The Mission Leader. Copyright 2014 by David T. Olson

Transcription

1 The Mission "s are pioneers. They are people who venture into unexplored territory. They guide us to new and often unfamiliar destinations. People who take the lead are the foot soldiers in the campaigns for change... the unique reason for having leaders is to move us forward. s get us going someplace." James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner The ship Challenge Copyright 2014 by David T. Olson 1 of 21

2 The Mission "s are pioneers. They are people who venture into unexplored territory. They guide us to new and often unfamiliar destinations. People who take the lead are the foot soldiers in the campaigns for change... the unique reason for having leaders is to move us forward. s get us going someplace." James M. Kouzes and Barry Z. Posner The ship Challenge Mission leaders have an amazing gift of helping people see what God could accomplish if they left their safety zone and stepped out in faith on a new venture. DESCRIPTION Mission leaders are strongest in strategy, intermediate in spirituality and weakest in chemistry. The mission leader is gifted by God with spiritual vision to foresee and then implement what is needed in the future. A verb to describe their role is multiply. They call people to follow a deeper gospel, while multiplying disciples, programs and ventures. Their best fruitfulness is expressed through raising up new leaders, new ministries and new churches. Mission leaders often have the Ephesians 4:11 gift of an apostle. Three biblical examples of mission leaders are Paul, Gideon and Moses. Paul is the mission leader par excellence in Christianity. Paul s strongest leg, strategy, allowed him to be a prime mover in the spread of Christianity throughout most of the Roman empire within his generation. Paul s intermediate leg, spirituality, is shown in his writing contribution to the New Testament, where he reveals his deep and creative understanding of the work of Christ. Paul needed help with his chemistry leg team chemistry could be challenging for Paul. Mission leaders will benefit from study the lives of these three biblical characters to better understand the character, behavior and style of mission leaders. Can you think of any other biblical characters who might be mission leaders? John Wesley, Franklin Graham, Henrietta Mears, Rick Warren, Dorothy L. Sayers and Chuck Colson are historic and contemporary examples of mission leaders. Reading their biographies and writings will give new insights into how God can use you as a mission leader. What leaders do you know personally who have been mission leaders? How have you been influenced by them? 2 of 21

3 What leaders do you know personally who are Mission leaders? A term that describes the role of the mission lay leader is the fruit producer. They are quick to see new possibilities for missional engagement and use their activist drive to produce new fruit for God. They are: commissioned pioneering Spirit-led fruitful productive efficient visionary faith-filled discipling mission- minded planners motivators purposeful envisioning incisive confident and assured. Mission leaders will recognize many of the following characteristics in themselves: Which of these words describe you best?. 3 of 21

4 God has created Mission leaders with a unique way of leading. They have gifts specific to their leadership style that are not natural strengths for other styles. By recognizing how they are gifted to lead, they will more readily understand their role in the kingdom of God. Understanding their profile will help them know how they can be most effective as a leader in God s vineyard and more confident and aware of how God can use them to produce lasting fruit. USING YOUR STRONGEST LEG, SPIRITUALITY Their strongest leg, strategy, is the area of their greatest ministry fruitfulness. It is a God-given gift. Because strategy comes naturally to them and brings them joy, they want to spend most of their ministry time using this leg. Unfortunately, that will limit their influence for Christ. They should enjoy and maximize their strategy gift, but become stronger at spirituality and chemistry. Mission leaders are motivated to turn ministry ideas into physical plans and action. They can become impatient with too much group processing. They have a penchant for initiation and action. Mission leaders enjoy helping other leaders become more effective in fulfilling the mission of God. They are gifted at creating action plans, removing obstacles and moving forward. They like to focus on the critical issues, and when they have achieved clarity, they want to act quickly. Mission leaders like to ask the questions what, when and how. What should we be doing? When can we start? and How will we best accomplish the goal? Their focus is on building God s kingdom. They want to fulfill Jesus prayer, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Mt 6:10). Right now! Mission leaders like to plan and then activate the plan. They want to create a strategy, whether it is for evangelism, feeding the hungry, training disciples, ending social problems, starting new ministries or planting new churches. Mission leaders like to start ministries that do not exist new programs, new structures and new initiatives. Efficiency and productivity are two highly important values for a mission leader. They like to use their time well and want to produce tangible results. Mission leaders have strategic intelligence, which is the ability to envision the future and develop new structures and systems so that future fruitfulness will occur. In the three core foundations of strategy, most mission leaders are strongest at envisioning, good at building and not as strong in managing. Many mission leaders have the gift of an apostle. God works through them to (1) start new churches in new geographical areas, cultures or people groups; (2) develop new leaders, often from the younger generation; or (3) launch new ministries that meet an unmet need. They should pay attention to how God may want to use them in one of these three ways. Describe your strongest leg:. 4 of 21

