The true leader in your organisation may not bear the title 'leader.'
What do you do, if some of your people seem to largely ignore you?
What do you do, if a board is stalling your progress?
What do you do, if an elder is actually calling the shots?
What do you do, if your associate's voice is more heeded than your own?
What do you do, if everybody tries to tell you how to do your job?
This is uncomfortable!
This hurts!
Many leaders are utterly unable to cope with that situation competently.
Just look at King Saul.
Saul's servant David had climbed the career ladder in the military rather rapidly. At a very young age he had become general of the armies. He was also an acclaimed singer and songwriter.
He was popular with the whole crowd, not just with the soldiers. (1 Samuel 18, 5.) His songs as well as songs about him dominated the charts. Especially the maidens went gaga over this holy hunk, for when the army came home from the field, the maidens sang: "Saul has slain his thousands and David has slain his tens of thousands!" (Here's a king of pop who is being sung at instead of singing himself.)
It had happened!
Slowly, unnoticably, David had become more popular and influential than the man on the throne! Israel would have rather followed the squire than the knight!
Imagine people cheering Robin rather than Batman!
Tonto rather than the Lone Ranger!
David had true influence.
And influence constitutes the core of leadership.
Saul reacted like many leaders react, when they get overwhelmed by such a development: he got angry.
He may have told his wife that David had the "Spirit of Absalom."
If David would have been a woman, he would have had the "Spirit of Jezebel" because of the uncomfortable feelings he caused in Saul.
But David did not misuse his considerable influence. Such a thing did not even enter his mind.
David was as faithful as can be.
Pastor: if you have a popular, gifted, influential person in your congregation - an obvious leader -, and he has the heart of a David, make him your friend!! Don't cut him off! He is a god-given asset to you. Acknowledge the fact - however stinging - that he has more sway over them than you do.
Talk to him.
Share your plans with him.
If he has the heart of a David, he will take your positions to the people and get them excited for you, since they will listen to him.
I call that an arrangement with reality.
In the course of time people will notice your strong and reliable character. Then they will probably move from being influenced by the boy oozing with charisma to being influenced by you, the pastor oozing with character. Maybe you don't connect as easily as the other guy. However, your true love and genuine interest in your people will compensate for that over time.
People sense integrity.
Time is on your side, working for you, if you truly do have your congregation's best interest on your heart. People will find out sooner or later. And then they'll follow you. Genuine agape will compensate for many of your other shortcomings.
- On the other hand: what if your main influencer in the church is hostile to you as the leader? Then you need to progress wisely like Solomon did as he took the throne after David's death.
Solomon, ordained of God, purged his environment of hostile forces, but he never did it arbitrarily!
He did it because he had to, not because he enjoyed it.
He never came across as wilful, spiteful or with a bitter spirit, spitting vengeance.
He was a man of peace.
You need to be, too.
As young and inexperienced as Solomon was: he acted wisely in consolidating his leadership over Israel.
The Kid King had powerful and influential enemies roam his court.
Adonjiah for instance, Absalom's brother.
Adonijah tried to install himself as king shortly before the ailing David died. He didn't go through with it when the old king hurriedly nominated Solomon in reaction to his uprising. But he never accepted Solomon as his king.
Or look at Joab.
Joab had been field marshall under David for the longest time. You could say this military leader was "entrenched." (Yet it is telling that he was never counted as one of David's heroes.)
David tried on numerous occasions to get rid of this inscrutable personage, but couldn't, because Joab seemed loyal to him. When David needed somebody to murder Uriah for him, he knew he could rely on General Joab.
In the business world there was Shimei, the resentful relative of Saul. And there was Abiathar, the rebel priest.
Solomon knew that these people were brimming with ambition. And ambitious people will always overstep their boundaries sooner or later. They will challenge the leader and test his mettle.
That moment of crisis is your golden moment.
Solomon did not malign any of them or pursue them without warrant. Instead he waited until each of his foes in positions of power overstepped his boundaries in a blatant and obvious manner. When they did, and the common people saw the audacity in the challenge these people threw into the king's face, he got rid of them by means of banishment or even the sword.
Everybody agreed with the king that he had to act. (When it is clear to everybody that you have to act, it is real easy.)
When he did the people were reassured that he was in command.
His halo remained intact. (And you better make sure your's does, too. Never come across like you have an axe to grind. Why should you? The Lord strives for you!)
"So the king commanded Banaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out and fell upon him [evil business leader Shimei in this case], that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon." (1 Kings 2, 46.)
(This is not Machiavellian church politics à la Hoinle! This is the bible!)
I think I will pursue this line of "Leadership Challenges" in the next Teaching News.
God's richest and best to you,
Gert Hoinle, Editor of Teaching News
P.S.: If you feel like you're in some heavy doodoo:
Remember: you're not a failure.
You just haven't succeeded yet.
(I think John Maxwell said that somewhere ...)