“_____________ begins at the top.”
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It’s a common phrase spoken with a few variations. Feel free to insert “vision”, “values”, “culture”, “change”, or any other characteristic that defines your organization. The fact is, everything that your church is and does is an outflow of the people who lead at its highest point. Having the right people on the senior leadership team working together in a healthy way is critical to a church seeking to make a difference in its community. Tony Morgan’s latest eBook, Take the Lid Off Your Church, provides an excellent resource for anyone ready to get serious about the top.
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Within this short read, three key thoughts caught my attention:
1. “You need the right people rather than the right positions.”
I have seen the need for this principle most in smaller churches experiencing growth. There is a tendency to seek validation through the addition of traditional staff roles such as children’s, youth, and associate pastors. Unfortunately, this desire lends itself to rushed hires and future growth is stymied by leaders with inadequate capacity. Large churches can also value positions over people in times of turnover when the pressure to maintain present results overshadows a desire for future growth.
2. “Invest time in the future, rather than the urgent.”
It is easy for teams to get caught fighting fires. Leave those for separate conversations and allow the senior leadership team to focus on creating a better future.
3. “Invite conflict privately. Demand unity publicly.”
Allowing the first will make the second much easier. Sometimes people just need to feel heard. Providing a private forum reduces their desire to create a public one.
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Additionally, there are several areas in which Tony digs deep, providing insights that are worth the consideration of every senior leadership team. These include a set of insightful questions to ask when selecting new team members, clarity regarding the ideal roles of the team, strategies for empowering senior leaders, and more.
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If you are a member of your senior leadership team, hiring for a senior position, or looking to evaluate the health of your team, Take the Lid Off Your Church should be on your digital bookshelf.
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