Top Ten Signs of No Real Leadership

Given a leadership that is apparently quite "complaint averse" it's a bit odd how many complaints FROM leadership I was able to hear at just one meeting.  But the good news to that otherwise terrible evening was that then I was inspired for an article that tellingly shows how one can know when there is a lack of leadership in a church.

Bear in mind, that in all ten of these cases, these were actual complaints that came from actual leaders. Most of them are general enough for any church, the last one is a bit specific, but could also apply to other churches who have boards abdicating their fiduciary duties.

In no cases are the leaders bad, that should be said.  I'm not a bad guy, either.  True, I'm a lousy mechanic, but I'm a good guy.  Likewise, plenty of good people can be "leaders", but still drop the ball "Leadership-wise" as surely as I'd be dropping a wrench "Mechanic-wise".

So, buckle up, here goes!

10.  "You shouldn't complain, you don't know what's being done behind the scenes!"

Uh huh.  But any guest or new member or old member can see a problem continuing, so whatever is claimed to be going on behind the scenes, it's clearly worthless.  A real leader's solutions to problems are readily apparent - by, oh yeah, the member not seeing the problem any more!

9.  "We're not paid for this!"

Uh huh.  But the members who you presume to lead aren't being paid either.  They are, in fact, the ones being asked to pay.  So if it's that hard on you to not be paid, quit.  But a real leader does not complain about not being paid - as an excuse for why he isn't working well!

8.  "We're doing our best!"

No, you're not.  A man's "best" either gets it done - or gets him calling up someone who can get it done.  A real leader does not to whine about how it's his "best" while then expecting to continue on with titles and honors.

7.  "You should forgive him!"

Of course we should forgive those who do us wrong.  But what real leaders should do is not have that be their end all be all solution for every time some wolf in leader's clothing attacks someone in the membership.  They could, for instance, not have a wolf in leader's clothing any more.

6.  "There are times and places for this kind of thing!  Not now!"

Oh, of course.  Never now.  And never in this time or this place.  And it's odd how any complaint is always regarded as being done wrong or inappropriately or in some kind of "un-Christ-like" fashion. Real leaders don't worry about "how" a member complains, they worry about what prompted that complaint.  And solving it.

5.  "I wasn't taking his side, I was just..."

When every time a member complains he is told to forgive...and every time a leader complains the member must ask forgiveness, then yes, a "side" is being took.  The side of "leaders" versus "members".  Real leaders hold themselves and their fellow leaders to as high a standard as the members - and in the good old days, it was supposed to be that they strove to be at an even higher standard.

4.  "We have to set some bounds on who and when and how we can have people speak."

And how fortunate that such rules won't impact leadership's ability to speak first, last and any time in between.  Real leaders know that this is a church, not a Fortune 500 business or military ship under sail. There is thus time to leisurely listen to any member who took the time to express a question or concern, even if it goes on longer than you think it should, or on topics you'd have preferred not to address.

(And if any are thinking, "But what of the poor contractors!" then please remember that those three contractors are in a 'no-bid' situation on an all but done deal contract in which they'll pocket six figures. They can spare five minutes.)

3.  "I'm not sensing the spirit here!" or "Oh, this is not Christ-like!" or "Oh, Satan is having a field day!" or "Oh, did you see that this made some cry?"

Indeed the spirit is gone, and it is not Christ-like, and Satan is having a field day, and people should cry every time a leader says that for the purposes of shutting up or shutting down a member.  It's a sick and sorry game, where a member asking to be heard is to be silent in the name of Christ, so that the leader can have any final say he or she cares to have - in the name of Christ!

Real leaders do not use Christ as a bludgeon to silence others.  Nor by speaking of Satan, subtly imply that a member's desire to be heard and answered appropriately and/or to be treated with minimal respect, some how equates to Satan enjoying himself.

Nor do they, when others cry at the contention, loudly proclaim their concern for those crying members, as if they had no part in it, and it was all on the member they opposed so vigorously and so improperly. People cry over any unexpected arguments, and it always takes two to argue.  If members should know this - real leaders should, too.

2.  "I think we need to pray on this, so we can get back the spirit!"

And I think that prayer is also something that should not be used as a bludgeon to silence concerned members.  A real leader either addresses the member's concerns, or admits that he or she cannot - but soon will. He or she does not try to dismiss the member out of hand by calling immediately for a prayer - so that the member will be forced to feel foolish for daring to bring up the unanswered concerns afterwards!

It's a tawdry trick - and most of all, just that it's so clearly a trick.  Prayer as a weapon to hurt. Prayer as a means of silencing dissent.  Prayer as a means of bolstering your "side" in a spat.  Shameful.

1.  "Well, this is up to the members, they get their say in the vote, too late to stop things now."

What a terrible ducking of any leadership responsibility.  Dad doesn't want to be the bad guy, so he's going to let the three kids vote on whether they can stay up late eating ice cream.  Then, when their tummies are upset and mom is frazzled, he can blithely say, "This wasn't on me, we voted!"

Real leaders do not let fake votes be took where a deliberately uninformed membership can vote on issues that no one has any real data for, thus committing the church to hundreds of thousands of dollars of unaffordable outlays that will lead to an easily foreseeable bankruptcy.  And all to avoid having any responsibility in that later disaster, whatsoever.

And real leaders aren't solely strong on shutting up members because of their claimed authority - but then just too darn weak and lacking in authority to halt a destructive vote that never should have been called.