Have you given much thought about being a leader? In all reality, we are ALL leaders, whether it is in the confines of our families, our jobs, our church, our small groups, or even our self...we are all leaders. So, the question is not, "Are you a leader?" the real question is, "What is your leadership style?"
Billy Hybels speaks of leadership styles in his book Courageous Leadership. Garry Wills also wrote an insightful book called A Certain Trumpet in which he describes different leadership styles and theorizes that, certain leaders have had unusually high impact because their particular style of leadership meshed perfectly with a specific need in society.
For example, he states that when a certain segment of society needs to break free from a yoke of oppression, a radical leader is called for--a transforming leader. In American culture, Harriet Tubman was such a leader. As a runaway slave, she became one of the most active guides, or "conductors," for the Underground Railroad. Respectfully known as "Moses," she had great impact because her style of leading met a society's need for a leader daring enough to embrace the goal of liberation.
With that being said, let me ask once again, "What is your leadership style?" The church is no exception when it comes to leadership. After observing church leaders for many years, I am convinced that different leaders often lead with dramatically different styles; and I am convinced that certain leadership styles fit better than others with specific needs. Highly effective church leaders often have impact not only because they are highly gifted but also because their leadership styles mesh perfectly with specific ministry needs. It follows then that discovering and developing unique leadership styles is another major key to effective leadership.
Below is a list of different leadership styles. As you read them, I would like to challenge you to try to identify your leadership style and the styles of other members on your leadership team. Then consider how you and your team members might have even greater impact by matching your particular styles with specific leadership needs in your church.
1. The VISIONARY Leadership Style
This leader has a crystal clear vision in mind of what the future could hold. Such a leader casts powerful visions and has enthusiasm beyond measure for turning those visions into reality.
Visionary leaders shamelessly appeal to anybody and everybody to get on board with their vision. They talk it, write about it, and burn white-hot for it themselves. They are idealistic, faith-filled leaders who wholeheartedly believe that if they case their vising clearly enough and often enough it will become a reality. They are not easily discouraged or deterred.
In short...they carry the vision, they cast the vision, they draw people into the vision, and they will die trying to fulfill the vision!
2. The DIRECTIONAL Leadership Style
This leader does not get much press, but he is extremely important. The strength of this leader is his/her uncanny, God-given ability to choose the right path for an organization as it approaches critical intersections.
This style of leadership is extremely important because mistakes at key intersections can wreck organizations.
3. The STRATEGIC Leadership Style
These leaders have the God-given ability to take an exciting vision and break it down into a series of sequential, achievable steps. This gift of leadership allows an organization to march intentionally toward the actualization of its mission.
Visions excite people. They inspire people. They compel people into action. But unless people eventually see progress toward the fulfillment of the vision they will conclude that the vision caster is just a dreamer bowing smoke, and their morally will plummet. That is why the strategic leader is so vitally important.
Every church and organization needs someone who provides this critical strategic component to the leadership team.
4. The MANAGING Leadership Style
According to some leadership literature, the term "managing leader" is an oxymoron. That is because some leadership experts draw careful distinctions between what managers do and what leaders do. It is often said that "leaders do right things, while managers do things right." When referring to a managing leadership style I am describing a leader who has the ability to organize people, processes, and resources to achieve a mission.
The managing leader gets all excited about bringing order out of chaos. He or she finds deep satisfaction in monitoring and fine-tuning a process, and motivates team members by establishing appropriate mile markers on the road to the destination.
Managing leaders seldom captivate attention as do those who give the inspiring vision talks or make critical decision or put strategic plans in place; but in the day-to-day operational world, someone has to manage people and progress to move the organization toward its goal.
5. The MOTIVATIONAL Leadership Style
These are the modern day Vince Lombardis. The motivational leader has God-given ability to keep their teammates fired up. They are on the constant lookout for "sagging shoulders and dull eyes," and they move quickly to inject the right kind of inspiration into those who need it most.
