Pastoral Leadership Challenge

Being a pastor is possibly the most challenging job in the world.  For example, the baby boomers are now beginning to retire and they leaving the church in large numbers.  Perhaps they are bored, or maybe they are just tired.  Their kids are rejecting the church as well, or at least the kind of church their parents enjoyed.

Another explanation for pastoral angst may be seen in the basic dysfunction of the church.  Many members today are the latchkey kids of yesterday, coming home to empty houses and disconnected family.  Members with this kind of broken background now make up much of the congregational constituency.  Thom Rainer, a church growth consultant and expert, wrote that some churches are downright vicious.  This means that all pastors face a possible force powerful enough to painfully touch both them and their families.

With that said, pastors also share some of the blame for the increased challenges.  While a pastor is initially judged by his preaching skills, he is ultimately judged by his people skills.  Most congregants enjoy a well presented message from a talented speaker, but evidence points to the fact that people do not want talent only.  They look also for leadership skill and the people-ability to get along.  Congregants want a pastor who has both powerful sermon delivery and acceptable leadership proficiency.

Is this possible?  Can ministry leaders possess both verbal communication ability and stellar leadership acuity?  The answer is most definitely yes.

To do this, the minister needs to accept several facts.  First, preaching and leadership is not about talent.  In fact, talent is way overrated.  How many “talented” people have we all known who have failed miserably?  Barry Bonds is the champion home run hitter of all time.  Yet, Bond’s career will be forever remembered by a steroid scandal.

In the political world, President Bill Clinton has been considered to be one of the greatest public speakers of all time.  Yet, Clinton’s legacy will always be tainted by the Monica Lewinski affair.  And none of us will ever forget the infamous O. J. Simpson.  Considered to be one of the best Heisman Trophy winning athletes ever, Simpson will most likely spend the rest of his life with the reputation that he is a killer that got away.

I assert again: talent is overrated.

A second reality for pastors is to understand that preaching and leadership is about practice.  Practice makes perfect, as they say.  A high school coach was once asked how many hours a day his team practiced.  He reported that the team practices two hours everyday.  When asked if the team was improving, he reported that his team experienced only limited progress.  When asked how his team could improve, his reply was more practice.

In my experience, very few pastors think critically and intentionally about their sermon delivery and their leadership acuity.  Yet, most of the people that attend their churches are judging them weekly based upon both those two actions.

            I wish it were true that in the church people do not look for weaknesses in leadership, that all people are kind and sympathetic.  The reality is that some people look for weaknesses in pastoral leadership and will exploit them if given the opportunity.  Most pastors can learn to achieve great success by practicing the right leadership behaviors.  Working on both what to do (hard skills) and what to be (soft skills) is imperative if the pastor-leader desires to move from good to steller.
            Peak Living coaches pastoral leaders to accomplish steller results.  The question is, what are pastors doing to grow and succeed?  How can pastors do better this year, this month, this week or this day?  The answer is more practice - thinking and acting intentionally on doing right things, doing things right, and objectively evaluating the results.