10 Ways to Have a Reproducing Culture

By Ron Edmondson

“Reproducing cultures reproduce leaders.”

You can’t recruit leaders—at least not effectively—if you never develop a culture to do so.

Reproducing cultures reproduce leaders.
Finding new leaders is critical to the successful growth of any church or organization. Kingdom growth is greatly impacted by the numbers of leaders we can recruit.
Therefore, we must strive to recruit more leaders and we do so by having a culture of reproduction.
How do we develop that type of culture?

Here are 10 ways to have a reproducing culture:

Catch the vision of multiplication
It’s hard to convince people to buy into something you don’t believe in personally. As a leader, you must believe reproducing leaders is a valuable enough process to make it a priority.
Be intentional
Every leader in the organization must be willing to consciously replace themselves. Multiplication must be a part of the overall strategy. There must be a continual process of leadership recruitment.
Start early
Reproducing cultures replace leaders before they actually need them.
Invest in personal growth
You can’t take new leaders where the current leaders haven’t been or aren’t going.
Humble leaders
Leaders must not be afraid new leaders could lead better than them. When leaders allow people to shine under their leadership it advances their ability to lead. The good news is today’s generation likes honesty. They will follow a leader more if they trust their integrity.
Share responsibilities early 
The easiest way to learn something is to do it, and the more ownership given to people the more they will be motivated to participate.
Identify potential
I shared some ways I do this in a previous post. It’s important in a recruitment culture to always be looking for people who may someday be leadership superstars. Look for the good in people. What do they have that attracts people to them?
Create an environment conducive to leaders
Leaders don’t develop well under a dictatorship. If people are afraid to have an answer under the current leadership for fear of being wrong, they are less likely to try to have an answer. The real leaders will disappear quickly in a controlling environment—or where one or a few people get to actually introduce new ideas and make decisions.
Recruit
The “sign up” method seldom works well. The best quality people are almost always personally recruited. Jesus found people—with a personal ask—even at risk they would betray Him. The best recruitment in most organizations will be likewise.
Lead for life change
Some people will experience their greatest life change only when they are leading others or have some sort of responsibility of leadership. Nurture potential leaders knowing part of their spiritual maturity will be developed leading others.
Are you in a leadership reproducing culture? What makes it so?  

Ron Edmondson

Ron Edmondson is a pastor and church leader passionate about planting churches, helping established churches thrive, and assisting pastors and those in ministry think through leadership, strategy and life. Ron has over 20 years business experience, mostly as a self-employed business owner, and he's been helping churches grow vocationally for over 10 years.

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