Motivational leaders realize that even the best teammates get tired and lose focus. Therefore, these leaders don't get bitter or vengeful when morale sinks. They view it as an opportunity to dream of new ways to inspire and lift the spirits of everyone on the team.
If you are this kind of leader, don't ever underestimate what your bring to your team. God has given you a special ability...use it!
6. The SHEPHERDING Leadership Style
The shepherding leader is a man or woman that builds a team slowly, loves team members deeply, nurtures them gently, supports them consistently, listens to them patiently, and prays for them diligently. This kind of leader draws team members into such a rich community experience that their hearts begin to overflow with good will that energizes them for achieving their mission.
While visionary leaders tend to attract people because of the compelling nature of their cause, shepherding leaders tend to draw people together almost regardless of their cause. Do not underestimate the value of this leader. Respect what they bring to the team because what they bring to the table may make a huge difference on whether the vision ever becomes a reality.
7. The TEAM-BUILDING Leadership Style
The team-building leader knows the vision and understands how to achieve it, but at the same time realizes that it will take a team of leaders and workers to accomplish the goal. Team-builders have a supernatural insight into people that allows them to successfully find and develop the right people with the right abilities, the right character, and the right chemistry with other team members. The good team-builders know how to put these people into the right positions for the right reasons, thus freeing them to produce the right results.
Finding the right people to do the right things consistent with their best skills is the hallmark of the team-building leadership style.
8. The ENTREPRENEURIAL Leadership Style
This leadership style has a unique twist. Entrepreneurial leaders may possess any of the other leadership styles, but what distinguishes these leaders from the others is that they function optimally in start-up mode. If these leaders cannot regularly give birth to something new they begin to lose energy. Once a venture is up and operational, once the effort requires steady ongoing management, once things get complicated and require endless discussions about policies, systems, and controls, then most entrepreneurial leaders lose enthusiasm, focus, and sometimes confidence. At that point, they start looking over the fence and wondering if it might be time to start something new.
These leaders may not stay on your team forever, but how the kingdom would be diminished if entrepreneurial leaders stopped dreaming new dreams and starting new ventures.
9. The REENGINEERING Leadership Style
While entrepreneurial leaders like to start new endeavors, reengineering leaders are at their best in turn-around environments. These leaders are gifted by God to thrive on the challenge of taking a troubled situation--a team that has lost its vision, a ministry where people are in the wrong positions, a department trying to move forward without a strategy--and turning it around. This leader says, "This is my lucky day. I get to start reengineering this mess!"
These leaders love to patch it up, tune it up, and revitalize hurting departments or organizations. But once everything is back on track and operating smoothly, these leaders may or may not be motivated to stay engaged.
10. The BRIDGE-BUILDING Leadership Style
While Garry Wills calls this the electoral or political style, Bill Hybels refers to this style as the bridge-building style. This leader makes important contributions to large organizations such as parachurch ministries, denominations, and educational institutions because they have the unique ability to bring together under a single leadership umbrella a wide range of constituent groups. This enable a complex organization to stay focused on a single mission.
The unique gift that bridge-building leaders bring to the team is enormous flexibility. They are diplomats who possess a supernaturally inspired ability to compromise and negotiate. They are spiritually gifted to listen, understand, and think outside the box. But above everything else, bridge-builders love the challenge of relating to diverse groups of people.
Dealing with complexity is a bridge-building leader's forte. Large organizations must be lead by such leaders.
Have you discovered your leadership style? I would love to hear any comments from you regarding these different styles. Go ahead. Click on the comments link below and let me hear what you are thinking.
Does leading 2 & 3 year olds count? I feel much more like a servant/encourager/cheerleader than a leader. I can easily recognize the leadership style I see in others, but I don't see one that I feel bold enough to claim!
Posted by: Kim Webb | March 14, 2006 at 06:29 PM