Two weeks ago, we were privileged to spend time with author and church leadership consultant Dan Reiland thru Skype. Rapidly took down notes on the lessons he imparted to us through the one-hour session we had with him.
Dan Reiland is the author of Amplified Leadership:5 Practices to Establish Influence, Build People, and Impact Others for a Lifetime and Shoulder to Shoulder Strengthening Your Church By Supporting Your Pastor.
- Competence
Leaders must have a certain level of competence in them to do the job. That means we need to level up in our skill sets if we want to thrive in leadership environments. He doesn’t have to be good at everything but he must be good at something. So it is important for the leader to be self-aware of his strengths and weaknesses.
2. Capacity
Leaders of teams that thrive look for people with capacity. With the ever changing world, the need for greater capacity is needed. He did take note that capacity level of people varies. Some would experience a capacity lid which is not bad. It is just knowing where is my capacity.
I have personally experienced that working on our tenth year as a church. We started with 250 people and the church has grown to nearly 4000 people. The capacity level of people working in church changes. Some people felt they can no longer give what is required of them at a certain level and as a leader, you must be at peace with that reality. I know there will be a time when I will experience a lid in my leadership capacity but until then, we need to challenge and stretch ourselves for the rough work ahead.Energy
3. Energy
In choosing your team, you need to look at the energy level of the people you are getting. Leaders are energizers as what Bill Hybels coined in his book Courageous Leadership. We bring energy to a room when we enter it. So we need people who would bring a level of energy to the vision and values of the organization.
4. Intelligence
We need critical thinkers. We need people who could think, innovate and strategize. We grew up in a system when we are told what to do. Gone are those days when people are lined up as factory workers. People who think critically can get the job done and skirt their way out of a crisis.
5. Relational Savvy
People matter especially if you are a church leader. You need to know how to communicate and live with people. We need people who love people genuinely.