4. Always lead with honesty and transparency
I am a huge believer in honesty. Of course, as a pastor (and a Jesus-follower), this should be the case. Nothing new here. Unfortunately, my experience in the world of church has proven this is not always the case. Too many pastors lead under a vale of lies and dishonesty. To many pastors say one thing from the pulpit and another behind closed doors.
While this may be the most basic thing I've learned, it is also one of the most important. At Watermarke, I have not so much learned this (a.k.a. we have not lied a bunch and been burned), but rather been reminded of how important it is for leaders to be open and honest with those we lead.
Here's a simple example of how this worked for us at Watermarke:
This summer, we were in the middle of a fund-raising effort to move into a new facility that would provide a multitude of blessings for our church. As a pretty new leader in our church, I had build some trust and relational capital, but the people of Watermarke had been burned by previous leadership before with similar campaigns.
As our funding deadline approached, it was clear that we were not going to receive the monetary gifts necessary to make our much-anticipated move. As a leader, I felt like I had failed with casting vision, making appropriates asks, etc. And, as the leader who initiated this campaign, the last thing I wanted to do was stand up in front of our church body and announce we would NOT be making the move. The thought was gut wrenching. But I knew that was my only option. God had been very loud and clear, in that His timing was not lining up with mine (always a frustrating lesson to learn). So, on Sunday, June 28th, I stood in front of our church and delivered a message on patience. The bottom line for the message was, "We limit God's power when we become impatient with His timing." That was a very tough message to deliver. I've never been so exhausted after a Sunday morning in my life!
Funny thing, that was maybe the best message I delivered all of 2009 (I only spoke a dozen times, but still). Our church really rallied around our honesty, integrity, and leadership as we announced our decision to be patient and delay our move. Why? I think because people love leaders that can make tough decisions while remaining honest and transparent.
As leaders, we must live what we teach, and we must be honest and transparent with those who follow. We are all forced to make difficult decisions, and through each one, we must be honest and transparent.
Are you being honest in your leadership? Are you walking your talk? Do say one think in public and another in private? Are you living contrary to what God's Word teaches? God cannot bless what's not blessible, and God can do a lot through us and our honesty.
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