9 Things Which Can Make Or Break Pastors And Church Leaders

9 Things Which Can Make Or Break Pastors And Church Leaders

There are few things I enjoy more than listening to great leaders who are excellent communicators.  Their ability to speak with intelligence and deliver insightful content in a concise manner if absolutely captivating.
One such leader is ESPN football analyst Louis Riddick.  Riddick is a former pro player, scout and most recently Director of Pro Personnel of the Philadelphia Eagles.  When he speaks about talent acquisition and management we need to listen.  His insights (which you can read by clicking here) on leadership and the quarterback position are something all leaders need to be aware of.
As I listened to Riddick’s analysis I realized the incredible application it had for pastors and church leaders.  As a result, I gleaned following 9 Things Which Can Make Or Break Pastors And Church Leaders from Riddick’s interview:

1. Your Church’s Culture And DNA – It is important to have complete understanding of your culture and DNA when hiring and cultivating Christian leaders.  Riddick says, “The quarterback is a context-driven scouting position.”
2. Character And Intelligence – A pastor and church leader’s talent can often take them to a place where their character cannot sustain them.  When discussing what make quarterbacks successful, Riddick continues, “His mental makeup.  His personal character.  His football character.  His functional intelligence…How smart is he under duress.”
3. Preparation For What Is NOT On The Job Description – Intangibles, street smarts and relational intelligence are very important to a person’s success.  Riddick says, “It’s very scheme specific.  It’s very organizationally specific…What are you like as an organization? What’s this player going to be like in your organization?  How’s he going to react not in the meeting room but the locker room?  What about the demands on him outside of football?  There is a confluence of things that have to align perfectly to get the best out of a player.”
4. Your Team – John Maxwell teaches in his classic book The 21 Irrefutable Laws Of Leadership the law of the inner-circle which states those closest to the leader determines the success of the leader.  Riddick points out, “Only so often does Peyton Manning come along that regardless of where he goes, he’s just transcendent and will set the standard.  Most of the time it’s everything you have around the guy to get the best out of him.”
5. Dysfunctional Environments – Pastors and church leaders must be wise enough to know if they are in a no-win situation and make the proactive decision to either improve their current environment or seek out alternative solutions.  Riddick acknowledges, “Bad situations can ruin quarterback’s careers.  Good situations can make him better than he even thought he was going to be.”
6. Complacency – Never confuse the finish line with the starting line.  Hiring a great pastor or staff member does not ensure success.  This is only the starting line.  “What really makes the difference is what do you do with the guy once you have him under your umbrella, under your roof” says Riddick.
7. A System For Development – There are 3 stages to a successful hiring process of a Christian leader.  Riddick teaches us that when drafting a quarterback, “The first phase (of scouting) is evaluating.  The second phase is valuing him, putting a price on him that you want to pay him.  The third phase is developing him and implementing him into your system…You make or break all players in that third phase.”
8. Fundamentals – Small things make a big difference in ministry.  Successful pastors and church leaders do the fundamentals well.  Riddick recounts his time with former Philadelphia head coach Andy Reid, “He is very particular about the fundamentals.  He’s looking for specific things and it starts with the feet…Then his eyes, then his arm angles.”
9. Pressure – The stress of ministry can be overwhelming.  How a pastor or church leader manages stress is a key component to their success.  New England quarterback Tom Brady once said, “To me what separates really good players from great players – executive well under pressure.  The biggest game.  The biggest stage.  That’s what playing quarterback is all about.”  Riddick adds, “What makes a difference with quarterbacks?  It’s what’s in here (head)…It’s what’s between his ears when the pressure is on him…How do players react when there is intense pressure on him.”  The same is true with pastors and church leaders.

From your experience, what other items make or break pastors and church leaders?