5 How does it help you serve God?. Looking back, when was the earliest time when this gift was apparent?. DEVELOPING YOUR INTERMEDIATE LEG, CHEMISTRY The mission leader s strongest leg, strategy, is directed and influenced by their intermediate leg, spirituality. They utilize their spirituality gifts to call the church to a deeper gospel, one that fulfills the mission of God in the world. Their spirituality makes sure that their strategy gift is in synch with the message and mission of Jesus. Their intermediate leg, spirituality, is their secret weapon. Their spirituality leg gives depth to their strategy leg, by linking it to the power of the gospel message and attuning it to the movement of the Holy Spirit. Their intermediate leg is easier to develop than their weakest leg, because they are naturally stronger in that leg and have a better intuitive grasp of how to use it. Giving attention to developing consistent devotional habits and communicating the powerful gospel with passion are the most effective ways for them to become better Christian leaders. They should make sure they cultivate the three components of spirituality: saturation in Scripture; spiritual disciplines and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. In what ways can growth in Spirituality enhance your Strategy?. Which are you best at: Saturation in Scripture, Spiritual Disciplines or Holy Spirit Sensitivity? How do you think growth in Spirituality could help your leadership?. 5 of 21

6 DEVELOPING YOUR WEAKEST LEG, STRATEGY God has given mission leaders natural abilities in strategy, but they feel less skilled in chemistry. This has the potential to sabotage otherwise good ministry or possibly get them fired. They need a respected mentor or coach who can give them wise counsel and offer accountability in their development of chemistry. It is important to consider the three spheres of chemistry interpersonal chemistry, team chemistry and crowd chemistry when developing a growth plan. Most mission leaders are strongest in interpersonal chemistry and weakest in crowd chemistry. A common liability of mission leaders is their lack of people sensitivity. Their task orientation often keeps them from slowing down, listening to and empathizing with people. The primary reason mission leaders are low in chemistry is their action orientation. Their focus on vision distracts them from paying attention to group dynamics or caring for people s individual needs. Mission leaders can be insightful in counseling but may not want to commit much time to it. Rate your interest and ability Chemistry on a 1-5 scale, with 5 being very strong. Interest?. Ability?. Which people in your ministry context are very good at Chemistry? How might they help you? THE SHADOW SIDE OF MISSION LEADERS TIME INVESTMENT By nature and habit, Mission leaders spend 60 to 65 percent using their strategy leg, 25 to 30 percent using their spirituality leg, and only 10 to 15 percent using their chemistry leg. A more balanced approach would be a 50 to 30 to 20 ratio. This will improve with a better awareness of their time expenditure and a focus on developing simple, consistent habits to develop their chemistry leg. Their time allocation can improve by being aware of their use of time and by spending more time on chemistry. You will benefit from studying the lives of biblical characters who were strong in chemistry and who also used that quality to maximize their spirituality gift. 6 of 21

7 THREE SPECIAL ENABLEMENTS AND ONE LIABILITY OF MISSION LEADERS Not only do Christian leaders have a particular style, but God also gives them special enablements to create added fruitfulness as they use their style. These ENABLEMENTS act like the wind when it propels a boat across the lake. Unfortunately, every Christian leadership Style also has two LIABILITIES. YOUR ENABLEMENTS 1. Your Ephesians 4:11 Gift The ship Stool model is closely tied to the five gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4:11-12: So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. Every ship Style has one of the Ephesians 4:11 gifts. 7 of 21

