The Three Top Responsibilities of Leaders

What do leaders do? There are many things they can do but there are three things that they must do if they are going to maximize the effectiveness of their organization. These three are non-negotiables.

One: Leaders provide maximum clarity around mission, guiding principles, central ministry focus and culture

Leaders must provide clarity about what the ministry stands for, what its mission is, how it will operate (guiding principles), what it must concentrate on (central ministry focus) and the culture of the organization.

Staff, donors, constituents and congregations all want to know where we are going, how we are going to get there, what we are about and they want a mission that is so compelling that they can give their energies, their resources and their best efforts. General clarity leads to general commitment. High clarity brings high commitment. The more clarity a leader provides the more commitment they will have from others.

Two, leaders ensure that mission is accomplished.

Leaders care about ministry results. They focus on ministry results and they hold their staff accountable for ministry results. Leaders distinguish between activity and results. They do not confuse activity with results and help staff understand that their activity must be focused in ways that are most likely to bring results. Everyone is busy but not everyone sees real results.

Staff pay attention to what their leaders pay attention to. If leaders are always focused on ministry results they will be too. If leaders don't focus on ministry results staff will not either. Leaders set the tone for the seriousness with which staff take actual missional effectiveness.

Three, leaders intentionally create an organizational culture that will allow it to best live out its clarity (one) and achieve missional results (two).

Most leaders underestimate the power of culture and pay too little attention to it. One can have the highest clarity and deepest commitment to missional effectiveness but have a culture that is unhealthy and which does not encourage healthy relationships, collaboration, robust dialogue, innovation and personal development. Healthy culture is critical to missional effectiveness and leaders are ultimately responsibility for that culture.

If you are interested in learning more about these three responsibilities of leaders, the book Leading from the Sandbox deals with these issues extensively.

Avoiding Board Traffic Jams

Many board meetings and agendas look like this traffic jam: tons of business, everything seems to move slow and it seems that we cannot get on top of if. The result is leadership frustration, long meetings and ministry decisions made at a crawl rather than at highway speed.

It does not need to look this way. In fact, most organizations should be able to deal with their business in one meeting a month, leaving the second meeting for dreaming, prayer, and thinking about the future.

How does one avoid the traffic jam?

One: Rather than dealing with every situation that comes up, make policy that can guide staff in future decisions. By making policy, leaders avoid the necessity to deal with the issue again and give the staff appropriate guidance on how to deal with future like issues.

Two: Never formulate strategy as a board. Whenever possible, delegate the formulation of policy or strategy to staff or a few qualified individuals who can then come back to the board with a recommendation. The board then does not need to strategize by committee but can accept, reject or tweak the recommendation saving it significant time.

Three: Don't use board time to listen to reports. Board meetings are working meetings not times to hear reports. Instead of doing reports at the board meeting, have leaders summarize relevant current information and send it out ahead of time in an email. Many boards could cut meeting time in half if they followed this one practice.

Four: Prioritize board work. Not all rocks are big rocks, some are pebbles. Put the big rocks at the front of the agenda and deal with those first. Where possible simply delegate the smaller rocks or the pebbles to other qualified individuals.

Five: Ensure that the chair of the board keeps the meeting moving. That is their job. Endless discussions are unproductive. At an appropriate time, cut off discussion and take a vote and move along. If there is deadlock, put off the decision to another meeting and move on.

Six: Be willing to make decisions. Any decision in most cases is better than indecision. Some boards are paralyzed by the necessity of making a decision resulting in long, drawn out and frustrating traffic jams. Don't let that happen. After appropriate prayer and discussion, make a decision and move on. If you have to revisit it later so be it but doing nothing is worse than doing something.

Seven: Start and end your meetings on time. This forces the board to do its work in a timely basis and to prioritize its work. Board meetings will stretch to whatever boundaries there are so set boundaries and keep them.

Eight: Have clear lines of responsibility and authority. Be sure that in your organization it is clear who can make what decisions and then empower them to do so in line with your ministry philosophy and policies. The goal of boards is to clarify direction and then empower people to make decisions that are in alignment with that direction. By doing this boards seek to remove traffic jams from its culture.


