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. 

Respect your predecessor

Among the many troubling things I've noticed in politics in recent years is how former President Obama and his wife talk about our current president. In my 70 years I don't ever remember hearing a former president speak badly in public about the one who succeeded him. In fact, knowing first-hand the pressures a president faces former presidents form a bond with one another despite the political differences they may have. Obama went to great lengths to blame his problems on former President Bush and now spends a great deal of energy attacking President Trump. So does Michelle.

Some of my readers might say that President Trump brings some of that on himself due to some of his comments. Like many Americans I wish he would tone down his rhetoric, close his Twitter account, and behave a little more presidential in his speech, but this still does not excuse the regular attacks from the Obamas.

Once again, I want to draw a parallel between what's happening in the political arena and the church arena. A pastor should never criticize those who previously served his or her church. One of the smartest things a pastor can do when starting in a new church is to speak well of his or her predecessor. In many instances there are people who are still grieving the loss of their former pastor. To speak well of that individual shows a sense of loyalty to the church's past.

In some situations you might not be able to find a lot of good things to say about the previous pastor. Perhaps he or she left due to a moral failure or some other difficulty may have been the reason the former pastor left. In those cases it's best to say very little about the individual. Even in those situations there are people grieving the loss of that individual, and speaking harshly of that situation just deepens the sense of loss they feel.

Perhaps the previous pastor instituted some programs that need to be replaced with some that would be more effective. The way to do that is not to criticize the program or the pastor who started it but to point out that while that program served its purpose, it's now time to look at doing something different because of changing circumstances.

Another way to show respect for your predecessor is to invite him or her back for special occasions. I was recently honored to preach at the 200th anniversary of a church I served as an interim pastor in 1980. It's not the first time I've been back to that church, but it was an honor to be invited to speak at such an important event in the life of that congregation. It was even more special considering that 52 years ago my wife and I were married in that church.

You will win favor with people in your church when you speak well of their former pastors and include them in special observances of your congregation. Remember, one day you will be a former pastor in that church so treat those who came before you the same way you will want to be treated by those who follow you.