8 Mission leaders often have the gift of an apostle. This gift creates the ability to lead the mission of God into the future through the development of ministries, ministers (both professional and lay) and mission endeavors. An apostle likes to be out in the field, catalyzing vision and mobilizing people for what God is about to do. They are future-oriented, seeking to work with God to create the new. They like variety and seldom stay in one location their whole life. If there are no new challenges to accomplish, they will die on the inside. The mission leader likes ideas but especially wants to leave behind the physical results of productive and visionary leadership. The fruit of an apostolic gift is new churches, new ministries and new leaders. Do you think you have this spiritual gift? Why or why not?. 8 of 21

9 2. Your Special Intelligence - Each of the six styles of Christian leadership possesses a particular type of intelligence. These intelligences are not an IQ type of intelligence but are more related to emotional intelligence. They give a leader special insight into understanding what is happening within a particular environment, situation or person. Each intelligence helps the leader use his or her leadership style in a more powerful way. The Six Intelligences of Christian s Intrapersonal Intelligence Sacred Relational Interpersonal Intelligence Cultural Intelligence Imaginative Inspirational Social Intelligence Strategic Intelligence Mission Building Organizational Intelligence Mission leaders have strategic intelligence, which is the ability to understand how to envision the future and develop new structures and connections so that the future is fruitful. Their twoword description is focused multiplier. Strategic intelligence helps the mission leader see into the future and determine what needs to be created so that the future will be fruitful. Strategic intelligence focuses on new structures and systems that will increase fruitfulness for God. Mission leaders in particular see new opportunities, new people groups and new ministries that can reach people that are currently untouched by the message and mission of Jesus. Mission leaders believe the time is now: Now is the day of salvation (2 Cor 6:2). Their strong strategic intelligence makes them impatient with waiting, because they know what could potentially happen in the future. 9 of 21

10 Mission leaders like to multiply. The strategic intelligence helps them see the potential of going to a new people group in a foreign culture. They understand why starting a new church is so important for the health, vitality and future leadership of the larger church. They may see a need to start a new Christian relief agency or focus on recruiting and training young leaders. In all of these new ventures, their strategic intelligence is at work. Mission leaders are passion about evangelism and spiritual depth. Their strategic intelligence can see trends, helping them know what will happen in the future if nothing changes. They want to upset the applecart and get beyond the old structure so they can innovate using a new structure. Do you think you have this intelligence? Why or why not?. 10 of 21

11 3. Your Spiritual Gifts - Mission leaders typically are strong in these seven gift areas. They are listed in alphabetical order: Apostle: "The special ability to raise up new leaders, start new ministries and plant new churches." Creative Communication: "The special ability to to communicate the message of Jesus through a variety of creative mediums that create surprise, openness and understanding." Discernment - "The special ability to understand the deep and hidden places within another person, often related to spiritual realities." Faith: "The special ability to discern with extraordinary confidence the will and purposes of God and to act in accordance of that faith." Knowledge - "The special ability to discover, accumulate, analyze, and clarify information and ideas." ship: "The special ability to set goals in accordance with God s purpose for the future and to motivate people to work together to accomplish those goals." Teaching - "The special ability to communicate a thorough understanding of Scripture to a person's heart, soul, mind and strength (behaviors)." Which of these gifts do you think you have? What has been the fruit of these gifts in your ministry?. 11 of 21

12 YOUR LIABILITIES Your Two Deep Needs Each of the six Christian leadership styles has two deep needs that are common to that style. These hidden needs are so deeply rooted within them that the leader is often unaware of them. Each of these needs can have a positive aspect but also a more profound dark side. The Six Hidden Needs of Christian s Need for affirmation Need to be right Sacred Relational Need for attention Need for affirmation Need to be right Need to over-innovate Imaginative Inspirational Need for power Need for attention Need to over-innovate Need to over-work Mission Building Need to over-work Need for power 1. Mission leaders have a deep need to over-innovate. They love creativity, think imaginatively and generate new ideas that they want to implement immediately. However, they can change directions quickly and forget to consider the capacity of the leaders and members to adapt. Do you think you have this deep need? Why or why not?. 12 of 21

