LEADERSHIP REALLY MATTERS
ANNE BOSARGE
REV. JAY HANSON
The author of numerous incredible books, Henry Cloud has become one of my go-to authors and I try to read everything he writes. Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with him and take some notes as he shared with a small group of pastors. The following are a few of my notes from his sharing:
1. Stay Replenished.To stay in ministry you need to make sure your soul stays replenished.
Your Tank Level - When pain and disappointment come_
Full - Can take the hit with little problem
¾ - Notice the pain but doing okay
½ - That hurt
¼ - That hurt A LOT!
Empty - I can’t take this. I quit
Find the things that fill up your soul and make sure you are doing them enough to keep your tank full. Especially during seasons when you have to do a lot of things that drain you.
2. Leadership matters, A LOT! An improvement in leadership improves everything. This is why your role of developing leaders is so crucial to your congregation. The work you are doing as a pastor to develop leaders is very important. In fact, it might be the most important thing you do.
3. The BIG Question. Every one of us is hard wired to constantly ask one huge question. It constantly lies just below the surface in every conversation and lurks just out of sight in every situation. “Am I safe?” All of us are always asking that question. When you are attempting to lead people forward, especially into uncharted waters, you must give them an answer to this core question before any real progress can be made.
4. Trust Trust fuels investment. People invest in what they trust. If you what people to be fully invested you have to help them understand you are completely trustworthy.
The anatomy of trust:
A. Connection – people must believe
you understand them.
B. Motive – people must know
you are for them.
C. Competency – people need to know
you have the skill to do the job.
D. Character – people want to see a
consistency in your life.
E. Track Record – people look at your
past experience to predict probable future patterns.
5. Accountability Accountability is not about the past. It is all about the future. It is about fixing what is broken so that in the future it will be as it should be.
Accountability requires:
A. Clear, mutually agreed-upon expectations.
B. Regular monitoring of the process.
C. Defining “done” – what qualifies as completed.
D. Rule for the road – how do we relate during the process? Who does what? Who is responsible for what?
E. What happens next? What is the next step? If it is “done,” what happens, and if it is “not done,” what happens? What are the outcomes, consequences, etc.?
I hope you find these insights as helpful as I have. If they sparked any thoughts or if you would like to discuss them more fully, please email at
jay@thehapelbrunswick.com.
Rev. Jay Hanson serves as Lead Pastor at The Chapel Ministries in Brunswick.
