[Note: When I write posts about leading at work, I’ll also be categorizing them as leading through the church, since I work primarily as a leader in a church.]
One of the most helpful truths I ever learned about leading at work came from John Maxwell, one of America’s gurus of leadership. Maxwell pointed out that the true leader of any organization never has to say, “I’m in charge here.” The statement tells us something important about the person making it: he or she wants to be in charge, may even have the title of being in charge–president, pastor, director, etc… but when it comes to actual leadership the person is probably only a “positional” leader. Positional leadership, as the name suggests, has a position or title, but gains respect and a followership only because of the position. For example, when a new pastor comes to a church or a new director comes to head a department of a company she is NOT in charge the first day. She may have the title or position of leadership, but gains only the respect that comes with the title.
Maxwell contends that over time, and it needs to be over a relatively short period of time, the leader needs to move from the positional level, to the relational leadership level, and on to the productive level of leadership, or the position will be short-lived. Relational leadership comes from being liked, because of time taken to establish a relationship beyond that required to fulfill the position. Take a new pastor in a church, for example. If he makes a point of getting to know people by name, uses personal illustrations that give his hearers an opportunity to get to know who he is, and interacts with them in the community, he will soon move to the relational level of leadership. People will know that the leader’s desire is not just to wear a position or title, but to relate with them at a personal level.
The productive level of leadership comes when the leader shows her followers that she has come to add value to them. She “produces” something that is needed. If she is the director of the department at work, she finds ways to help those with whom she works accomplish more. She finds ways to add to the bottom line, whether it’s the financial bottom line, or the attitudinal bottom line among the workers. Both those who work for her and those for whom she works gain value because of her leadership. At this level, the leader may start to be in charge, but she won’t need to tell you she is.
The next level of leadership is the reproductive level. At this level, the leader hasn’t only taken the effort to relate with others, and to produce results that matter in the church or company, he has led others to the point that they are also producing results in the lives of others. At this level of leadership the leader is leading from one person away. For example, when I started in the ministry more than thirty years ago, I served primarily as a youth pastor. After serving for a couple of years, I had equipped adults to lead the young people in our youth ministry. These adults experienced the joy of leading the young people, and I experienced the joy of watching them experience that joy. While it can be hard at first not to be the one on the “front line” any longer, the benefits of reproductive leadership are obvious. The most important benefit is we can lead so many more people through others than we can lead ourselves. At this point, a leader is “in charge,” but doesn’t need to tell anyone.
Maxwell offers one additional level of leadership, which he calls the “personhood” level. This is the level where a person has been faithful in his or her work or ministry for so long that just hearing the name causes folks to say, “Yes, THAT is a leader.” For example, Mother Teresa attained the personhood level of leadership, as has Billy Graham. Anyone who reaches this level of leadership is definitely in charge. Everyone knows it, but he or she would never need to say it.
As with every aspect of leadership, we must start where we are and take one step at a time toward the next level. There’s nothing wrong with being a positional leader, but as I’ve heard Maxwell say, if that’s the only level you attain, you won’t be a leader for long. Always be honest in your evaluation of where you are, and take the next step to becoming the leader you can be. Remember, the goal is not to “be in charge,” but to add value to those around us so that everyone benefits. As we do that we’ll move along the five levels of leadership and as we add more and more value to others, they will be more than glad to call us their leader and to recognize that we are truly a leader in their lives.
Here’s to leading better–today!