Nine: Be clear on your mission, guiding principles, central ministry focus and the culture you are creating. By clarifying the big issues, it make it possible for both boards and staff to made decisions that are in alignment with that clarity. Ambiguity over these issues makes decision making very difficult.

Ten: Ensure a good working relationship between staff and boards so that they both understand their responsibilities, trust each other and are working in sync with one another. The higher the trust level the faster decisions can be made and the more decisions can be delegated to appropriate staff levels.

Please pray for believers in India

Many do not realize that there is significant persecution of believers in India. It is often overt and ignored by the authorities. Hinduism is not a peaceful faith - especially when it comes to Christianity. Below is a recent report from a ministry leader in India. I have not included his name for security purposes. As you think of the growing church in India please pray for pastors who are on the front line and God's people who are often under tremendous pressure.

From a ministry leader in India:

Dear Praying friends,
Your prayers are our strength and through your prayers we have been protected by the attacks of enemy. India has a long history of Christian being persecuted. It is the same place where St. Thomas was put to death in the 1st century AD and Graham Stains and his two young sons were burnt alive in 20th century AD.

Again, At this juncture India is going though a very difficult phase as far as Christianity is concerned. It has been a long time since Christians are under attack - physically. Many saints have lost their lives defending the faith and many churches were burnt.

It seems that the time of India has come. There are great news of thousands coming to Christ. And sure enough the enemy is not happy. It also seems that the enemy is trying to recapture his lost territory. And thus fighting a lost battle (he has been defeated of the cross of Calvary).
Literally, he has set India on fire. From Kashmir (up North) to Kanyakumari (down south) incidences of attacks of Christians are reported everyday.

Let me start from Kashmir: there has been a great unrest in Kashmir valley since last two months. The last time I was in Kashmir in June 08, I had time baptizing new believers and again this time Aug. 08 my visit along with bro. Anil and Pappu is the worst so far. We could be with the new believers just the day we arrived (Aug 22).

From the next day the separatists called for a strike and the administration has imposed indefinite curfew in the entire region. The separatists demanded that all Hindus and Christian must leave Kashmir and Kashmir must be declare as a separate nation.

Well, we were suppose to be back on Aug. 25 but there was no way to get out and get to the airport. So I took to the empty road with heavy military presence, alone, to walk to the airport which is 20KM from the place where I was staying.

God melted the hearts of the military personnel who would let me pass after just asking me where I was going. I reach the airport and I am in Delhi right now. But Anil and Pappu are still trapped in Srinagar. They also tried to walk to the bus station but were beaten up by the military and they both got injured on their legs. Since we do not have funds for their air tickets, they were planning to come back by bus and train. Now the situation is worse their and I am trying to get air tickets for them. Please pray.

Well, in Haryana, two of the NISA partners were beaten up mob for sharing the gospel with Hindus. Their houses vandalized and property destroyed. Both of them left Haryana (Nilokhedi) for a safer place.

In Delhi, a mob attached a church while Sunday worship was going on last month. The pastor other believers including women and children were beaten up and many were admitted into hospital. Later the pastor was arrested on charges of converting people. He was released on bail. The case is pending in the court. If convicted, he could face a jail term for 3 years. Skipping the many small incidences (small means nobody died) I will come to the most horrible situation in Orissa:

God is doing great and mighty things in Orissa, thus the state is on the hot list of the enemy. You are aware of Dec. last year violence against Christian. It did not stop there. It continued till date. From last few days orissa is experience fresh violent attacks on Christians in many districts.
Some reports:

NISA has learnt of attacks on numerous Christian homes and institutions in the wake of the attack on Swami Lakminanda Sarawatiʼs ashram which resulted in his death on August 23.

In a report received from Bishop Juria Bardhan, of the Believers Church in Orissa on August 24 in the morning, one of the pastors Jeebaratna Lima from Khurda district while going to conduct the Sunday service was attacked by a mob and they were almost setting fire on him after spraying petrol. He was saved on account of the timely arrival of police. He is presently in police custody.

In another incident, pastor Bahumulya Paik of Believers Church (Bamunidei, PS.Patpur, Ganjam district) was attacked on August 24 by a mob of about 100 people. Believing him to be dead, the mob moved on the attack other Christian homes, however the pastor managed to escape once he regained consciousness. He is however not been able to receive adequate medial treatment as the curfew has been imposed in the area and roads have been closed or blocked.

