Issue #28, April 1, 2010
Everyone recognizes that we are living in tough times. The world economy has affected all of our lives in one way or another. Job losses and budget cuts are a part of daily life for leaders everywhere. How do servant leaders respond to our times? I recently asked several business friends this question and their insights are applicable to servant leadership in the marketplace as well as in the church. Here’s what I learned.
Tough times call for active leadership.
When times are tough, ‘hands on’ leadership is needed. During easy times a leader may provide leadership from a distance but when times are tough servant leaders must be more active. More time and leadership energy is necessary because of the great needs. Quick decisions will often need to be made with little time to gather information. Leaders must see the big picture and be able to guide the organization through the turbulent waters. They must communicate more to keep people together and to deal with the fear and uncertainty caused by troubled times. They must spend more time with their key leaders to evaluate current realities and decided how to move forward. They must agonize over decisions that impact the lives of their workers, families and community. It may require releasing a faithful worker or long serving staff person. At the same time, because of their faith, servant leaders are able to lead with an optimistic perspective. Servant leaders recognize the need of our times and get involved.
To think about: Have I responded to the difficult times by appropriately increasing my leadership activity? Have I adjusted my leadership style to reflect the situation?
Tough times call for clarity of focus.
Times of crises bring servant leaders back to their core values and mission. There is no room for a lack of clarity about what is the most important work of the organization. Programs, activities, or people that do not directly help accomplish the vision must be eliminated.
To think about: Do I recognize clearly what our purpose is? Do the people I lead understand this purpose and the role they play in carrying it out?
Tough times call for greater accountability.
In times of crisis results matter; there is little room for error. The ‘bottom line’ counts and everyone must be held accountable. Servant leaders often focus on the ‘soft’ side of leadership but difficult times require a balance of the ‘hard’ side of holding people and the organization accountable for results.
To think about: Are we seeing the results we need? What are we rewarding? Is everyone on the team contributing their part?
Tough times call for a renewed commitment to stewardship.
Tough times serve as a wake up call for servant leaders to renew their passion to efficiently steward all that God has put in their hands. Business owners recognize that if they don’t properly care for what God has given them, they may lose it all. Church workers acknowledge that if they allow complacency to continue, the people and resources God has entrusted to them may be lost. Servant leaders reflect on why God has placed them in leadership at this time.
To Think about: In what way does my leadership reflect my commitment to be a steward?
These difficult times are an opportunity for servant leaders to step up, actively engage, clarify vision, demand accountability, and renew the call to stewardship. Serve the people you lead by rising to the challenge.
Further reflection and discussion for business leaders:
- Have I fully embraced my responsibility to be a steward of all God has entrusted to me during these difficult times? Is prayer for wisdom a daily prayer?
- Have I worked with my leadership team to clarify our vision and purpose? Is it clear to all our staff/workers?
- Do we have a good balance of the ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ sides of leadership? (serving, loving, etc. vs. accountability, results)
Further reflection and discussion for church leaders:
- What are the indications we see of tough times? Have we adjusted our leadership style to meet these realities? Have we communicated these changes to those we lead?
- Is our purpose absolutely clear? Are there things we are doing that do not help us accomplish our mission? Are there programs or activities that no longer bring measurable results?
- How do we measure results? Do we lean more towards the ‘soft’ side of leadership (serving, loving, caring, etc.) or the ‘hard’ side (results, action, accountability, etc.)?