Leaders who bring transformation to their team or organization

The best leaders are transformative leaders. Transformative leaders are not only committed to transformation in their own lives but also in bringing transformation to the teams or organizations they lead. Just as individuals need transformation, so do teams and organizations on an ongoing basis. Healthy teams and organizations are led by leaders who are committed to ongoing organizational transformation.

In order to bring needed transformation, leaders must have the ability to realistically "look beneath the hood" of their ministry in order to see what is really there. Especially in the Christian world, we are very good at seeing the good and glossing over the problematic. The best leaders are deeply realistic and are able to evaluate both.

Having evaluated what is really there there are four things good leaders never do.

First they don't criticize the past. This is a temptation for new leaders who can find it easy to criticize those who went before them. It is a very bad idea. We honor the past even as we build for the future. It was those who built the ministry to where it is that makes it possible for us to now move it forward. Honor the past rather than criticizing it.

Second, they don't blow up the organization to rebuild it. That is rarely a good option as it disenfranchises all those who are presently in it. We may need to make changes but staged change is far better than abrupt change.

Third, they don't overwhelm people with a lot of changes. Most people are change adverse. Staging change is hard enough for constituents. Overwhelming people with huge change all at once is threatening. Fixing everything at once is just a bad idea and sends a negative message.

Finally, good leaders don't ignore the issues. To do nothing is not a sign of a transformational leader.

Rather than the above, a wise leader prioritizes the issues that they see need to be addressed and start a dialogue with stakeholders in order to build support for the needed change. This is all about running good process and helping people anticipate what is coming and why. Hopefully a guiding coalition has been built of those who are ready to support the necessary changes.

In making changes, good leaders always honor the people involved. We honor them by engaging them, helping them understand, listening carefully, being flexible where we can be and doing everything to make people comfortable in the midst of change.

Transformational leaders have a certain profile. They are obviously realistic. They are also non-defensive when there is push back or when others around them push into issues that might irritate a leader. Defensive leaders shut down dialogue while non-defensive leaders invite it. This is a critical skill whenever change is necessary as well as a sign of good emotional intelligence. The focus in any change is the good of the organization as a whole while honoring people in in the process. And it is a process, rather than an event. Change events frustrate people while running proper process engages people.

If the forging of a leader is that of paying attention to the inner life of that leader, so the forging of healthy teams and organizations is that of paying attention to the inner dynamics that make for healthy, transformational organizational cultures.

All of T.J. Addington's books are available from the author for the lowest prices and a $2.00 discount on orders of ten or more.

transformative leadership

My colleague Alvin Sanders defines transformative leadership as the ability to convince people to do what they don't naturally do. I think that is a pretty good definition and it is every leader's challenge.

Organizations, including ministries, naturally gravitate toward what is comfortable rather than what is missional and best. It is why it is so easy to slip into an institutional mode, lose one's cutting edge and all the while think that all is well until we wake up one day and realize that we are no longer effective. 

Think for instance of how easy it is in the church to focus on ourselves, fill our lives with programming and activities and to almost ignore the mandate to be salt and light in the world. That comfort zone is reflected by the amazingly low new conversion statistics in most churches. We simply don't have the time or inclination to develop friendships that are genuine outside of the church. Where you do see regular conversions happening you have a transformative leader who has convinced the congregation to do what they don't naturally do! But what God calls them to do.

Or take the issue of dealing with conflict. Most people are conflict avoiders who would rather not deal with relational difficulties. In organizations where there is a Matthew 18 practice (keeping short accounts and dealing with conflict) you have a transformative leader who has convinced the organization to do what it does not naturally do.

Transformative leaders see through a lens of what should be rather than what is and lead their team, division or organization to healthy practices that others often ignore because they are harder, uncomfortable and not what folks naturally do. It is why their staff look different than the average and why their results are better and their culture healthier. 

If you are a leader, are you a transformative leader or one who easily settles for what is comfortable? Jesus was a transformative leader and I believe He desires us to be the same.

All of T.J. Addington's books including his latest, Deep Influence,  are available from the author for the lowest prices and a $2.00 per book discount on orders of ten or more.

Transformed leaders

What does a transformed leader look like? Consider this: Leaders who know who they are in Christ, know what they have been called to do, have the skills to do it and the spiritual character to sustain them.

Knowing who we are in Christ is a a core requirement for spiritual leaders. It is an understanding of His Grace and the ability to live in His grace which allows Christian leaders to create an environment of grace in their ministries. Many ministries lack a culture of grace because their leaders don't know who they are in Christ. It is not enough to have leadership skill. It matters that we lead out of a deep understanding of our position in Christ are living in the daily grace of God.

Transformed leaders also know what they have been called to do. This means that we know how God created and wired us, know what our strengths are and are not and are clear on our personal assignment and priorities. This is about leadership clarity. Many leaders do not have personal clarity (how they are wired) and therefore do not have leadership clarity (what they should be doing). Leaders who do not know what they have been called to do cannot help others understand what their calling is. 

Transformed leaders have the skills to do what they are called to do. While we take this for granted the truth is that many leaders fail to continue to grow and hone their skills. Leaders who continue to grow and develop grow teams and individuals who are growing and developing. 

None of this is possible without the spiritual character to sustain us as leaders. It goes to the hidden practices of Christian leaders: what they are doing behind the scenes to develop their character, stay connected to Christ and living in the power of the Holy Spirit. It is overwhelmingly a lack of spiritual character that causes Christian leaders to fail, burn out and crash. The ongoing development of our hearts, motives, priorities and vision is all related to our connection to Jesus and spills over in all of our leadership and relationships.