Spiritual Leadership – Support to Top Dog

If you are just tuning in today, you have joined a long discussion on the Battles that are won and lost by Spiritual Leaders. They face these battles at key points in their leadership growth and duties. Whether they win or lose each battle will most likely determine not only their success but the success of the Church overall. For the last week or so we have been looking at the Battle of Transitioning. Every leader faces those moments when he transitions from one leadership role or level to the next. Making those transitions well creates a “win win” for everyone involved. Failing to make those transitions disables leaders and divides the people.

The second to the last transition in leadership that we are looking at is from Support Staff to Top Dog. This transition alone causes the destruction and disabling of thousands of churches every year.

Support Staff are awesome leaders that have either retired from Top Dog positions or have determined that they are not to be Top Dog leaders. They play hardest and most critical roles in the leadership orchestra – second fiddle. These leaders are so qualified that they could do the Top Dog’s job alone, but instead they help the Top Dog do his job. The Top Dog Leaders are those who either have their position because someone put them in charge or have risen to fill a void and whether or not they actually know what they are doing, they are in charge by position and accountablility.

Charles is a very capable musician, composer and leader in his field. He is able to woo people with music and can play several instruments. He is great at weaving words, instruction and music together in a way that produces a clean, understandable music based worship time. He has studied well, is educated, understands many leadership and church principles. He wants to be a Top Dog. He got a taste of being a Top Dog in a group led church after many years of longing to be a Top Dog. That church found that “group led” church doesn’t work and went back to a pastor led church with an elder leadership structure. Charles had no home for he could not transition back to being a Support Staff – worship and youth leader. At his next church, he was hired to help with Youth but he strove instead to become the Worship Leader and a Co-Pastor. At his next church, he was hired to lead Musical Worship but strove to be a Co-Pastor or, better, a Pastor to the Pastor. In all of his churches, he told everyone what to do having meeting after meeting with them. He claimed leadership that was never his. He never accomplished his basic tasks and rebelled against the leaders who were in place. He did not come to do a ministry but to be a Top Dog. He is back at the music game again, helping part-time in a church and telling the stories of the old days and how he helped lead a church to greatness. More unfortunate is the fact that all three churhces had to struggle through repairing leadership and comforting the Church People and Followers because of apparent division and desertion.

JoJo is an incredible woman. She had a rough teenage life, a standard overspending early 20’s, a long search for the right man, and a classic evolution from administrative helper to church leader. It is not clear why she went to work for a ministry. Perhaps it was disallusionment with jobs that held no “greater good” for people. Perhaps it was desperation to find a new way. She started as an administrative assistant many years ago. She had wisdom, was a great person to add to the ministry but she was not what one would call “outstanding at the task.” She ended up teaching a girls discipleship group for the youth and a calling began to bud. She helped with Sunday School. She worked hard and almost got in trouble for spending more time on youth than her duties. The call was evident and she moved forward in leadership. During two tough transitions in youth group leadership she helped fill the gap as any Support Staff would do. There was no pay and there was no honor – she simply did ministry. She was asked to lead the youth group as the first female youth minister in the history of the church. Her hiring was almost like an inquisition but in the end almost everyone sensed she was called. Through uncomfortable transitions, she continued to minister. She found the balance of her personal life, womanhood, desire for a mate and ministry through a crucible. She endured a two year bout with cancer and continued to teach every week. She has been treated horribly by male chauvanists who think a woman cannot lead young people and treated disrespectfully by the male dominated field of ministers. She has endured feeling responsible for our church at times being called liberal even though it is not. Through it all, JoJo emerged through it all as a well trained, patient, deep, spiritual Top Dog. She now not only leads young people but leads those who lead young people. She can do and does consistently the tough job of being a Top Dog.

Charles did not do the tasks that he was assigned to do. JoJo did the tasks that she was assigned to do. Charles wanted leadership more than anything. JoJo wants the youth ministry to succeed more than anything. Charles did not see his God given strengths. JoJo found hers and focused on them. Charles failed to understand that it was about the people and not him. JoJo gave her life to the people even when it cost her her life. Charles did not face his weaknesses. JoJo humbly faced them, regretted them and changed them. Charles failed to gain successful battlefield experience. JoJo gained it and applied it.

Charles is not a Top Dog leader.

JoJo is a Top Dog leader.

Which one are you?