Whether you know it or not, you have some very good leaders hidden within your congregation. Some of them are already-developed leaders that are currently underutilized, and some are gifted in leadership and ready to be encouraged toward development. So, why aren’t these folks signing up to lead? Make sure you aren’t inadvertently discouraging them. 

5 ways to lose good leaders

5 ways to lose good leaders

1. Micromanage them

If you lose good leaders fast, the first thing to check for is micromanagement. This strategy alone can lose you up to 50% of your leaders… more if you continue to micromanage consistently over time. Establishing systems that require that every decision be run through you personally and creating expectations that you’ll be checking in frequently to see if things are being done correctly tells people that you don’t trust them.  You are doing quality control where help, support, or coaching is more appropriate. Especially if your focus is mainly on accomplishing your own task list, good leaders will recognize that you are simply using them as assistants, not developing them as leaders in their own right. Leaders will leave quickly under these conditions.  

If you lose good leaders fast, the first thing to check for is micromanagement. Click To Tweet

2. Think myopically

Thinking myopically means only seeing what’s immediately in front of you vs. seeing the big picture. It’s like choosing children’s curriculum without any reference to the vision for how you want to see children grow, how you want parents and volunteers involved, how the concepts impact the whole family system, and how it can be part of reaching new families. It might be “good” curriculum… just not for what you’re trying to accomplish. Everything from initiative to project to tasks must connect to the bigger vision. Pretty soon, any inspiration or motivation your leaders have will fall by the wayside as they tire of seemingly meaningless activities.  

Everything from initiative to projects to tasks must connect to the bigger vision. Click To Tweet

3. Focus on the short-term

Do you think that strategizing for the long-term expansion and growth of ministry—and how your leaders fit into that plan—will only serve to throw focus from the work of the here and now? Of course not! But your actions might suggest otherwise. Let’s say you are focusing on an outreach event. Test these areas to see if you are focusing on the short-term:

  • Planning: Who is involved in planning and running the event that hasn’t been involved before? If you are in survival mode—just getting done what you need to do for this event to work—you aren’t developing leaders. You are focused on the short-term. Events are a great opportunity to build in an apprenticing process to raise up new leaders for next time.
  • Measuring Success: Another way to test if you are focused on the short-term is how are you measuring success. Is it in head count? Don’t  Don’t worry about expanding capacity to make it bigger or more successful next time; there may not be a next time. Most importantly, don’t reflect on what could be learned from the successes or failures of this event moving forward.  Leaders who want to look forward to building out capacity for longer range ministry will need to do so somewhere else. 

4. Fill slots

All churches have slots to fill. You almost certainly have blanks on your setup team calendar and your children’s volunteer roster. Just trying to plug people in where you most need them, without reference to their gifting or interests will eventually backfire. It’s universally discouraging. You are basically announcing, “Don’t worry about being developed, growing, or being stretched. And don’t even consider being invested in for your own sake and for the sake of the larger kingdom. You’re just here to help us out.” 

5. Prioritize programming over vision

Vision has a powerful capacity for motivating leaders. Programming pays an important part in organizing and helping people grow. However, programming that isn’t connected to vision is like putting a salmon in a fish bowl. People need to be moving forward not swimming in circles. Filling in the blanks on your calendar with whatever is trending right now, without any reference to how it will help you accomplish any larger mission or vision, is a red flag to leaders and to people with good leadership potential.

Programming that isn't connected to vision is like putting a salmon in a fish bowl. People need to be moving forward not swimming in circles. Click To Tweet

2 ways to keep good leaders

Let them in

The number one thing you can do to keep good leaders and people who are waiting to be developed into leaders is to get them involved with things that matter. Bringing quality people in on decision that help the day-to-day connect to the vision is life giving to them and with the fresh, energetic buy-in you will see your vision move forward at light speed. Here are some ideas for areas you can invite potential leaders into:

  • sermon series planning
  • special event planning
  • recruitment of future leaders
  • leadership development training
  • and so much more!
The number one thing you can do to keep good leaders and people who are waiting to be developed into leaders is to get them involved with things that matter. Click To Tweet

Let them shine

If you want to keep good leaders, beware of casting your shade on them. Healthy churches are not Lead Pastor dependent, they are places where all kinds of people flourish and are celebrated. When you see potential and talent, find an appropriate outlet for their gifts and talents and let them shine. Here are some ideas of places where good leaders can assume responsibility:

  • media engagement
  • teachers for classes and bible studies
  • event management
  • creative projects
  • occasional pulpit supply
  • discipling others

Check out this advice from The Leadership Difference: “Good leadership leaves a lasting impact. It’s what keeps people pressing on to the next culture, the next street, the next act of service, even in the face of difficulty or discouragement.” Look particularly at chapter 4 of that book to see how to create environments, relationships, and processes that invest in developing your people. 

Healthy churches are not Lead Pastor dependent, they are places where all kinds of people flourish and are celebrated. Click To Tweet

Resources

The Path for Developing Leaders- This FREE downloadable article walks you through how to develop leaders who can go on to lead missional ministries and even start new churches. By unpacking and understanding the metaphor of the path, you can design a contextualized approach to developing new leaders through coaching.

The Leadership Difference- If you are running up against barriers that aren’t specifically theological but are more about how to lead people and get along with them as you work together, The Leadership Difference is for you.

Leadership Skills Guides– The best leaders in your future won’t come to you ready-made, they will be people you develop. God has placed people in your congregation that he has called to do great things and you are there you help them along the way. These guides help you meet people where they are at and guide them to grow in the skills they will need to do what God has called them to do.

Photo by DDP on Unsplash