13 2. They also have a deep need to overwork. Mission leaders usually have workaholic tendencies and can have a difficult time creating boundaries between their ministry life and their personal and family life. Do you think you have this deep need? Why or why not?. 13 of 21

14 THE MYERS-BRIGGS AND THE SIX STYLES The chart below shows which Myers-Briggs types are most common for Mission leaders. The second column lists the percentage Mission s in each of the 16 Myers-Briggs types. The third column shows the percentage of each type in the general population. "Intuitive" Mission leaders are over-represented compared to the general population, while "Sensing" Mission leaders have lower percentages than the general population. The ISTP, the ISFP, the ESTP and the ESFP combined have only 2 leaders in this sample of 800 people! There has been much research over the years which shows that the large majority of both Christian leaders and leaders in general are intuitive rather than sensing. Mission s The Myers-Briggs inventory has four pairs of words to describe a person's personality. Extrovert/Introvert - Extroversion focuses on the outer world of people and things. Introversion focuses on the inner world of ideas and impressions. 34% percent of Mission s are Extroverts, while 66% are Introverts. Intuitive/Sensing - Intuitives focus on the future, its patterns and possibilities. Sensors focus on the present and use concrete information gained from their senses. 66% percent of Mission s are Intuitive, while 34% are Sensing. 14 of 21 US Population ENFJ 3% 4% ENFP 4% 7% ENTJ 16% 4% ENTP 3% 4% ESFJ 4% 11% ESFP 0% 7% ESTJ 5% 10% ESTP 0% 5% INFJ 8% 2% INFP 3% 5% INTJ 23% 3% INTP 8% 4% ISFJ 7% 12% ISFP 1% 5% ISTJ 16% 7% ISTP 1% 13%

15 Thinking/Feeling - Thinkers tend to base their decisions on logic and objective analysis of cause and effect. Feelers tend to base their decisions primarily on values and on subjective evaluation of the concerns of people. 96% of Mission s are Thinking, while only 4% are Feeling. This is by far the highest percentage found in the eight pairs of words used to describe any of the Six Styles. It seems that Feelers need not apply! Judging/Perceiving - Judgers tend to like a planned and organized approach to life and with decisions settled. Perceivers tend to favor a flexible and spontaneous approach to life and prefer to keep their options open. 81% of Mission s are Judging, while 19% are Perceiving. Male/Female ratios. In the most recent sample of Christian leaders who have taken the SixStyle Assessment (both clergy and lay leaders), 28% of Mission s are female and 72% are male. (There are significantly more males than females in most church leadership structures.) Balanced leaders vs. Focused leaders. 16%% of Mission s are Balanced s. This is the lowest of any of the Six Styles. When your score in Spirituality, Chemistry and Strategy are all above the sixtieth percentile, you qualify as a balanced leader. Balanced leaders, by definition, are quite strong in all three legs. Balanced leaders have the ability to lead more complex organizations, because they use their balanced strength in spirituality, chemistry and strategy to be able to know how to lead well in a wide variety of situations. 84% of Mission leaders are Focused leaders. You are a Focused leader when your strongest leg has a score higher than 70%, while your weakest leg is under 50%. Focused leaders like to use their leadership style in almost all situations. When using their style properly, they can be very effective and fruitful in the specific strengths of their style. Focused leaders are wise to identify and recruit a team of people who have complementary styles to balance them. The three Myers-Briggs types that are most likely to be Mission leaders are INTJ, ENTJ and ISTJ. These three constitute 55% of all Mission leaders, while the other 13 types constitute the other 45%. What did your learn about yourself through this section? How will it help you confidently serve Christ through your style and type?. 15 of 21

