Ron Edmondson is the co-pastor of Grace Community Church. He describes himself as “passionate about planting churches, helping established churches thrive, and assisting pastors and those in ministry think through leadership, strategy and life.” To learn more or to connect with Edmondson, read his blog, friend him on Facebook, or follow him on Twitter.
Recently, he blogged about the characteristics of antiquated leaders:
- Keeps people in a box…People won’t stick around in a box these days…they demand opportunities for growth…
- Controls information…Information is king, and these days people are used to having information available to them…Today’s leaders must be free with current information, including what’s stirring in the leader’s mind and where the organization is going.
- Enforces a waiting period on young leaders…Young leaders today want an opportunity to explore, take risks, and make an impact in the world…NOW…Successful leaders learn to tap into this energy.
- Assumes a paycheck is enough motivation…Today’s workforce demands to know they are doing good work, making a difference, and valued on the team…This has always been important, but it’s a necessity these days.
- Makes the work environment strictly business...The generation entering the new organizational world mixes business with pleasure. They want to enjoy their workplace environment…Today’s leaders must learn to celebrate along the way to success.
So What?
When leaders are out of touch with the way organizations function, they are unable to lead effectively. Just because a given technique worked a generation ago does not mean it still works now.
Make a list of your congregation’s pastoral and lay staff, leadership team, and other individuals responsible for overseeing specific ministries. For each leader, which, if any, of these tendencies have you noted? What type of training and/or mentoring can you offer to help people become aware of and move beyond these antiquated approaches?
If you are the senior pastor or a member of the senior/executive staff of your church, then you must be willing to seek out feedback from those who work closely with you. Are you willing to allow them to share their observations about your tendencies to utilize antiquated approaches?