There are reports of other Christian who have fled to nearby forests. Pastor Bishnu Kumbhar and his pregnant wife ran into forest in the darkness being chased by a group of people and now have taken shelter in one family in a neighbouring village.

At about 9:00 pm on August 24, a mob destroyed one of the Believers Churches at Tengada Pathar in Phulbani by hurling bombs and set fire on the houses of the local believers. About 30 Christian families have sought shelter in the forests.

We have about 30 Christian families in this village. All the Christians have run to the jungle along with Pastor Aluo Jena and hiding there. Several women who were earlier belived to be missing are hiding in the jungle without and food and water and proper shelter.

Reports of churches and Christian homes being attacked are coming from across Orissa. According to reports received on a Believers Church in Chandrasekharpur, Bhubaneswar was attacked and broken down on the morning of August 25.

Four Christian houses are believed to have been burnt in Kanjmandi, Nuagam PS. Baliguda, Kandhamal district. Local Christians along with Pastor Lebiyo Rait have escaped into the forest. Pastor Amit Pani, from Ambapani, Kalahandi was rescued from a violent mob as it attempted to stormed his house. He is currently under police protection.

Real Missions

Denny Morrow, PhD

Contributing Writer

"Our church only supports 'real missionaries'. You know, the ones who are in the trenches with the heathens."

"I like to give only to missionaries doing 'real work', not to some leader at a regional office."

ReachGlobal's 530 international missionaries serve on five continents. They have various job titles: church planter, teacher, psychologist, school principal, business entrepreneur, international relief worker, English language tutor, piano teacher, city team leader, area leader, international leader.

'Real missions' also includes positions of leadership. There is much to be grateful for when someone says “I feel led to lead.” Leading in our organization involves mentoring, coaching, vision trip planning, being a liaison with national church leaders, training new church planters, budgeting, approving financial reports to ensure accuracy for donors, conflict resolution, adding value to ReachGlobal leadership meetings, orientation for new workers, team public relations, and of course, personal evangelism.

In many ways, not including leaders as ‘real missionaries’ is the equivalent to excluding lieutenants from status as ‘real soldiers’. Leaders add huge value to organizations, especially this one. With leaders typically supervising eight missionary colleagues, our organization is in line with current organizational wisdom about optimal leadership.

Moreover, our leaders are constantly ‘sharpening their saws’ in order to work smarter through seminars, in-person coaching, and linkages back to their home churches. None of us is as smart as we need to be. All of us need the Holy Spirit to help us lead well.

So, we need all parts of our missionary body – workers who are actively engaged in local ministry, teachers who specialize in great schools, business entrepreneurs who open doors of opportunity, relief workers who offer cups of cold water (and a whole lot more), and oh yes, leaders who are following God’s call with the same abandon as their colleagues.

For those at half-time

In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25), the master calls his three servants and tells them that he is going on a long journey. He divides up his wealth and tells them to invest it well so that there is a return when he comes back home.

Upon his return, two of the servants had doubled the money given to them to manage. To these two, Jesus said, “Well done, good and faithful servants. You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness (Matthew 25:21).”

The third servant was preoccupied with his own life issues and frankly didn’t have time for his master’s investments so he merely buried it and offered a lame excuse for why he had not invested them on his master’s behalf. Jesus’ words for the third servant were harsh. He had not paid attention to his masters business but only to his own.

There is both a message of blessing and warning in this parable. Of course, the master is Christ and his servants are us. The talents (money) he handed out are the gifts, opportunities and unique work he has made for us to accomplish on his behalf. Our choice is whether we will faithfully steward what He has entrusted or whether we will live a life of self preoccupation and selfishness. Will we be like the first two servants who took their stewardship seriously or like the third who only took his issues seriously.

The amazing thing is that Jesus has entrusted to each of us a portion of his ministry and has gifted us with abilities and empowered us with His spirit. We have been invited by the Lord of the Universe to represent him and make a difference for His kingdom. All he asks of us is to be faithful in using those gifts.

