Madison’s Question to Matthew: What lessons about leadership did you learn in 2018?

What a great question. And, as someone who likes to reflect, it was good to have this question put before me to ponder. Some of these items are simply validations of things I knew but were emphasized again. Others become even more entrenched in my beliefs about leadership. So, in no particular order, here is what I thought of with respect to leadership looking back on 2018.

1) Keep asking for commitment, it’s not your job to say no for someone. How important this is. Far too often, in speaking with others about who we should approach for a certain task, they assume that the person we are considering will say no and then give the reason they believe the person will give. I don’t know why we choose to respond for someone who isn’t even in the room. Our role as leaders is to select who be believe is best suited for a role, ask them to take it on, and then let them decide whether or not to do it.

2) Make the tough decisions, it’s the leader’s job. Scary at times, yet always true. A leader is a leader to make decisions. To choose one path over another. To decide to stop doing something. To allocate resources into areas to fulfill a vision and as such choose not to fund something else. To know when someone needs to be moved out of a role and make that happen, to not let fear guide your decisions. Everyone has ideas and opinions, only leaders have the strength to make the final call.

3) There is a big difference between management and leadership. This relates in some ways to point 2. Many managers like to think of themselves as leaders, when in reality they are managers. They are critically important for any organization. However, a manager is ensuring a specific aspect of the mission is being implemented – they have been given the box to work in, the boundaries, now they implement. Yes, there are aspects of leadership within that, yet too often people want to use the title of leadership but not carry the weight of leadership. Perhaps I’m slicing hairs – in my mind, there is a difference.

4) Visionary, versus Operator versus Processor – I read an amazing book in 2018 called The Synergist. In it, the author outlined the three types of people in any organization – Visionaries, Operators, and Processors. All are needed to make an organization last and flourish, yet each person needs to be fully aware of their tendencies. Additionally, he argued that everyone needs to become a Synergist – to put the needs of the organization ahead of their tendencies, recognizing that there are opportunities for all three types to play a role. It gave me new language to engage with my team and an understanding of some next steps for us to move forward. I highly recommend this book for all leaders.

5) Engage veteran leaders in retirement. This has been a fun new initiative for me. I am in conversation with a number of retirees and soon to be retirees who want to work at our church, 1-3 days a week. They don’t need to be paid, but want to bring their skills developed during their career to enhance the life of the church. How amazing these conversations have been with one person already coming on staff. As a leader, I need to be open to all means to accomplish the mission set before us. Think “outside the box”.

6) You will always be misunderstood – get used to it. Stating the obvious for many leaders. This goes along with point 2. Yet I need to keep reminding myself of this. Every decision I make will enthrall some and disappoint others, it’s the nature of leadership. I have given vision presentations during a service and I’ll receive accolades from some and disappointed emails from others. Do what you believe you are called to do and let the chips fall where they may.

7) Always love, don’t let bitterness get a hold of you in any way. This relates to 6. I can only control my response. In the past I have let bitterness creep in. It is no fun. In 2018, more often than not, I have allowed myself to love and care for those who are frustrated and angry with me. I assume that they are really good people, that their frustration comes from another place, not me. I try to learn what I can, but choose to think the best of them and show them love as best as they will allow me to. It makes all the difference.

8) Decisions that you implement sometimes take a lot of time to see the fruit. In 2018 I was able to experience the beauty of this. Decisions I was called on to make in 2016 are now showing the results, and the results are good. But to wait 18-24 months to see the benefits of a decision can be painful. And you can second guess the decision as it takes time to gain momentum. During the time of waiting, you need to continually remind yourself that you made the correct decision based on the information you had available at that time. Trust your insight, and trust that God was guiding you in the process.

8) When you have momentum, it is a lot of fun to lead. Wow, is this the truth. I am privileged to be leading in a season of momentum. It took us 3+ years to get here, but we are here. The key will be to not rest in this season but to continue to lean into it. Yet it sure is fun when you can see the blessings of past decisions that have led to this particular season. The team is engaged and excited, their confidence is high, and the church is feeling like they are growing and making a difference.

So, that is what I have learned about leadership looking back on 2018. How about you?

For the kingdom.