“No matter how many times I communicate the vision, they don’t seem to get it.”
This was the frustration expressed to us recently by the pastor of a large, mainline church. The complaint could just as easily have come from a small-church pastor or the CEO of a large corporation—we hear this frustration voiced repeatedly by leaders around the country. My people don’t get it. They won’t change. They don’t understand. They whine all the time.
Most leaders respond to situations the way they have always responded. They use their tried and proven mode of approaching problems. After all, it has worked many times before. So if it isn’t working now, they conclude, it is the fault of the people around them. But remember the old adage: if the only tool in your toolbox is a hammer, then everything looks like a nail? When leaders rely on predetermined approaches to problems they rob themselves, their organizations, and the people who follow them of the chance to see greater outcomes.
In our work with hundreds of organizations, we’ve observed that successful leaders use three primary modes of leadership: tactical, strategic, and transformational. Let us explain.
Tactical Problems
Tactical problems are solved by experts. If the roof leaks, hire a roofer. If your worship band isn’t performing well, hire a new worship leader. If your computer network is down, call the Geek Squad. Most leaders function in this mode most of the time. Pastors, for example, are experts in theology, church history, exegesis, and hermeneutics. More importantly, they tend to be experts in delivering sermons. Often they use the pulpit as a place to address issues. And when the issue is related to theology or biblical interpretation—for instance, the church’s position on social justice or gifts of the Spirit—the pulpit is an appropriate venue.
Leadership teams bring their own expertise to the table: financial, technological, managerial, and so forth. If the organization is considering a new building project or capital campaign, it is appropriate for others to bring their expertise to the table. To solve a tactical problem, simply find a person who has the expertise and authorize that person to solve the problem.
Strategic Challenges
Strategic challenges relate to external changes. They are future-oriented. They are about major transitions. Such challenges require more than a tactical fix. Strategic challenges require strategic leadership, the art of leveraging strengths in order to minimize weaknesses and capitalize on opportunities. But strategic leadership often involves dealing with opposition, as internal stakeholders may resist the needed change.
Just as a missionary tries to understand a new culture, strategic leaders are on a quest to understand their external environment. They must ask big-picture questions.
- How do people think?
- What motivates people?
- What do they value?
- How do they form relationships?
- How do they make decisions?
Transformational Issues
The truly important problems are rarely tactical. Nor are they mostly strategic. They are usually transformational. Transformational issues involve values, behaviors, and attitudes. An issue requiring transformational change is much more complex and is sometimes hidden within the systems and structures of the organization. We are seldom aware of transformational issues. They mostly revolve around competing values. This is why strategic direction often surfaces transformational issues. The new direction challenges the status quo.
Transformational issues always bring competing values to the fore. They aren’t easy decisions. Transformational issues require different skills than tactical problems, especially the ability to manage and occasionally even orchestrate conflict. Very few pastors have developed these skills.
Responding Well
This Leadership Triangle describes three modes of leadership, and provides practical applications for developing the right skills and strategies for specific leadership challenges. Consider the following scenarios.
Scenario One: A massive change occurs that impacts the church (changes to the demographics of a neighborhood, a denominational vote, a megachurch moves in next door). The tendency of most leaders is to apply a tactical solution to that seismic shift. When the solution fails, the leader is baffled. Even more troubling, the new “solution” has all of a sudden created a new set of problems.
Scenario Two: A visionary leader anticipates the seismic shift before it happens. He develops a strategic plan to begin shifting the organization. Videos and brochures are produced. Mission statements are reworked. But nothing happens. Again, the leader is baffled.
Scenario Three: The leader anticipates changes on the horizon and works with the stakeholders to examine the competing values between preserving the status quo and stimulating change. In the process of engaging all the stakeholders, a new vision begins to emerge. The stakeholders are more willing to tolerate change because they were involved in the process. The new vision may actually look very similar to the vision in scenario two, but the process is different. Once the vision is shared, and the transforming issues (competing values) have been managed, the tactical side kicks into gear.
So, what are the applications for your church?
Build Your Leadership Triangle
Choose people for your teams who bring tactical, strategic, and transformational thinking. The tendency is to hire experts in each functional area (youth, music, children, etc.). But if you only hire for technical expertise, your church will struggle to deal with strategic and transformational issues.
Identify Your Problems
Determine what elements of a problem are transformational, strategic, and tactical. Use a different approach for each element. Build your board or staff meetings around this “triangle.” Most leadership meetings are focused on the tactical side of the triangle. And most agendas don’t allow enough time for transformational or strategic discussions. As a result, you should try to set aside special meetings for transformational and strategic discussions, without getting into tactical problem-solving. Avoid town hall formats for transformational issues. Use focus groups and small groups as a place to discuss those hot-button issues. And make sure you start with questions, not solutions.
Look in the Mirror
The most important thing to remember is that if you’re not seeing results, you can’t shift the blame to “them.” You have to look in the mirror and ask what you’re doing that isn’t working. Change your leadership mode. If your leadership strategy isn’t working, resist the temptation to do more of the same. If yelling at your kids doesn’t work, yelling louder will work even less. Look for new tools for your toolbox. And look to the Leadership Triangle as a framework to guide you.
Click here to read a longer version of this article.
Kevin Ford is the Chief Visionary Officer of TAG Consulting and author of Transforming Church.
Ken Tucker, formerly a top Gallup consultant, is Thought Leader at TAG Consulting and author of Animals,Inc. and Are You Fascinated? The four people you need to succeed.