For me, those ‘talents’ are gifts of leadership, vision and strategy and communication. God wants me to be faithful in using these gifts on His behalf. For my friend Naomi, he gave gifts of administration and faith and she used those gifts in representing Christ as a school principle and administrator and these days at 99 she uses her faith gift as she prays for people all around the world.

For my friend Doug, who was the classic entrepreneur, he gave the gift of making and giving money, extending mercy to people in need and evangelism. He used those gifts to advance the kingdom by funding many ministries, helping hurting people who came across his path and sharing the gospel with those he did business with.

His wife Susan, was gifted with the ability to mentor other women, teach and has an incredible gift of hospitality. Thousands of people from all walks of life have enjoyed her hospitality and their home is frequently full of friends, neighbors, and foreign students.

We often think that ‘real’ ministry is reserved for full time, trained ministerial types. That is a lie of the devil. The Master has given each of us gifts and has asked each of us to make ministry investments on His behalf. God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things by simply being faithful with the gifts and opportunities he gives us.

This is one of the greatest blessings any of us could experience because these investments have eternal value. Those of us who take our opportunity seriously will be with many individuals in heaven who our lives touched – many whom we never met – because we used the gifts given to attain a lasting, eternal legacy.

But there is also a warning. There are many who are so consumed with ‘our own stuff’ that, like the unfaithful servant in the parable, they bury and ignore the responsibility God gave and have little to show for their lives when the finish line is crossed. They leave no eternal legacy.

The definition of the third unfaithful servant would be that of a wasted life that may have yielded temporal success but was an eternal failure. In the end it is a life of deep regret when the consequences of life decisions are faced and the picture of what could have been is seen.

Halftime is both an incredible opportunity and a major danger zone. Almost everyone who does not finish well fails in the second half of life. There are many - who like in the parable of the sower - allow their passion for God to be “choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature or live out their potential (Luke 8:14).” They cannot say with Paul, I have finished the race and have kept the faith.

It is the choice of using the opportunity God has given like the first two servants in the Parable of the Talents or simply burying our opportunity like the third.

In many ways, halftime is a decision time. We must decide whether we will take the experience, financial stability and increased disposable time for His purposes or focus instead on ourselves – allowing our passion for Jesus and His work to grow cold. The legacy we want to leave can be lost if we do not stay focused in the second half.

Too many people retire from both work and ministry, as if the latter is the same as the former – do our time and then relax. It is sad to see people who have so much to offer disconnect from what is most important for a life of empty leisure.

My heroes are those whose passion to know Christ and be used by Him grows as the years pass, knowing that the finish line is coming and wanting to finish well and leave an eternal legacy. We may retire from our job. But there is no retirement from the call of God on our lives or the work which he created uniquely for us. As long as God does not retire from ministering to us, why would we retire from ministering for Him?

When my friends, Bob and Judy, head to Mexico to their second home on the water, their days are filled with ministry with their Mexican friends and extended families (they are like family) and spending time on projects that give Bob and Judy opportunity to develop relationships and share the love of Christ. Bob may be retired from his full time job but he is permanently engaged in the work God created him for. That is how God designed us. There is no retirement from God’s work.

How are you doing in the second half?

Weak staff links

What happens when you have a staff team but one of the members of the team does not function at the level of other members on the team? You know you have a weak link.

Weak links on a team come in a number of forms. They may not have the capacity others have. They may not be team players. They may lack relational EQ. Or, they may not be in philosophical alignment with the leader, the team or the organization. In the later two cases they may be in fact very competent but a weak link nonetheless.

There are four options in dealing with weak links:

One: Ignore the issue

This often happens because of the desire to avoid conflict. Actually, however, this creates more conflict than it avoids. Weak links - for any of the reasons above - put a strain on both the team and the organization and it is a constant frustration and irritation.

Other team members often hold the team leader accountable for not dealing with the problem that they all have to live with. Weak links pull down the rest of the team in a negative fashion. While ignoring the issue is the easy way out, in the end it is a very foolish thing to do.

Two: Place the weak link on a development plan

This is a proactive approach where you clearly articulate the issues to the staff member involved, tell them what needs to change if they are going to be successful on the team and then put in writing a clear description of the above. Development plans always mean tighter supervision for a time to see whether the individual can up their game in the needed area.