16 UNDERSTANDING THE OTHER FIVE CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP STYLES The ship Stool model identifies six distinct Christian leadership styles. The best way to learn how to work with people who have the other five styles is to read chapters in the "Discovering Your ship Style" book, which describes those styles in detail. Mission leaders find it easiest to work with Imaginative leaders, because that is the Complementary style for Mission leaders. In the circular arrangement of the six leadership styles, individual leaders will find that they are most comfortable with their own style but can expand their leadership effectiveness by learning how to use their Complementary style. A person s Complementary style can become as strong as their primary style if they learn specific habits that will strengthen their intermediate leg. This is much easier than strengthening their weakest leg and is possible for most leaders through focused attention. A leader will dramatically increase their leadership influence when they can use both styles to lead. Here are the three complementary pairs: Relational and Sacred leader are complementary. Inspirational and Building leader are complementary. Imaginative and Mission leader are complementary. You can lead in your Complementary style, the Imaginative leader, when you strengthen your intermediate leg. This is why your intermediate leg is referred to as your "secret weapon." In this case, when a Mission leader strengthens their Spirituality leg, they will have the ability to function using both styles as they lead in particular situations and settings. This is done through asking God to give you a deeper love for Himself, as well as emulating leaders who are strongest in Spirituality. Mission leaders usually find it quite easy to get along with the other 5 styles. Having said that, Mission leaders see and experience life very differently than does a Relational leader, and they can often have misunderstanding and frustration them in the realm of work production. However, the Relational leader has such charm as a friend, that they are usually loved by Mission leaders. Both styles would greatly benefit from reading the style profiles of each other, so they can realize and appreciate that God intentionally created each with a different way of producing fruit. 16 of 21

17 Here are Short Descriptions of the Other Five Styles: Sacred leaders. Sacred leaders are strongest in spirituality, inter- mediate in chemistry and weakest in strategy. They are gifted by God to connect spiritually with people and encourage them to grow deeper in their knowledge and relationship with God, while paying close attention to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Sacred leaders are spiritually sensitive people. They lead through their ability to genuinely connect with people by communicating the deep things of God. Many sacred leaders have the Ephesians 4:11 gift of teacher. Mary (the sister of Martha), John and Isaiah are three biblical examples of sacred leaders. Relational leaders. Relational leaders are strongest in chemistry, intermediate in spirituality and weakest in strategy. They are gifted by God to emotionally connect with individuals and groups, and to inspire them to follow Jesus and love each other. An adjective often used to describe a relational leader is loving. They naturally lead through their ability to create caring relationships with large numbers of people. Many relational leaders have the Ephesians 4:11 gift of pastor or shepherd. Barnabas, Esther and Philip are three biblical examples of relational leaders. Inspirational leaders. Inspirational leaders are strongest in chemistry, intermediate in strategy and weakest in spirituality. They are gifted by God to connect powerfully with a crowd and motivate them to follow Jesus by engaging in the mission of God. An adjective often used to describe an inspirational leader is motivational they lead through their ability to inspire and influence people, especially through public speaking. Inspirational leaders excel at getting people to rally around a vision. Many inspirational leaders have the Ephesians 4:11 gift of evangelist. Peter, Joshua and Elijah are three biblical examples of inspirational leaders. Building leaders. Building leaders are strongest in strategy, intermediate in chemistry and weakest in spirituality. They are gifted by God to strategize for growth and enlist others to help enlarge the mission of God. They are best described as knowing how to grow organizations. They instinctively know how to create the right conditions and systems that produce numeric growth and stronger ministry so that more people will come, join and serve. Most building leaders have a growth gift and an organizational gift. They have a hybrid Ephesians 4:11 gift called an apostolist having some of the qualities of an apostle with some of the qualities of an evangelist. Deborah, Nehemiah and Joseph are three biblical examples of building leaders. Imaginative leaders. Imaginative leaders are strongest in spirituality, intermediate in strategy and weakest in chemistry. They are gifted by God to receive a vision from God for this generation and motivate people to step out in faith and live out a new way of being the people of God within their culture. An adjective often used to describe an imaginative leader is creative. They use their spiritual creativity to synthesize new models and then use strategy to implement those imaginative ideas. Many inspirational leaders have the Ephesians 4:11 gift of a prophet. Samuel, Daniel and John the Baptist are biblical examples of imaginative leader 17 of 21

