Many years ago, my boss, who oversaw all of the church’s technology teams at the time, wanted his leadership team (myself included) to listen to some leadership podcasts generated by the Poynter Institute.
They were easy to digest (most were 3-5 minutes long) but generally packed with tons of leadership nuggets.
One that lingered in our collective memories was an episode that noted 12 Signs You’re a Great Leader, which I then adapted to specifically fit the production world. It could easily be modified to fit multiple different areas of ministry, because the underlying truths are universally applicable.
So what does a great production leader look like? Twelve important leadership attributes to focus on:
1 - You get great pleasure from the success of your people.
It’s easy to be territorial, and many insecure ministry leaders certainly are. They tend to feel threatened when others around them shine.
Instead, when those I lead achieve success, it’s a feather in my cap for having a process and desire to develop people. God has plans for all of us to grow and develop to our full potential, and part of my role as a leader is to help my staff and volunteers improve at their skills and abilities so they become fulfilled in the way God wants them to be.
Maybe that means that person ends up surpassing me or getting exposure to things that I don’t. Good for them! Maybe my most valuable role in the organization is to help people grow and succeed at things, not necessarily hanging onto tasks and duties myself.
When I have an identity solidly grounded in Christ and his calling for me, it’s easier for me to elevate others without wondering how that affects me.
2 - You don’t treat everyone the same.
This may sound counterintuitive, since ministry is a people business. Shouldn’t we love everyone equally, and extend grace, mercy, and opportunities to all?
Yes, but with a caveat. Part of leading well means I have personal relationships with the people I lead, and I know them well enough to know what makes them tick. Like a sports coach, I know that people are motivated, encouraged, and inspired different ways. One size doesn’t necessarily fit all.
When I invest in everyone as an individual, I know what buttons to push. I give one person access to certain opportunities that would make another team member shudder. I mentor them differently, correct them differently, and reward them differently. The best leaders know how to treat each team member as a unique individual.
3 - You understand that your title gives you power but your character gives you influence.
Just because I have the “right” to make certain decisions because of my role doesn’t necessarily mean that I should do all that I could do.
People are my most valuable asset as a leader. I’ll never get anywhere or accomplish anything without them! I may not be an incredibly charismatic leader, but that’s OK. I may not be the most technically skilled leader, or the most experienced, and that’s OK too.
But my team won’t forgive a lack of character. Do I treat them with respect, or am I demanding, lording my influence and power over them? Do I value them for the people they are, or do I see them as faceless cogs in the machinery who are there simply to fulfill tasks or roles?
Do I practice what I preach when it comes to how I treat others with respect, honor authority, carry vision, and uphold the standards and values of the organization? If not, then I’ll never be able to expect those I lead to do those things for me. I must first lead by example.
4 - Your feedback is honest, honoring, and consistent.
Feedback in ministry must include two components, just like Jesus showed: grace and truth. It’s been said that truth without grace (a harsh packaging of faults and failures) is mean, and grace without truth (shrugging off or ignoring weaknesses or shortcomings) is meaningless.
We must be able to marry the two. I’ll give you an assessment of how you missed the mark, but I’ll do it in a way that shows I value you as a person, I see and embrace your full potential, I care about you as a person as you struggle and grow, but I also see so much opportunity in you that I won’t let you settle for anything less, even if it results in a painful journey.
Feedback is a necessary part of growth, but it must be done in the right way. And it must be regular. Saving feedback for an annual review is worthless. Am I regularly having conversations with those I lead so they know where they’re excelling and where they need to invest energy into growth?
But do they first know that I care about them as a person and want then to succeed? Without that, all of my feedback will just fall on deaf ears.
5 - More than a few people have saved notes of praise you have sent them.
For this to even be effective, I must first actually send notes of praise!
When I notice that people do a good job, am I singling that out? Can I send someone a text message to affirm how much I appreciate their effort and commitment? Can I leave a handwritten Thank You note for a volunteer to express how much they mean to me and the team?
What about writing a card to a spouse or child of a team member, thanking them for allowing us to borrow their family member each week, knowing that their family sacrifice is leading to Kingdom results?
It takes only a few minutes each week to add value to someone else’s life, so how can I do that in a way that shows I care? Five minutes a week can lead to a lifetime of rewards.
6 - Your constructive response to mistakes and problems makes people want to bring them to you.
I can be a complainer or a problem-solver, but not both. So when things go sideways, what do I focus on? How unfair, unjust, and unreasonable the source of the issue is, or about how our team can rise to the occasion to help someone solve their problem?
And if a team member is the cause of the issue, they know it anyway and don’t need me to harp on it or keep bringing it up. Focus on the person, embrace the larger body of work, and use this as an opportunity to coach someone to success. Then, after the dust has settled, let’s debrief the issue and talk about how to handle it differently in the future.
7 - You communicate your plans and goals clearly.
