The Leadership Continuum

There are two extremes of leadership and anyone who has been in business for more than 20 years has seen the cycle of "gurus" and "great books" that tell us all the "great methods" of leadership.  However, with all of our genuis, leaders continue to bounce between both ends of the spectrum as the years pass.  One end of the spectrum of leadership systems is in this decade and then the "new" revelation moves instruction and writing to the other spectrum.  As the writer of Ecclesiastes said on a different topic, "There is nothing new under the sun." 

The interesting question to ask leaders is what are the two extremes of leadership and is one "right" and the other "wrong".  Many people give many answers ranging from tyranical rule to anarchy.  These same people could well argue their points but is anarchy or tyranny really leadership in any case other than a theoretical discussion?  Would any businessman or Christian leader waste his time arguing the point?

In the realm of true leadership, unanimous team leadership rests on the left end of the spectrum and a strong leader led team rests on the right end.  The answer to the question of which is right and which is wrong is that both are right given the circumstance and the basis of this answer rests in proven Biblical truths and observation of those truths in action over thousands of years.

Most great leaders will quickly opt for the right end of the spectrum because they are wise.  These leaders know that there is not enough time or not enough maturity of people in the normal leadership environment to choose the left : unanimous team leadership.  Likewise, God called men to different kinds of leadership and exclusively in immature environments with little time, God used the right end of the spectrum : a strong leader led team.

However, when God allowed his spirit to rest in men, when they were mature, when they lived well and when Jesus came and taught them on earth, he led them to utilize the left end of the spectrum : unanimous team leadership.  He made it simple when he taught that there was only one God and one Son and one Spirit that would live in all of them.  He taught them that when the leaders sought God as a group there would be one answer from one Spirit that they could all hear and see affirmed.  This was the leadership model for the Christian Church when it had mature leaders who took the time to develop great leaders.

Likewise, in the new churches in new communities, those first Christian leaders would take their cues from a unanimous leadership team but then act as strong leaders developing an individual unanimous leadership team in the new church.  Both models are right given their circumstance and God's leadership but one has to ask, "Do I have a set of people with whom I could live as one, wait on one answer, trust and settle for no less than a unified answer?" 

Unfortunately, most of our Christian leaders have not been taught, mentored and shown this wonderfully effective model on the left - it simply takes too much time and humility.  Most Christian leaders do not stay long enough or focus on equiping the people to lead.  Most Christian leaders don't believe that the left model can really be used in our current environment.  Most Christian leaders have not done enough Biblical and peer homework to be able to deploy a unanimous leadership team when it is appropriate. 

Sadly, if Christian leaders are responsible if they have not equipped themselves to such maturity, equipped their people to such maturity, or have not learned the methods of unanimous team leadership.  Even worse, when it is ideal for unaimous, mature team leadership, God will not be able to deploy it in their organizations.

If you need assistance learning the methods of unaimous team leadership so that you will be able to deploy it when appropriate, feel free to write the author : doug.burrier@christisgood.org.  Doug and his unanimous team have lived through the beginnings, the learning and have lived to tell of 12 years of successful unanimous team leadership when appropriate.