As leaders we are supposed to have the answers. Right? But the world is ever-changing and this leaves us feeling off-balance. Uncertain.

It takes courage and skill to step out and move into the unknown. Over the next few weeks, we would like to revisit a series of blogs we shared a few years ago on adaptive leadership. The content is just as relevant and needed now as it was then. For this week, we have an overview, and then in the coming weeks we’ll look more in-depth at each of the 5 things needed to lead in an ever-changing world.

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Change is happening at an unprecedented rate, leaving leaders of churches and Christian organizations asking, “What do we do?”

Here are five things you need to practice to lead in this ever-changing world.

1. Capacity to be an adaptive leader begins with a humble spirit. A humble spirit attaches itself to the mastery of new skills for today. A humble spirit can ask, “God, what might you be saying to me?” and then has the courage to act. This type of humility gets forged when leaders…

• Embrace the unfamiliar
• Shake hands with failure and disappointment
• Smile in the face of risk and refuse to surrender!

2. It’s absolutely transforming for leaders AND for the organizations and congregations they lead when leaders dig deep and do the foundational work around personal…

• Character to lead with integrity, honesty, and humility
• Clarity to lead with an understanding of who they are…their values and God-inspired personal vision
• Competence to lead primarily out of their strengths, giving them energy and fulfillment

3. Stand in in the uncomfortable place and listen well. Listen to the voices that aren’t being heard…

• Voices of diversity
• Voices of women (especially in a male dominated leadership)
• Voices of those that have left your organization
• Voices of the community and neighborhood

Following Jesus and being faithful to the mission entrusted to us has always been a journey of discovering new things and developing new capacities to discern where the Spirit of God is leading.

4. Leaders go first. If organizations and congregations are going to pilot their way into the new world, then leaders must go first.

• Leaders start leading when no one else is following.
• Leaders start by acting on conviction.
• Leaders don’t allow themselves to be dragged along by other’s opinions.

Don’t wait for a new budget, new board, new plan. You can’t energize a community of people toward their own transformation in order to accomplish a shared mission unless you’ve gone first.

5. Do this all in community. Leaders must steward well the respect, trust, and confidence of the people they lead. Leaders that struggle oftentimes have not fastened down the fundamental building blocks that make significant investments in these three accounts. Leaders need to…

• Build trusting relationships with those they lead
• Harness the creative energies of people
• Work together with them to take on their greatest challenges

Organizations will never take on needed change without leaders that can invest deeply in relationships and be able to manage the conflict that will always results.

We desperately need leaders like you willing to press into the unfamiliar territory of this changing world. We are here to help.

Is God stirring in you a curiosity to learn more and act? PLI’s learning communities provide accountability and encouragement as you pursue this sometimes risky adventure. Senior Leader‘s Adaptive Leader immersion meets in October and digs deeper into what this can look like.

by Rev. Dr. Jock Ficken