What Navy Seals Can Teach Us About Church Leadership - Part 4: Check the Ego
"Ego clouds and disrupts everything: the planning process, the ability to take good advice, and the ability to accept constructive criticism" (p. 100).
I'm tempted to believe no pastor fights with his ego, but I would be foolish to do so. Jesus is incredibly clear about the attitude by which we lead. What Greenleaf (1977) termed "servant-leadership" should be the foundation of how you lead your congregation. Long before Greenleaf gave us this term, Jesus modeled it on that fateful day in the upper room.
“When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. ‘Do you understand what I have done for you?’ he asked them. ‘You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.’” John 13:3-5, 12-17 NIV.
While we must lead with strength and clarity of vision, this belief does not exclude humility. Today, more and more people are looking for authenticity than they are for braggadocios leaders. Politics aside, where ego seems to reign supreme, no one likes to work with a braggart.
While we must lead with strength and clarity of vision, this belief does not exclude humility.
One damaging effect of pastors whose tenure is all about them and their personality -- one I have personally witnessed -- is the church becomes more about a personality than about Jesus. When churches follow a celebrity pastor, and that pastor leaves or fails on a moral level, the church is devastated. People become bewildered and disillusioned. Why? Because they believed the author and perfecter of their faith was the pastor instead of Jesus. Society is obsessed with ego, social media perfection, and the numbers of likes and followers a leader has. Find your health, focus, and satisfaction in serving with love and compassion those God has put in front of you. Give Him honor, praise, and recognition before all else.
LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE:
Are your members following you? Think carefully. At any level do you feel the church culture is more about you than it is about the movement and direction of the Holy Spirit? If you have a trusted advisor in the church, one who will be honest with you, ask him or her if you and your church are in balance. To a large degree it is natural for people to be drawn to the personality of the pastor. I don't see this as a problem. God gave you your talent, traits, and passion. People will be drawn to who you are -- that is human nature. Your challenge is to continually direct their praise and loyalty to Jesus first.
Greenleaf, R., (1977). Servant Leadership. Hickman (Ed.) Leading organizations: Perspectives for a new era (pp. 87-95). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Full credit for the "laws" in this series are exclusively given to:
Willink, J., and Babin. L. (2015) Extreme Ownership: How Navy Seals lead and win. St. Martin's Press, New York, NY.