Why many leaders don’t make a difference

One of the blessings of working in the same church for 17 years is I can see where I made a difference in my church and were I have fallen short. I have many times operated in an environment where the lack of organizational clarity lead me down a path that wasn’t helpful. I have also contributed to the lack of organizational clarity for others. For years I had a very narrow understanding of what my job was. I felt that it was to create fun places for kids and teens to learn. That is a part of my job a very small part.

Drucker says that leaders who don’t think about what they can contribute to the organization often end up aiming to low and defining their job and the results of a job well done far to narrowly. As a result they don’t make a difference. The are a host of leadership styles out there. There are those who lead as a dictator there are those who lead by consensus. Effectiveness is not a result of a particular style of leadership.

Effectiveness in any job in any level of an organization comes from doing three things. Drucker sums them up perfectly.

For every organization needs performance in three major areas:
1. It needs direct results2. Building of values and their affirmation
3. The building and developing people for tomorrow

If deprived of performance in any one of these areas, it will decay and die. All three therefore have to be built into the contribution of every person in the organization.

Direct results speak to what you can see right away as a result of your work. Building of values speaks to why we are doing what we are doing. Building people for tomorrow says our future is bright.

No matter where you are in the church or company you work in build value, build culture build people and you will always be a leader that matters. Fail to do any of those three you will build something that ultimate will be built for your glory rather than Christ’s.

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

John 15:5

Be a leader that builds what you build for Gods glory.  Value – Culture – People – Repeat.