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A friend from seminary days told me that every leader has a number on his (or her) back.
50…100…200…1000…10,000
His theory? Basically, everyone has a natural number that reflects the size of the organization (or area) they’re capable of leading.
I wish he weren’t right. But what if he is?
Here’s a perplexing question. What if you have a number but don’t know what it is?
Your problem (and mine)
Your problem (and mine) happens when a relational leader tries to fill the role of an organizational leader. And to a similar extent when an organizational leader tries to fill a relational role.
Our culture raises tension because we assume that bigger is better.
We can get caught up in constantly comparing ourselves with others and feel inadequate if we’re not moving toward the “next stage.” The Apostle Paul says this is unwise in 1 Corinthians 10:12: “For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” (NKJV)
So … what are you? Last time we learned the style of relational leaders. This time we will learn about an organizational leader. But first, let’s review.
Relational leaders
- Are fired up by direct interaction with people.
- Dislike not knowing who’s in or not in the room or present that day.
- Are current on what’s going on in people’s lives.
- Think systems gut the energy out of a great community.
- Find it difficult to find and nurture current or future leaders.
Organizational leaders
By comparison, here is how organizational leaders think and operate. Organizational leaders:
- Are fueled by procedures that are designed to add value to people.
An organizational leader doesn’t often demonstrate a caring spirit toward others directly; they are just concerned that people are being cared for well (by others). They think about improving the system or organization to care for more people.
To characterize relational leadership as “Christian” and systems as “non-Christian” is just not accurate. Acts 6 reveals how systems increased the early church’s capacity to care for more people genuinely. No side can claim the moral high road here.
- Have no deep yearning to know everyone in the room.
An organizational leader unconsciously realizes that if the mission grows, it will mean their personal involvement in care is limited.
They are generally more enthusiastic that the mission is reaching people than they are energized by knowing the people who are being reached personally. It doesn’t mean they don’t care; it just means they realize that a system that will reach hundreds or thousands demands that they do not play a personal role in every aspect.
- Interact more closely with people within their direct sphere of influence.
Instead of trying to know many people, an organizational leader will connect more deeply with a few.
Influential organizational leaders will have a healthy relationship with as many as a dozen people who report to them or to whom they report. They are not people who simply sit behind a keyboard all day because people and healthy relationships always drive any great organization (even large ones).
Rather than being there for everyone, organizational leaders are there for the hospital visits, life celebrations, and everyday moments of a few of their closest and highest capacity leaders.
It doesn’t mean they never step outside that span of care to help others; it just means the inner circle of their closest leaders receives 80-95% of their relational focus.
- Are comfortable with the reality that systems are critical to a growing community.
Organizational leaders have a heart for scale and systems because they believe that effective systems create the capacity to care for even more people.
While being “organic,” “authentic,” and “decentralized” sounds more romantic, the truth is the most influential organizations that transform the most lives (even for good) are the result of careful systems.
- Energized by developing other leaders.
Organizational leaders realize that they must develop and release more leaders as the organization grows. So, they discover, develop, and deploy them.
Although, in some respect, that creates more distance between them and others in the organization (and sometimes that’s sad even for the leader), they understand it’s part of how growing systems work on this side of heaven.
Furthermore, they find considerable pleasure in watching others develop their God-given gifts and leading in areas they formally led.
Ironically, it makes you more valuable than less valuable when you lease others to lead an area you previously led.
Those are some key differences I see between relational and organizational leaders.
I hope this helps you figure out who you might be and where you best fit within an organization. At least, I hope it enables you to consider a tension many of us face when we try to figure out why things aren’t growing as fast as we had hoped
