Everything rises and falls with leadership!

Yesterday I met with a number of leaders to talk about different church plants. In our conversation we also spoke of situations that concern us. I wish I could say that church planting is easy and that all church plants everywhere are doing great. But the reality is church planting is hard and church plants fail on a regular basis. In my leadership role I have not had to close a project down yet — but I have come close on a few occasions.

As we talked about this we also addressed the ‘why’ — why do church plants fail? There are all sorts of possible reasons: lack of team, wrong strategy, dominant leadership, lack of funds are a few. But there is one that in my mind is more important and more prevalent than all the others.

“Everything rises and falls with Leadership!” is how I say it when we speak of this. It’s a phrase I first heard Bill Hypes say years ago. I know Hybels is the pastor of a really large church with strong corporate structures and the truth is that I wasn’t sure I agreed with him when I first heard this statement. But over the years I have become convinced that this is a core and central truth — and it is key for those of us who provide oversight to church plants.

We need leaders. The truth is, however, we often mistake managers for leaders. We see people who lead existing projects well, who get on well with people, who can create structures and programs and who can lead meetings. But to put it succinctly: a good manager does not a leader make!

You have probably heard the distinction between leaders and managers, as I think Peters and Waterman defined it: Management is about doing things efficiently; leadership is about doing things effectively. Good distinction, I agree — but it does not get at what this post is about.

Here’s my distinction (and by the way, I’m sure I picked this up from someone else somewhere along the way): a manager leads what is already there — but a leader creates something out of nothing. That’s right: a leader creates ‘ex nihilo’ (that’s Latin for ‘out of nothing’). Not every manager is a leader! In my view there are plenty of people who can lead a group (and by saying lead here, I really mean ‘manage’). But the kind of leadership we need to plant churches is the kind of person who can see a vision — something that isn’t there — and make it a reality.

I heard a great story about Walt Disney once. Not sure if it is true, but it illustrates the point. A certain director on the board of the Walt Disney Corporation was once blown away by the colors and entertainment and variety and coordination of the first Disney parade. He leaned over to Walt’s widow (Walt had died a number of years before this parade became a reality) and whispered: "if only Walt could have seen this!” To which the lady turned back to him and said: but, oh, he did!”

That, my friends, is leadership — the kind of leadership we need in church planting. People (men AND women) who can see something that isn’t real yet, and then work so that it becomes a reality.

At the top of this post are photos of a number of CA leaders who in my view are that kind of leader — and who are doing just that!

Comments

[Rob]

Love your thoughts Ro.