What is leadership? Experts aren't entirely sure. One writes: 'There are many theories and more than a hundred definitions of leadership.' And another: 'Leadership is one of the most observed and least understood phenomena on earth.'

Leaders are people who get things done through others (who also want those things to get done). There are three kinds of human beings: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened! Leaders make things happen!

All human groups need leaders. Effective leaders know where they're going: they have strong beliefs and values. Good leaders exude and inspire confidence, are willing to take risks and make sacrifices. Good leaders have one key aim: to be a servant to maximize others' potentials for the good of the whole enterprise. Good leaders can verbalize their strategic vision for the organization. They are effective communicators, moulding people's ideas. That's the difference between a political leader and a statesman: the first follows public opinion; statesmen (and women) shape it. Essentially, leaders get things done through other people who also are highly committed to the same goals.

So smart leaders will know what their colleagues are thinking: this they learn through feedback. And they will never be too far in front or behind the group they're leading. Sometimes a leader will have to surrender a cherished goal because the group isn't yet ready to follow. Here's a personal example. Baptists around the world are divided over the question of 'closed' vs. 'open' membership My strong belief as the senior pastor in one church was (and still is) that we ought to welcome into the membership of our church all whom the Lord has accepted into His church, and let people sort out the issue of the mode and timing of baptism for themselves. Some of our leaders said this wasn't 'Baptist': weren't all the people in the New Testament baptized knowingly as believers? Well, yes, I said, that's my own position too but haven't Baptists also strongly held the view that each of us ought to be free to be guided by the Holy Spirit in our study of the Scriptures? And didn't Jesus say 'It's acceptance of others I want, not ordinances' (Matthew 9:13). But those ordinances came from God: is Jesus saying people matter more than laws...? And so on. But I failed to convince some of them, and made a tactical retreat from the issue: perhaps I'm 'chicken' but I wasn't ready to be martyred (or create division in the church) over that one. As one truism puts it, a leader will realize that the unintended effects of any policy change are apt to be larger and more lasting than the intended effects.

But where the Lord guides leaders to be decisive this will generate opposition. That's why they're leaders: others have not (yet) been given their gift of vision. If you want approval badly, or a life free of pressure, don't be a leader. Leadership requires courage: it involves risk-tasking and possibly ridicule, opposition, or rejection. 'Courage' comes from the French word for 'heart' - coeur - and means simply your heart's in it!

Have you heard the old story of the mule standing in the centre of a circle of hay? The mule was hungry, but there was no wind: he could not smell the fragrance of the hay. But he could see it: he was surrounded by equally attractive goals. He stayed in the centre and starved to death. Too many church leaders are indecisive like that.

Other capacities a leader will need include teachability, a facility for uniting people together, and hard, hard work! The life of a leader was never meant to be easy!

What about leadership style? In all cultures the leader must operate in ways acceptable to the group (or else organize armed guards to eliminate opposition!). Author- itarian leaders (the 'tells' style) are sometimes acceptable where people are insecure or immature. They often get things done quickly and efficiently, but when the group matures there'll be hostility, competitiveness, scape-goating, and discontent. Consensual leaders ('sells' style) seek the group's approval, and when they get it there's more harmony, teamwork and satisfaction, and, eventually, increasing productivity. Laissez-faire leaders have an 'in-basket' management style. Their programme is determined by whatever comes along. Initiatives come from elsewhere or not at all, and the group gets frustrated when they realize they're not going anywhere.

Leaders get things done through other people in four stages: planning (forecasting opportunities, spelling out objectives, outlining the steps and time limits to reach those objectives), organizing (developing a structure within which groups can work effectively, delegating authority and responsibility to other leaders, promoting teamwork), leading (making good decisions, communicating these, motivating and training people), and controlling (developing measures of performance, evaluating results, and making 'course corrections').

One word in the paragraph above is most important: motivation. Developing a climate where church-people are highly motivated to serve the Lord and other people is a challenge for the leader/s. People are highly motivated when (1) they know they are loved, (2) they are invited to do a job commensurate with their gifts, only a little more stretching, (3) they are adequately trained, (4) they know precisely what they are to do, by when, with what resources to help, and (5) their psychological needs are met (eg, encouragement, security, socializing, fulfilment when a job's well done and appreciated etc.). Some pastors and church leaders say these factors shouldn't be important: we should serve the Lord altruistically, from a motive of love alone. Well, yes, in heaven we will all do that! Surveys show most pastors 'enjoy' preaching more than anything else. One said: 'Preaching's the only thing I do that is not at the mercy of petty bureaucrats!' So it's not wrong to allow people in the church to do what they enjoy doing either. Motivation then becomes a lot easier.

'But Rowland', pastors often say to me, 'the blighters in our church won't work!' Douglas McGregor's 'theory x and theory y' have helped me at this point. According to 'theory x' management thinking people hate work and will avoid it if they can, so they must be coerced, controlled, directed, or threatened to get anything done. 'Theory y' leaders believe work is as natural as play or rest, and that workers will be highly motivated to work towards goals to which they are committed: they will be self-directing and will seek and accept responsibility; imagination, ingenuity, and creativity are widely not narrowly distributed among the population. Pastor, the blighters will work, if all the above factors are noted!

Are leaders born or made? Probably both. There's an indefinable charismatic quality about outstanding leaders. However, the Lord promises wisdom to all of us: the leadership equation is godly wisdom (James 1:5) + enthusiasm (1 Peter 5:2) + faith (Hebrews 13:7) + hard work (1 Thessalonians 5:12,13).

Discuss: How do the leadership styles mentioned above apply to your church? Look at the leaders cited in Hebrews 11: they were a varied lot, but matched the occasion into which they were called. What lessons are there for us? Study the leadership qualities in 1 Timothy 3: what do these mean in our culture?

Further Reading: Gerard Egan, Change Agent Skills in Helping and Human Service Settings, Brooks/Cole, California, 1985 (especially chapter 11 'Leadership'). J.M.Burns, Leadership. New York: Harper & Row, 1978. J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Leadership, Chicago: Moody Press, 1967. Ted W. Engstrom and Edward R. Dayton, The Art of Management for Christian Leaders. Word Books, Waco Texas, 1979, and Strategy for Leadership, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell, 1979. R. Wolff, Man at the Top, Tyndale, 1970. Lawrence O Richards and Clyde Hoeldtke, A Theology of Church Leadership, Zondervan, 1980. Peter Wagner, Leading Your Church to Growth, Ventura: Regal, 1984.