If you were to summarize what it means to be a leader, what would you say? What are the characteristics and competencies you would be looking for?

During my Navy training, we had a long discussion on this very topic. We were all entering as officers, which instantly thrust us into leadership positions, commanding people who had been in the military far longer than we had. So we had to ask ourselves a very difficult question: How do you lead effectively in a constantly changing, adapting, evolving, and high stress culture?

The Navy has developed four core competencies they expect of their leaders: integrity, accountability, initiative, and toughness. One of my favorite thoughts comes up in the section on initiative. It states,

On their own, everybody strives to be the best they can be – we give 100% when on the job. Our leaders take ownership and act to the limit of their authorities. We foster a questioning attitude and look at new ideas with an open mind. Our most junior teammate may have the best idea; we must be open to capturing that idea. [1]

As we talk about taking initiative – getting things done quickly, efficiently, and innovatively – the reminder at the end is stark: learn to listen! People more junior to you, whether in rank or time-in-service, might have the best ideas to think outside of the box and overcome the challenges we face.

As church leaders, how well do we listen?

March 2020 was a paradigm shift for churches throughout the world, one we haven’t even begun to fully realize yet or see the full implications unfold.

• Prior to March, only about 10% of churches were live streaming; now 90% of churches are.

• Church attendance has dropped significantly, whether from people staying home due to health concerns, people changing churches, people beginning to worship with a church in another place because the internet has made it convenient, or people on the margins who have dropped out altogether.

• Because so much great preaching and teaching is available online, churches are having to pivot from thinking about content to connections as the focal point of the church.

• Ministers and leaders are (even more than before) on the edge of burnout due to the constant need to adapt and innovate during these times.

Couple that with ongoing societal changes, political turmoil, upticks in pandemic numbers, and significant declines in attendance, and we have a good mix for leadership stress, distress, and burnout.

For leaders to adapt to these changing times, we need to listen. We need to develop ears to hear.

• What issues are on the hearts of your members during this time?

• How are people responding to the perceived chaos in our community and country?

• What societal changes are happening that we must be aware of as a community of faith to faithfully promote the kingdom in 2021 and beyond?

• Where do we need to hold firm, and where might God be calling us to adapt our traditions for the sake of the gospel?

Tod Bolsinger writes, “Leadership in the past meant coming up with solutions. Today it is learning how to ask new questions that we have been too scared, too busy, or too proud to ask.” [2] But if we are simply our own sounding board, or if we only ask these questions of like-minded people on our leadership team or staff, we miss out on hearing the diversity of understanding and experience that exists in our congregation, in our fellowship, and in the church universal.

So as leaders, how do we begin to listen intently to the hearts in our congregations? I have a few ideas.

1. Practice listening with those closest to you. Tell your spouse, a child, a friend, that you want to learn to listen better, and ask if they can practice with you. It sounds silly, but most of us listen to respond, not to hear and understand. Learn to listen and ask follow-up questions about whatever you hear.

2. Gather a diverse group of people around you to serve as a sounding board. Whether that is to talk about current issues, work through an upcoming sermon series, discuss controversial changes, or cast a vision for the future of the church, get a group that is diverse in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, background, and perspective. Only through a diversity of voice and experience can we get a more rounded picture of what is facing the church.

3. Learn from wise individuals. Wisdom comes from a variety of backgrounds. One of my mentors growing up was a mechanic; for spiritual advice I go to a friend who is significantly younger than I. When God has blessed me with wise individuals in my life, they become a foundation.

4. Remember that you don’t have all the answers … nor should you! Steve Jobs once said, “It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do; we hire smart people so that they can tell us what to do.” Ronald Reagan stated, “Surround yourself with the best people you can find [and] delegate authority.” [3] We are better when we are together. There is wisdom in the crowd, and when we allow others to share their wisdom and experience, we are better for it.

James gives good advice: “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19). As leaders, listening is the first step to learning, and the best step for innovative implementation. May God give us leaders ears to hear.

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[1] ODS Student Required Knowledge Sheet February 2020.pdf (navy.mil); last accessed 11 Jan 2021.

[2] Tod Bolsinger, Canoeing the Mountains, 113.

[3] The full quote is, “Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don't interfere as long as the policy you've decided upon is being carried out.”