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What does it take to be a very healthy leader over the long term?
Too many leaders become discouraged, exhausted, and defeated in the long run of their leadership. None of them intended to end up that way, but it happens when there is a lack of careful attention to important areas.
Although it appears that all leaders who succeed in the long term adopt common habits and practices that help them survive in leadership, the question can seem difficult to answer in practice.
Having worked as a church leader and led businesses for 20 years, I want to talk about 10 rich traits that successful leaders almost always have in common.
And conversely, leaders who lack most of these things typically fail to survive in a changing culture.
The good news is that if we pursue what is right in today's church culture, we can not only survive but thrive.
Here are 10 best practices that highly healthy leaders practice:
1. Find a few great friends who you can be 100% honest with.
Ministry is hard. Isolation is harder.
When transitioning a church (and we are all transitioning churches these days because change is so rapid) it is important to have a few people you can trust with whom you can be 100% honest.
You can't complain publicly or even privately about the situations you face with the people you lead. That's bad leadership.
You need a few people who understand and empathize with your situation, who will pray with you, and who will correct you (not always right, and your attitude will sometimes need to be adjusted).
In this regard, I usually find that I get along best with colleagues in other cities who have similar positions and responsibilities. They understand what I'm going through, and I can fill the same role for them.
2. Relationship with a leader who is one or two steps ahead
It's one thing to have a few friends you can be honest with, it's another to find a few leaders who are a step or two ahead of you.
The first group functions as friends and colleagues, and the second group functions as mentors.
You don't have to rely on a celebrity to lead. Too many leaders wait for the opportunity to be mentored by someone like Andy Stanley and then decide they can't settle for anything less.
What do you think? That will probably never happen. (That's one of the reasons I started the leadership podcast, because it allows you to get virtual mentoring from leaders like Andy, Perry, and Craig Groeschel. Best of all, it's free.)
But there’s nothing stopping you from finding a pastor or church leader who is a step or two ahead of you. Maybe you’re trying to break the 200-person attendance barrier, and they have a church of 300. Ask them to lunch and come with good questions and open notes.
Perhaps you want to lead more volunteers than you have managed so far. Find a ministry leader who is handling twice as many people as you and ask them to lunch. You will learn a lot.
Mentors are much closer to you than you think, and much more accessible than you think.
Mentors are much closer to you than you think, and much more accessible than you think. Share on X
3. Spend meaningful time with people who give you energy.
This group is not necessarily 100% honest people. They are not mentors. It's different.
This group is about people you've personally found. Energizing.
I often ask ministry leaders, “When was the last time you had dinner with a couple who left you feeling completely energized and recharged?”
The expressionless, shocked and disappointed looks on the leaders' faces tell the story.
We don't do this enough.
Ministry is giving. And because ministry is giving, it can be exhausting.
Your leadership is like a bank account. You can't give that much without going into the red. If you go into the red for too long, you go bankrupt.
Go find a friend Invigorate You. Then, let's play!
Leadership is like a bank account. If it is overdrawn for too long, it will go bankrupt. Share on X
4. A bullet-proof religious life routine
You entered the ministry because you loved Jesus. But so many leaders lose their love for Christ in the midst of their ministry.
Why is that?
Too often we destroy the ministry of Christ in us by doing the ministry of Christ.
The best way to keep your passion for Christ fresh and vibrant is to develop solid Christian habits.
Bulletproof means it should always be working, whether you're at home or traveling, busy or on vacation, at your most stressed or most relaxed.
My religious life routine is summarized here.
5. Exceptional clarity on when and how to say “no”
The enemy of great leadership is not a lack of opportunity, but an excess of opportunity.
The more successful you become, the more opportunities you will have. At first, it is tempting to say yes to everything. After all, you have been waiting your whole life for an opportunity to do something.
But saying “yes” to something good is likely to mean saying “no” to something potentially great.
Doing a few things very well is always more important than doing many things properly.
If you are having difficulties how Here are some guidelines I use when rejecting someone (which is most of the time):
But saying “yes” to something good is likely to mean saying “no” to something potentially great. Share on X
6. Regularly scheduled work hours
The problem with most of our jobs is that most of them are reactive unless we choose not to be.
Sometimes you spend all day answering emails, responding to messages, and attending meetings that you never called in to, only to realize at 6 p.m. that you haven't made any progress on your mission.
In the long run, this will ruin your ministry.
Realize that in post-Christian culture, momentum does not come naturally.
The most effective leaders always budget a significant amount of time to work. In ~ Their ministry is not limited to that ministry alone.
If you want to be more productive at work, here are seven things you should spend more time on starting this week.
The most effective leaders always budget significant time for their ministry, not just their ministry. Share on X
The challenge for many of us in church leadership is that we hear the same voices over and over again.
You have become a fan of a particular preacher or theologian, Only Read and listen.
I often learn the most from people who are least like me, so read books or listen to podcasts written by people with different backgrounds or worldviews than you.
Sometimes the answer to a problem may lie outside your field of study, not within it.
Sometimes the answer to a problem may lie outside your field of study, not within it. Share on X
8. A great marriage or healthy personal life
It is difficult to demonstrate good leadership in the workplace. and At home, usually one side suffers at the expense of the other.
Some people use all their energy at work and none at home, while others use all their energy in their personal lives and almost none at work.
As a result, married leaders who excel in the workplace often end up with less than ideal home lives… and singles who are wholeheartedly involved in ministry end up with much less personal lives. (I wrote about what I learned from my own marriage here.)
Neither scenario is good.
If you bring the same level of intentionality to your life that you bring to leadership, you will live a better life.
9. Hobbies that divert your mind
One of the challenges of leadership in ministry is that it requires both heart and mind, and great leaders always put their heart and mind into it.
That means it can be difficult to turn it off when it's time to go home.
I've talked to so many leaders, and most of them just can't seem to turn it off.
So having a hobby or something else to take your mind off work is one of the best things you can do.
What works? Anything that takes your mind off of your daily tasks. It could be biking, cooking, woodworking, hiking, art, watching movies. Anything that gives you a break.
10. Sufficient financial resources
If there's one thing the future will require, it's more sacrifice.
In an age where many church workers are underpaid and many hold multiple jobs, this may seem like a difficult task.
However, it is important to develop financial flexibility. Without it, you will be severely limited in how you respond to opportunities that lie ahead.
As church budgets struggle and governments inevitably take away tax breaks from churches and their employees, I believe we will need more leeway in the future than we have in the past.
The bottom line is this: the more leeway you have, the more opportunities you can seize.
The less leeway we have as individuals or as churches, the more often we miss such opportunities.
The more free time you have, the more opportunities you can seize. Share on X