The most important component in leadership

A fellow minister recently told me of a conversation he had with a person in a church that had experienced some problems created by their pastor. The person said to my friend that she didn't know if she could ever trust another pastor. Unfortunately, this individual is not alone. When a minister does things that causes people to lose trust in him or her that distrust often extends to other ministers. When people do not trust their leader it becomes impossible for them to follow that leader. It is easy to see why the most important component in leadership is trust. No one can lead any organization, whether it's a church or secular organization, without having the trust of the people being lead.

Of course, if one is a positional leader only then it is possible to get people to do what you want simply because you have a title. They will do the work for a paycheck. But, a person who only has a positional title will quickly learn it's hard to lead a volunteer organization like a church. Just because you are called pastor does not mean that people are going to willingly follow you, especially if you begin to challenge them to do difficult things.

Trust doesn't come with a title or degrees. It must be earned, and it sometimes can take a long time to earn sufficient trust to lead a church. The smaller church, the more frequent the pastoral turnover has been, if there have been previous problems with pastors, it can take a very long time to earn that trust. What can take years to gain can be quickly lost if that trust is broken.

How can a leader build trust with those he or she is seeking to lead? It begins with respecting other people and seeing value in each of  them. It comes when leaders do what they say they are going to do. Trust is formed when leaders are engaged in the work they are asking others to do. When I was serving in denominational ministry one of the young pastors in my area asked me to help him move to a new church. I asked why he wanted to move when he had not been at his present place a year. He complained that people wouldn't follow his leadership. I tried to explain two things to him. One, he had not been at his present place long enough to earn the trust of the people to lead them. Two, he couldn't expect them to follow his leadership when he played golf 5-6 days a week. I suggested he decide if he wanted to pastor a church or get his PGA certification.

People have to buy in to the leader before they will buy in to his or her leadership. You have to capture their hearts before you can ask for their hands. When people understand that you truly care about them and love the church they have spent their lives in as much as they do you will be better able to lead them.

Showing appreciation goes a long way towards building trust with others. No one wants to feel their work isn't important or being noticed. It takes just a moment to speak a genuine word of appreciation to someone, but that moment can make that person's day It also helps build a positive relationship with that person and such relationships lead to trust.

Being consistent is crucial to building trust. As I wrote above, it can take years in some cases to earn enough trust to effectively lead a church. That trust will be created day-by-day as you consistently demonstrate that you are a person who can be trusted. The good news is that once that trust is gained your ministry and that of the church will grow far more effective.