Leader or Manager?

I remember turning 15 and getting my learner’s permit. For a year I drove under the close and constant supervision of my parents. They taught me so much during that year about how to drive a car… but the majority of what I learned came naturally just by being the one behind the wheel. Then on my 16^th birthday I got my driver’s license. I was on my own. My dad handed me the keys to my very own car. I remember taking my dad out for a drive for the first time! It was finally time for me to drive him without needing him in the car. But to my disappointment he didn’t see it that way. He constantly told me when to start braking, or that I was going too fast. I remember being so frustrated that I thought, “either he is going to have to drive or else just get out of the car”. The problem was that as long as he was in the car, he couldn’t let go and trust me to be in control of the car. His lack of trust in me was a killjoy.

I couldn’t enjoy my new level of responsibility

because I didn’t even FEEL like I was the one driving.

No one likes a back seat driver!

Many pastors are guilty of being a back seat driver. They give leadership over to a person in the church but then fail to let go of control. They just can’t trust that God wants to use people who are different than themselves and who do things differently than they would do them. Therefore many pastors begin to micromanage their churches.

MICROMANAGE (verb) - control of every part, however small, of an enterprise or activity.

So what’s wrong with micromanaging a church if you are the pastor, head elder, and vision caster? First of all, micromanagement stifles the leadership of others. And this is a bad thing! God does not want one person to be the all controlling leader of a church, but rather one leader is vision casting while many leaders (under that vision) are leading out in that direction using various styles, methods and giftings. Hopefully the head pastor has a God-given vision for the direction of his church. However, a strong belief in the vision God has given does not come without it’s challenges. The call into pastoral ministry comes with a very strong opinion of the way things need to be done and how things should work. Therefore I believe that many pastors have a real struggle when it comes to relinquishing control. This will not only smother other leaders but will also hinder the Spirit’s control. God does not intend for any church to be one man’s baby, but many pastors see their church as just that. God wants the local church to be a conglomeration of multiple leaders with multiple strengths and inevitably multiple weaknesses. But the point is that we all have our blind spots. Every pastor has blind spots and so churches need multiple leaders all with different blind spots to lead in their respective areas of strength. This is what John Piper has to say about micromanaging;

“I think micromanaging—that is, constantly second-guessing the decisions that your staff is making—will destroy their confidence, morale, and delight in ministry. And besides, they're smart! They know what they're doing in their spheres better than I do. My perspective is limited and flawed.”

Churches need leaders and not managers. The fact is that a pastor who is micromanaging is not leading at all. A leader doesn’t do everything. That isn’t leading… that’s doing. Too many pastors wear too many hats at their church. Delegation of responsibilities only works if after you delegate you take your hands off! Give someone else the keys and then actually let them drive! Don’t try to make them drive the way you do. Get out of the car. Trust in God’s sovereignty! It is His church and not yours after all. Letting go of control takes humility.

I think a lot of people in leadership positions in the church don’t realize that they are micromanagers. George Barna produced a helpful chart contrasting how leaders tend to operate verses how managers operate. This full chart can be found in his book The Second Coming of the Church on page 37. Here are just a few of the more interesting differences between the two:

1.) Leaders tend to favor innovative thinking while managers tend to favor routine thinking

2.) Leaders tend to balance idealism and realism while managers tend to emphasize pragmatism

3.) Leaders tend to encourage revolutionary flair and managers are protectors of the status quo

4.) Leaders clarify the vision and managers implement the vision

5.) Leaders are excited by change and managers are threatened by change

6.) Leaders take risks while managers avoid risks

Encourage leadership in your church by handing over the keys and getting out of the car. Bold, entrepreneurial, risk taking, leaders will be frustrated and the Spirit quenched if one man has his hands in every ministry and decision made within the church. Trust. Cast vision and then watch as others take it and run with it!

For a great book on leadership within the church check out Leaders Who Last by Dave Kraft