Leadership Library

Effectively leading a church or ministry organization requires many things-a motivating vision, a clear mission statement, an intentional strategy, high capacity staff members. No one questions these things. However, there is another fundamental requirement without which no ministry can thrive or sustain itself for the long haul-and too often it is either ignored or disregarded, especially by those in Christian ministry. According to Andy Stanley, that fundamental requirement is systems-communication systems, decision-making systems, budgeting systems, programming systems, structural systems and more. And it is systems, perhaps more than anything else, that determine what happens-or fails to happen-in an organization. Stanley writes, "You can pray your heart out, fast your heart out, commit your heart out and surrender your heart out to initiate change or launch a new ministry, but if you fail to address your systems, there will be no change and your ministry will not thrive. It's not because God is not interested or you're not spiritual, it's because God works through systems. Every time God creates something, there is something systematic and predictable about it. That doesn't make God predictable or small; it's just how God operates."

The challenges, isolation, and relentless demands of leadership can inspire a variety of fears in the heart of a leader; among them fear of failure, fear of mutiny, fear of criticism, fear of disappointing people. However, the greatest fear leaders face is not something that might happen to them, but something that can happen in them-a degeneration of the heart that robs them of their calling and leaves a deep soul dissatisfaction in its place. John Ortberg describes this menacing fear in terms of mission and shadow mission. A mission is the highest purpose to which God calls us; a shadow mission is an authentic mission that has been derailed, often in imperceptible ways. Ortberg writes, 'Part of what makes the shadow mission so tempting is that it's usually so closely related to our gifts and passions. It's not 180 degrees off track; it is just 10 degrees off track, but that 10 degrees is in the direction of hell.' Every leader has a mission-and a shadow mission. Even Jesus had to battle a shadow mission; it was to be a leader without suffering-to be the Messiah without the cross. Ortberg writes, 'If we fail to embrace our true mission, we will live out our shadow mission. We will let our lives center around things that are unworthy, selfish and dark.' Using characters from the remarkable Old Testament story of Esther, Ortberg demonstrates the disastrous consequences of succumbing to shadow mission, and the stunning rewards of whole-hearted commitment to mission. With characteristic humor and insight, the author invites us to follow Esther's example and courageously choose to embrace the mission God gives. Like Esther, we can lead without fear-even in threatening circumstances-because we know God is always at work in unseen, unknown and unlikely ways.

A vision. You as a leader may have it, but has your organization caught it. If a leader's vision is all about what could be and what should be, why are you buried under what is? Noted author and pastor Andy Stanley points out that if followers don't get the vision, it's because the leaders haven't delivered it. He reveals the three reasons vision doesn't stick. And then he delivers three ways to make vision stick, to make you a leader worth following:1. Cast vision strategically: defining your vision.2. Celebrate vision systematically: regularly rejoicing in the successes3. Live your vision continuously: putting your vision into practice in your own life With Making Vision Stick, you'll learn how to propel you and your organization forward on the vision God has granted you.