So You Want to Lead – 3 - Revised

So You Want to Lead – 3 - Revised

Subject: Developing Leaders in the Church

by Rick Welborne

John 13:13-17 (NKJV)
¹³  You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am.
¹⁴  If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.
¹⁵  For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.
¹⁶  Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.
¹⁷  If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

I.  Introduction - John Maxwell’s Law of Influence

Maxwell - “The true measure of leadership is influence—nothing more, nothing less.”

II. Let’s Look at Ingredients to building Leadership Credibility or Influence

A. Character

B. Competence

--Malphur says that competence is the leader’s capability to perform well in a specific context, having the expertise and ability to get things done.

C. Clarity of Direction 

Kouzes and Posner in their book Credibility says, “We expect our leaders to have a sense of direction and a concern for the future of the organization.  Leaders must know where they are going. They must have a destination in mind when asking us to join them on a journey into the unknown.”

1. I often tell new people to come and talk to me about the direction of our church because I tell them that I would not get on a bus unless I knew where it was going.

2. Kouzes and Posner say that clarity of direction is only second to honesty when it comes to leadership credibility.

3. In the uncertain times that we live in people are looking for a clear direction or path to follow that will lead them to their desired destination.

4. All leaders, not just pastors, should be constantly seeking God for his direction in their homes, churches, and families.

Prov 3:56 (NKJV)

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; 

6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. 

5. The leader and the leadership board should give heartfelt consideration about the direction of the organization, define it, and communicate it clearly to those who choose to follow them.

6. When this happens...the confidence of the people grows while those who are following attribute competence to their leadership.

7. The church’s direction must be twofold. First, it consists of the church’s mission – what Christ has called us to accomplish throughout the world.  

8. The second direction must consist of the church’s vision.  Vision can be defined as a clear, challenging picture of the future of the church, as leaders believe that it can be and must be. 

9. The vision is what the Great Commission looks like when it is fleshed out by those who have believed and embraced it. The vision communicates not what is, but what could be.

10. It answers the question: What will it look like around here when our people become passionate about the Great Commission and making disciples.

Habakkuk 2:2-3 (NKJV)
²  Then the LORD answered me and said: "Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it.
³  For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry. 

D. An Ingredient to building Leadership Credibility or Influence is Communication.

–It is imperative that leaders keep their people regularly informed about what is taking place in their church, business, or family. 

–The members of any organization feel an inherent need to know what’s happening in the organization.  Informed people are trusting people. Uninformed people are suspicious people.

–If people suspect that the leadership is trying to keep something from them, they will not follow them.  Look at our governments and the outsider candidates right now.

–Qualifier - Children do not need to know everything going on in church or family as to do permanent damage to their relationship to God or loved ones...protect them.

–An important trust principle that pastors and boards should live by is open communication except in personal matters of confidentiality. 

–Christian leadership, at least a big part of it, is communication and, yet, there seems to be a feeling of not being totally informed.

–Tricia says we never have to worry about all our stuff at the Welborne house being known because it always comes out in a sermon somewhere! Oops!

–There are so many ways of getting information to people...video announcements, bulletins, e-mail, web-sites...the idea is to over inform so that your credibility is high.

–My professors over emphasized that too much information is better than too little...I wholeheartedly agree.  

E. An Ingredient to building Leadership Credibility or Influence is Conviction.

–One of the apparent needs in the church and other institutions is leadership with conviction.

–Anyone can get up and give a lecture or a speech but it is imperative that if we will have people follow us that we must communicate with conviction.

–The average speaker imparts information and that is important. The challenging speaker imparts information with such conviction that it engages the listener.

–There is something about conviction that engenders credibility and enhances your influence.  

–There is nothing more grueling than listening to an hour lecture from someone who has no love or conviction about which he is speaking.

Steven Bornstein and Anthony Smith - conviction is the passion and commitment a person demonstrates toward his or her vision. Thus, conviction consists of two key ingredients - passion and commitment.

–Unfortunately conviction has become, for the church and many leaders, a list of all the things we do not do so we can judge others for doing them.

Favorite Quote of Pastor Rick: We don’t smoke and we don’t chew...we don’t go with girls that do...we ain’t got no girlfriends!

–Conviction is not a list of the things we abstain from but it is a passion, a commitment to be pro-active for what is important to the Lord, His will.

–Passion is all about how deeply we care or how strongly we feel about our life or the vision God has given us.  Listen to Paul’s passion and conviction:

Acts 20:2224 (NLT)

22 "And now I am going to Jerusalem, drawn there irresistibly by the Holy Spirit, not knowing what awaits me, 

23 except that the Holy Spirit has told me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. 

24 But my life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about God's wonderful kindness and love. 

–The other side of conviction is commitment. Passion affects the emotions, whereas, commitment tends to be more rational. 

–It involves the leader’s conscious intentional investment of time and effort to be sure that a vision or cause is realized. The leader’s commitment signals what is important to that leader and what ultimately will get done.

–It says that the leader will be around for the long haul to accomplish the ministry goals. This invites credibility and expands his influence.

–Changing leaders every three years is almost a sure death to an organization’s growth because how can anyone connect to the vision when it changes every time the leader changes? 

F. An Ingredient to building Leadership Credibility or Influence is Courage.

Malphurs: Today’s fast and furious world has raised obstacles for leaders who desire to finish well: mind-boggling complexity, barren busyness, multiple options, overwhelming competition, relentless stress, and extreme risk. In addition to all this, a younger, increasingly cynical generation has replaced the more trusting Builder generation.

–Because of all this, expectations are very high for leaders and there are greater demands placed on them than in previous generations. 

–Courage supplies the strength to lead in these difficult circumstances, meaning that courageous leaders are strong and unlikely to quit. 

–The Scriptures have many examples of either a former leader or God Himself taking time to encourage the new leader...Moses and Joshua, David and Solomon, Paul and the leaders at the church in Corinth.

–Courage displays itself in leaders when they are willing to stand up for their beliefs in difficult situations, confront others, admit mistakes (be vulnerable), change their view when wrong, and not quit.

–The payoff is exceptional credibility and influence, because followers like what they see in courageous leaders.

Josh 1:69 (NLT)

6 "Be strong and courageous, for you will lead my people to possess all the land I swore to give their ancestors. 

7 Be strong and very courageous. Obey all the laws Moses gave you. Do not turn away from them, and you will be successful in everything you do. 

8 Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed. 

9 I command you—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."  

–Three reasons why Joshua and leaders should be courageous:

The Providence of God (6) - Joshua was God’s choice for the mission.

The Provision of God (7-8) - His Word, His Law, His Book.

The Presence of God (9) - The Lord will be with you wherever you go!

–The assurance of His providence, provision, and presence with each of His servants means that we can courageously carry out our service to Him.