18 Think of the people you work with in ministry. Can you guess which is their style? (A simple way to discern this is to decide which is their strongest and their weakest leg. The remaining one is there intermediate leg. That sequence will let you identify their style. Or better yet, have them take the free Assessment.) How do the above descriptions help you better understand those you work with. Write down what you learned.. You can also do this with your mom and dad, your spouse, your children, friends or work associates. Can you guess which is their style? This will help you understand some of the dynamics of your family of origin, your current family, your work environment and the future possibilities latent in your children. Write down any observations.. 18 of 21

19 GROWTH STRATEGIES FOR MISSION LEADERS 1. A common challenge of Mission leaders is their lack of people sensitivity. Their task orientation often keeps them from slowing down, listening to and empathizing with people. Focus on making sure that you slow down and carefully listen to people as they express their needs, fears and dreams. Practice active listening and make sure you are asking questions. In most cases, they want to know that you hear and understand their situation, and that you are emotionally engaged in what they're experiencing and feeling. Since almost all Mission leaders are Thinkers rather than Feelers, work at getting in touch with your feeling side. The example of Jesus listening to and caring for the needs of hurting people should provide you with an excellent model for this type of ministry. 2. Mission leaders will benefit by meeting regularly with other wise leaders who are strongest in Chemistry. Relational leaders, in particular, can be very helpful to Mission leaders - they have more in common with you than do Inspirational leaders, because their intermediate leg is also Spirituality. Make sure this happens on a monthly basis. 3. Mission leaders often have a hard time slowing down, and making sure people are owning the vision and mission that God has given. Focus on clearly communicating the need for the vision and mission, particularly how it will make a difference in the lives of people. Rather than giving a generalized description, remind them of specific people who have been or will be transformed by God's love and power. Describe to them how God has been at work in their lives. They will love the connection, and it will set them free to see what God is doing in the world! 4. To become better at Chemistry, identify the behaviors and habits of people you know who are naturally good at Chemistry. Then imitate their actions, turning them into your own habits. A simple example of a good habit to develop is to intentionally make a connection with 5-10 people (beyond those you normally see) each working day, through texts, s and phone calls. 5. Spirituality is your secret weapon. You intuitively know how to do that much better than you do Chemistry. Focus on becoming stronger in saturation in Scripture, spiritual disciplines and Holy Spirit sensitivity. It will take discipline and accountability to develop habits that will bring your spirituality up to the level of your strategy. If you take the Personal Growth Tool, found at you will find many resources that will help you grow stronger in these three core foundations of Spirituality. 6. If you lead a team, make sure you build a balanced team around yourself. This will give you much better feedback and many more ideas about how your ministry, church or organization can become broader and stronger. Which of these six strategies are the most helpful to you? Why?. 19 of 21

20 THE TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR MISSION LEADERS 1. Focus on developing other leaders, especially younger leaders. 2. Learn from inspirational leaders how to rally people to support the mission. 3. Which of your colleagues or friends is strongest in chemistry? Ask that person to mentor and coach you in good chemistry habits. 4. Initiate friendships with relational leaders, who can help you develop better peoplesensitivity instincts. 5. Schedule a half-day spiritual retreat once a month. 6. Find a trusted spiritual director or mentor to meet with regularly. Focus especially on your habits of prayer. 7. Be careful not to become a workaholic. Keep a proper balance between work, family, play and rest. 8. Use creative methods for Scripture study in order to keep your spirituality alive and growing. There are some great technology tools available to assist you. 9. Spend time each workday cultivating five to ten meaningful connections with your friends and colleagues through s, texts or phone calls. 10. The complementary style for a mission leader is the Imaginative leader. If you work at intentionally strengthening your spirituality, this will give you a second powerful leadership style for use in ministry. Which three of the Ten Commandments for Mission leaders do you consider most important for you to implement. List each of the three and write down why you selected it? of 21

21 LIFE SCRIPTURE FOR THE MISSION LEADER "I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. (2 Cor 11:23, 25-28, describing Paul s life and experience as a Mission leader taking the mission of God throughout the Mediterranean world.) PRAYER OF RESPONSE As you reflect on these verses and what may be God saying to you as you have read this style report, write down a prayer to God. Write down what may be some of his plans for your future, as you focus on how God has given you this unique combination of gifts, passion and personality to serve him, and how you can be set free to become all that God created you to be in the future.. Amen. 21 of 21