REAL CHANGE PASTORAL LEADERS

This year's Annual Conference had as its them "New!" It is a great challenge truly to "make all things new" as Scripture enjoins us to do. Brad Spencer from Canterbury gave me a wonderful book on leadership, Real Change Leaders, by Jon R Katzenbach. I have found it a most stimulating read for those of us who are charged with the leadership of the church and its congregations. "Real Change" is change that is deep, lasting, and genuinely changes the direction of an organization. On page 13, Katzenbach lists the common characteristics of real change leaders of an organization. I think that we pastors could benefit by measuring our own leadership by these characteristics:

Commitment to a better way and strong belief that the future is dependent upon the change-particularly their being a part of it.

Courage to challenge existing power bases and norms

Personal initiative to go beyond defined boundaries - they break/alleviate constraints and think outside the box

Motivation of themselves and others -

Caring about how people are treated and enabled to perform - understand that institutions are both economic and social organizations

Staying undercover - keeping a low profile - grandstanding, strident crusading, and self-promotions are ways to undermine rather than enhance credibility

A sense of humor about themselves and their situations - enables RCLs to help others stay the course

Whenever I visit a congregation where significant, Spirit-filled change is taking place, I see at least five of these characteristics in the pastor who is leading that change.

Prayer for the day: Lord, help us to be better leaders, so that we might follow your leadership into your promised future. Amen!

Will Willimon

August 2007