Pastor Ken
I’m the youngest in my family. Since childhood, I seldom took the lead among my playmates and simply went along with the majority. In the youth group at church, I often played the role of an assistant. The first time I was pushed to a leadership position was when my fellow classmates in the seminary elected me as the president of the student organization. At that time, there were about 70 students, and everyone cast his/her vote to decide who would be the president. After the result came out, I was taken aback. How could it be? Fortunately, a few classmates agreed to “form a cabinet” with me. So, I bit the bullet and took over the responsibility. Later, when I became a pastor, I found that most of my congregants expected the pastor to be their leader. They consider themselves as “the flock,” and the pastor is the shepherd who should lead them.
To be honest, I have a resistance to taking on the leadership role. In my perception, a leader must be eloquent and charismatic. When he speaks, others will shut up and listen. After he makes a decision, everyone will support and implement it. But I’m not that type of person. To improve myself, I took a course on “Leadership” to learn how to lead. After a few lessons and reading a bunch of articles, I began to realize that leaders and leadership styles are two different topics.
Looking back on my elementary school days, two teachers left me with a deep impression. One used severe deterrence to intimidate students, and everyone listened quietly in class because any mistake could lead to an unwanted punishment. The other was kind and gentle, and she patiently explained the situation even when we made a mistake. All of us respected her and listened to her attentively. Both teachers were leaders in the classroom, trying to achieve the same purpose, but the leadership styles were obviously different.
For any organization or group, the most important consideration is its goal and mission. In a commercial organization, of course, the goal is to make money. If it is a church, the mission should be to cultivate believers and spread the gospel. No matter what kind of leadership style a leader takes, if he/she can unite the group and motivate everyone to achieve the goal, then the person is a good leader. Sometimes a forceful leader may cause power struggles or make subordinates feel oppressed, creating mutual distrust and a “toxic culture.”
I’ve been pastoring Christian churches for 30+ years until my retirement in 2020. Jesus taught His disciples that “whoever wants to be the first among you must be the servant of all.” Some people may think that being a servant often leads to being used or bullied. The wisdom of Jesus proves not so. Through servitude, we build mutual trust and earn the respect of others. Leaders who are respected and trusted can effectively promote the ministry and achieve the purpose of what a church ought to be.
This doesn’t mean that in any group, the leader must be the servant of all. I just tried to point out that there is more than one way to lead. A leader should focus on the common goal of the group. The person must understand one’s own strengths and weaknesses and, with humility, invite others to compensate for his/her weaknesses. In so doing, people with distinct personalities and leadership styles can be wonderful leaders.
