Eight Questions Every Leader Needs to Answer - Part Two

5.  Am I looking forward and into the future? Or am I a "come weal or woe, our status is quo" type person? Do you believe your ministry or organization's best days are behind or ahead of you? One thing I am finding out about myself is that I have to constantly fight - and I mean fight - to stay hungry and forward looking. It's too easy to grow comfortable, fat, happy, and sassy in certain season's of life and ministry. The comfort of the familiar is life-threatening. "Every old and stale thing you want to do away with in your church was once a good and fresh idea. Eventually your great and new ideas will grow and stale too." (Greg Surratt) I have to be willing to embrace the new, fresh, and untried.

 

6.  Do I possess a "can-do" attitude? I once heard of a staff member who said he felt it was his role to tell the team why stuff they dreamed about couldn't or wouldn't work. (Note to employers here: NEVER hire Eeyore!) How do you respond to new ideas? To "outside-of-the-box" thinking? Does it energize or threaten you? Pessimism is not a spiritual gift; it drains people and teams. And last time I checked God loves to do the impossible!

7.  Am I willing to be vulnerable and transparent? Okay, I'll be open and transparent right now: I have a hard time being open and transparent. (There: I said it...whew!) One of the hardest things I've done recently in this regard was to ask our staff, "What's something I am doing that you wished I wouldn't do?" They were kind to me, but some answers came, uh, rather quickly. And it wasn't as bad as I feared. And team members generally have a higher regard for the team leader who is vulnerable and transparent with them than the team leader who wants to appear like he or she has it all together.

8.  Do I possess the patience of Job? Patience is one thing I am very careful to never pray for ("...troubles can develop passionate patience in us..." Rom. 5:3, The Message)! Who needs more troubles? But in church work, getting things accomplished is akin to constructing your own home: it always takes longer than you think and generally costs more than you anticipate. There are times when churches possess an Army like "hurry-up-and-wait" mentality. Can I handle the "one more/last one" committee meeting with a good attitude and patience?