As I stated earlier, fairly or not, society has (in my opinion rightly) come to expect more from church leaders, holding church leaders to a higher standard in how they behave, how they interact with others, and how they react in the face of adversity. Some of you may not think this to be fair, but the reality of the matter is that leaders in the church should be held to a higher standard than those leaders in the corporate context. You should not only be an example for the leaders of your church to follow and emulate, you should also be an example for corporate leaders to follow and emulate as they conduct their business throughout the week. If your leadership can’t be emulated by those in the business world, or if your leadership can’t be effectively translated into a corporate context, is it really the kind of leadership you want in your church? In this aspect, your church has the great opportunity and the great responsibility, to not only impact the souls of those you are charged with leading on Sunday, but to also impact the lives of business men and women as they go from your church on Sunday into the workforce Monday morning. Your ministry, and by extension your leadership, does not end Sunday evening when your people leave the sanctuary of your building, that’s where it actually begins. As a leader, you have to ensure that you are effectively influencing your people in such a way that even when you’re not there in their face (which is most of the time), they are equipped and fully capable of making decisions that positively impact their livelihood and their success. Leading with excellence means you have the knowledge and ability to impart that knowledge and ability into others – your leadership does no good if it’s only effective when you’re physically there. You must maintain your leadership at such a high standard because its effectiveness doesn’t just affect your ability to lead, but rather it affects your entire ministry’s ability to lead. As you go, so will your people. As you lead, so will your people. While society may expect more from you as a church leader, the truth is that you should expect even more from yourself and from those on your team. Don’t let society dictate what leadership in the church should look like – you know what God expects of you. Leadership excellence requires a level of commitment that is typically not seen within corporate contexts. The church should be that beacon, that standard, the world looks to when it’s seeking an example of what excellence in leadership looks like. Regardless of where you’re at in the process of developing as a leader, no matter what experiences you’ve had in the past that have shaped your leadership now, no matter how your life story reads, if you commit to leading in excellence there is nothing that can prevent you from attaining that level. As you progress through this journey, take heart in the fact that this process really isn’t about you. God’s requirement that you lead in excellence isn’t about your accolades or your accomplishments, but rather about those whose lives you’re about to positively impact as a result of your obedience and faithfulness to developing as a leader. When things get hard and you begin to wonder why you’re sacrificing everything to attain a level of leadership excellence that seems so distant and unattainable, remember that you are about to impact the lives of everyone you come into contact with. You can never know how big an impact your leadership will make on a person, and unfortunately you may never come to find out. But know this – when you persevere and strive for leading with excellence, not only will you be blessed through the process, but those around you will be blessed, reaping the benefits of you leading at a higher standard.
As you read through the next few chapters, you will be challenged as a leader to perform at the levels of excellence described within these pages. More so, you’ll start to notice areas and individuals who aren’t yet aware that they’re candidates for the same challenge you’re about to embark on. Don’t keep this transformation to yourself – share what you learn with as many of your leaders as you can. As you go through this process of change, remember that the ultimate goal is to positively impact people’s eternities. There is no prize for crossing the finish line first, and there is definitely no reward for finishing alone. The impact you and your church can make on people’s eternities exponentially increases as you seek to lead with excellence.
I also want you to keep in mind that the pursuit of leadership excellence is an inconvenient endeavor, but it’s supposed to be inconvenient. You’re not being bothered by the day-to-day humdrums of being a leader, you should consider it an honor when people seek you out for your advice or input or feedback. Don’t grumble when your people come to you with questions that need answering because the day they stop coming to you is the day you stop being their leader. Don’t look at vision-casting and team-building as things you have to do, but rather as things you get to do. You are equipped and have been set aside to lead a people that God has entrusted you with. No small order – it is my hope that the insight you receive from these pages will help you be the best leader you possibly can be, leading with an attitude of excellence in all you do. This is, after all, what this book is about.