There are others out there feeling the same way. Pay close attention to why your style fits you. Disregard what you think the industry tells you to be. Embrace the way God designed you as a leader.
Tags used in this post:
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://blog.christianitytoday.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/754
Comments
Thanks for the thoughts Matt. The subject of encouragement always makes me think of Romans 15:13.
And you were just prayed for...
Camey
Posted by: Camey | November 20, 2007 3:56 PM
What do you think of the Situational Leadership model that has been around since 1969, where Hersey and Blanchard propose that a person (leader) can change his/her behavior to fit the needs of the follower? Thus the leader is not bound by one style but adapts to the situation and thus can be the kind of leader needed for the challenge.
Personally I believe that since we human beings are created in the image of God, who while unchanging in His character, adapts to what we need and acts to develop each of us to conform to Him. Thus as His image bearers, we too can adapt to accomplish the task before us.
We do that as parents - we do not always behave in the same manner towards our child.
Shalom
Junias
Posted by: Junias | November 22, 2007 7:38 AM
If it weren't for Barnabas, the early church would have gotten a much rockier beginning. Barnabas the encourager helped strong personalities value one another and got Paul's ministry off to a good start. Not a lot of earthly glory, but notice how crucial he is.
Often, visionary leaders have deep bouts of discouragement and doubt. Admin leaders have times of fatigue and feeling unappreciated with all problems being blamed on them. Prophetic leaders often feel persecuted and ignored. It's the encouraging leaders who smooth the way for the Holy Spirit to minister to all the rest.
Posted by: Kathleen Miller | November 23, 2007 9:24 AM
Matt,
I want to thank you for this article. It speaks volumes to me. I work in a government organization overseas and I highly encourage my staff and others to do their job. I believe wholeheartedly the encouragement equips them to do their job better. It motivates them knowing that they have the full support of their supervisor. I must admit that I have recently ordered a few leadership books thinking that I should be using a certain model. But you said it correctly, God knows us. He knows what we were created to me. We were made in His image. I think of Moses when he was asked to go before Pharaoh. He didn't want to go because he didn't feel confident to speak to a crowd and lead people. God assured him that he would support him. That alone assures me that encouragement is not a passive trait but a necessary one to do the will of God to lead the organizations that we do.
Thank you again and God Bless.
James
Posted by: James | November 23, 2007 11:37 PM
For those of us who are in the pew, out in the everyday world taking Jesus to those outside of the church, you are exactly the kind of pastor I want to follow. I, too, am tired of men building their careers and egos on the backs of their fellow believers.
Posted by: trisha | November 24, 2007 1:20 PM
Junias,
I think different circumstances call for different leadership styles from a leader. But a leader who doesn't recognize their strongest style won't be successful if they choose to ignore that strength and attempt to lead as something they are not. In other words, vision may be the required style for a certain situation, but if a leader puts their encouraging style on hold to place all of their attention on vision, then the people around them will see through it.
The even bigger problem I see, though, is that most leadership dialogue today (books, conferences, and so on, in both secular and Christian settings) operates from the assumption that no matter the circumstance, the answer is a visionary/entrepreneurial/risk-taking leader at the helm. I disagree. We need people strong in the areas of administration, encouragement, management, and so on, who can use the right leadership tool at the right time, but never let up with the style in which God created them.
Blessings,
Matt
Posted by: Matt Branaugh | November 24, 2007 3:51 PM
I think we need to lead in teams of leaders who have different styles and consequent strengths. A good leader knows it takes a team including administrator, visionary, encourager, trail blazer, strategist, and manager. A secure leader knows they don't have all the skills and strengths necessary and will surround themselves with a team that compliments their style and weaknesses. It takes a team to succeed; not just a leader. Yes we need to know the vision and how we're going to get there; but we need a strategy that won't waste time, money or energy. We need an encourager to keep people going toward the goal and an administrator to keep track of details and progress. So, no matter where you are on the team and who gets the credit; be true to yourself and lead in your strength instead of trying to be all things and weaken the team. Play your strength and strengthen the team.
Posted by: Angela C | November 24, 2007 7:26 PM
You mentioned that you didn't know of any leadership books which emphasize encouragement. Here are a two off the top of my head:
"Encouraging the Heart" by Kouzes and Posner -- a follow-up to their bestselling book, "The Leadership Challenge" -- written specifically because most leaders do not take encouragement seriously enough. ("The Leadership Challenge" includes a significant section on encouragement as well.)
"The One-Minute Manager" by Blanchard -- His "one-minute praising" require leaders with gifts of encouragement.
"The Art of Pastoring" by David Hansen -- a lyrically beautiful book which shows, rather than tells, how encouragement gifts shape gifts in vision and shepherding.,
And of course, an entire industry exists to provide encouragement/rewards for people in the corporate world.
Posted by: Greg Jao | November 25, 2007 7:51 PM
Greg--Thanks for the leads on the books. "The Art of Pastoring," sounds the most promising.
Matt
Posted by: Matt Branaugh | November 25, 2007 11:10 PM
Good article. I appreciate your honesty. We must remember that God created and fashioned us exactly the way He envisioned us, having exactly what He purposed us to have. No mistakes. I find being an encourager in this day, is one of the most needful positions the Kingdom requires.
We all have a purpose for our lives. Forget about the the fads of the day. God's purpose for us is timeless.
Be encouraged.
David
Posted by: David | November 26, 2007 11:15 AM