Make sure that you document the issues and the plan along with timelines to determine whether progress is being made. In the event you need to use option four below you want to ensure that you have been fair, are legal and have done due process.

Three: Move the weak link to a position where they are no longer the weak link

It is possible that the individual is either out of their skill set or playing at a level to high for them to play at. This option should only be considered if there are not attitudinal, relational, or philosophical problems. In that case go directly to the fourth option!

Four: Move the weak link out of your organization

If option two or three have not worked, or if the individual has a fatal flaw (character, competency, relational or philosophical) which makes it impossible for them to function as healthy staff members in your organization bite the bullet and do what you need to do to transition them out.

Not to do so is to hurt the organization, its mission and the remaining staff. If supervisors or boards cannot make those tough calls they are in the wrong job and should let someone else lead.

Transitioning someone out of the organization should be done legally (talk to an HR person), with grace, with generosity as you are able and with honor but it must be done if you are going to take your ministry to the next level. We honor people but we always do what is best for the ministry.

Passing the baton

Leadership transitions are frought with peril. Four years ago when I was named the Executive Directior of ReachGlobal, my predecessor gave me a great gift. He made it exceedingly clear that the role was now mine, that I would never hear a negative word attributed to him and in every conversation, public and private he was only positive. Then he gave me a baton, symbolizing the leadership transition.

Because of the huge trust I have in him, I asked him to stay on as a Global Ambassador for ReachGlobal. It would not have worked in many situations but it has worked perfectly for us. In large part because of how he handled his own transition.

On the other hand I have watched other leaders, organizational, pastoral transition very badly and the end result is that it hurts the organization.

Why do many leaders transition badly?

I think there are a number of factors. One is that they cannot let go. They have invested too much and are unable to take their hand off the wheel and essentially hand off the baton. In a race, once the baton is handed off, it is over for the previous runner. Some people do not have the emotional intelligence to accept the fact that their run is finished.

Second, many leaders are unable to celebrate a different kind of leadership - which it will be from theirs - when somone else is not in charge. They second guess them, are unhappy with staff or directonal decisions and either publically or privately make their views known. In either case the views become public and it hurts the new leader.

Part of the reason can be defensiveness and even an unhappiness at the success of the new leader. Their success can be seen as a failure for the previous leader - after all it did not happen on their watch. Whatever the motivation for not being supportive or for speaking ill or even remaining neutral - there is something coming from a unhealthy place.

What healthy transitions look like

In a healthy transition, the past leader makes a commitment, as mine did that he would only speak positively, would never criticize or even take a neutral attitude. What is interesting is that while I stand on his shoulders as a leader, I am a very different leader for a very different day. He could have taken exception to a number of decisions that I made but he never did. Not to me and not to others.

His wonderful, supportive attitude came out of a place of spiritual health. He had prayed for his sucessor for years before the transition happened. He had also been clear that he would support that successor no matter who it was. So when I was chosen, and I would not have been his choice, he could and did say, this is who I have been praying for, this is God's choice and I will be fully supportive. And he was from day one.

It takes humility to see a successor who has strengths we do not have exercise them and see success. But his success will not be my success and the reverse is also true. We are different people with different strengths for different times.

Healthy leaders are willing to understand that their leadership is finished and refuse to get involved in the discussions, details or offer counsel unless it as asked for by the new leader and then only to him or her. People will fish for the opinion of the prior leader, wanting to know their opinions of the new leader and any criticisms there might be. After all, the staff have relationships with the prior leader. Healthy leaders never get drawn in and simply remain supportive.

Wise new leaders honor the past even as they reinvision for the future. There is never a need to put down the past leader (indicates poor EQ on the part of the new leader), nor is it necessary to critizice the past. New days requrie new strategies and the fact is that will be true when we give up our leadership post as well.

A key underlying philosophy for both the previous leader and the new leader is that it is not about us. It is about the mission and health of the organization. We are simply stewards of the organization and when we choose to be critical we are hurting the organization - and indicating our own insecurities.

When I leave this position my intention is:

To walk away with thanksgiving for the opportunity I had

To publically and privately support the new leader

To pray for that leader and their leadership

To never be critical of the new leader or new direction

To celebrate the gifts and qualities of the new leader.

I learned from the best. Thank you Ben