People will forgive a lot of things from a leader, but one thing they’ll never let slide is a lack of clarity. It’s been said that people quit leaders/managers, not jobs. It’s the people above them who end up pushing them away.
Part of leading effectively is painting a clear picture of the finish line. What are our goals and vision? How do we know when we’re successful? Does every team member know their role in the process so they not only know their individual goals, but how their duties can help the team be successful?
Burnout doesn’t necessarily come from the amount of time spent on a task or project. It tends to happen when there’s a disconnect between what I’m doing and why. Why does this matter? Who does it impact? How does this help me?
When a leader can answer those questions, they’ll get loyal team members for life.
8 - You hire people smarter than you and you’re not intimidated by their knowledge or skill set.
As was noted at the outset of the list, great leaders want their people to succeed. This is true even if success opens doors for others that my skills never opened for me.
It’s been said that if a leader is the smartest one in the room, they’re in the wrong room.
In order to make my team and organization better, I have to constantly be looking for people whose experience and skills will help us take new ground. What we’ve done previously may have worked to get us here, but the future is uncharted territory. Are there people with expanded and more mature skills who can help us get where we need to go?
I never want my or my team’s lack of experience be the factor that limits our ministry’s ability to achieve new vision or accomplish new things. That can only be true if I’m always on the lookout for people who can help us do things that maybe I cannot.
9 - Your team feels ownership of ideas and initiatives, even those that you have initiated.
One of the challenges of management is navigating the line of “us versus them.” How do I use my language when I refer to problems, ideas, and solutions? Am I quick to talk about “I” and “me” when there are great ideas, and “they” and “them” when problems arise?
Or do I talk about “us” and “we,” including myself as part of the bigger team when we address things?
It’s OK to come up with ideas on my own, and it’s even OK to take an appropriate amount of credit for solving a problem. But in everything that happens, I have to be able to tie it back to the team and the big picture. What’s in it for them? How will it help them succeed? How can they feel like an owner as part of the process?
They’ll never feel this way if I posture scenarios just as objectives the team is pursuing for my benefit. However, if I ask for their input in solving problems, and give them a stake in the game to improve their own standing, it becomes easier for them to be a co-owner who wants to find the solution.
10 - You know the occasions when only top-down decisions will work.
A leader has discernment for the times, hopefully few and far between, where they must put their foot down and mandate a certain path.
Perhaps the team has been bickering about a problem, or maybe there’s a lack of consensus on a technology path to take. I must know that not every situation allows for democracy. Sometimes I just have to quiet the troops and put a stake in the ground: this is the way it’s going to be, and we all need to get in line.
When I exercise this power, I must also pair it with a clear cut explanation or rationale behind my thinking. Even if I have to be forceful, if there’s clarity as to the “why” it will give the team a chance to understand my thinking and buy in. Relying on the old “because I said so” approach, which we hated when our parents did, will only go so far.
In these moments, it’s also imperative that I stay calm. The team feeds off of my emotions, so if I’m feeling stress or pressure, I can’t let the team feel that. I can be forceful or determined without being loud or stressed or angry. Take a deep breath, plant the flag, and be ready to move down the new path.
11 - You are a continuous learner.
If I’m not learning, then I’m not growing, and chances are my team isn’t either. Without embodying a learning mentality, it’s impossible for me to emphasize personal growth for those I lead. Instead of getting better, they’ll stagnate too, and ultimately our stasis will lead to a stall in the growth potential of the church.
Leaders are learners. There’s always something new to learn, and there’s always something to get better at. True, I’m not necessarily trying to be the smartest one in the room, but for the things I’m good at, I should still keep striving to improve at those things. If I’m not learning and improving, then I’m atrophying and falling behind.
How can I grow as a leader? Friend? Employee? Christian? Parent? Spouse? There’s always room for improvement, but I’ll never get there without making it an intentional priority. Growth doesn’t happen by accident. It must be something I work at on a regular basis.
12 - Your team knows what you stand for and is proud to stand with you.
When I’m not around, how well does my team represent me and our team values? Does everyone know the “why” so they can still properly represent who we are? Or are they quick to distance themselves from my outdated or irrelevant approach so they don’t get dragged down by my out-of-touch perspectives?
If I’m not open-minded to change, then when the world around me changes, it will leave me behind. My team won’t accept my leadership, and I’ll ultimately be a hindrance to the growth of that group and the organization as a whole.
Plus, am I a healthy representative of organizational vision? Do I act like a servant? Do my words reflect what I say I believe? Am I living a high-character life that those around me would like to emulate? Do I show that people, especially my team and their families, matter, and am I using a people-first filter when I make my decisions?
Leadership is hard, full of a constant churn of changes and challenges. Being a great leader is a daily discipline that must get priority energy and focus.
And when it’s done right, those daily sacrifices will yield a lifetime of healthy results.
