Leadership under development

One of the greatest influences on my thinking about leadership was a woman called Trish who worked for SCM in the early nineties. She was really interested in anarchistic organisational theories - which may sound slightly contradictory. She then went on to be a consultant to radical campaigning groups who wanted decision making structures to fit their egalitarian beliefs - rather than the power ethic of big business.
Her basic argument was that in order to allow each person to be heard - which is basically what an anarchist would want - you actually need tighter rather than looser structures of organisation. Anarchist organisation is not an oxymoron, it's actually essential - and prevents a slide back to "he who shouts loudest gets heard!"
She demonstrated her theory through a very neat decision making game which I've used at various time since then - once enabling a ministry team on the brink of crisis to actually talk to each other!
As I said yesterday, I believe that the Spirit is active in each person, so the leading voice of Christ can be found in each church member. This is a kind of Christian, anarchistic, democratic, pneumatological theory of leadership. Each person is a leader, whether they know it or not. Their actions, words and ideas contribute to the life of the whole - even if it is by withdrawal or abstention. The task of "leaders" is to enable the collective voice to be heard - which includes the voice of minorities or individuals. This is not majority rule - all must be heard, since it is often through the forgotten or seemingly unimportant that Christ's Word can be received. The Magnificat is a great warning to those who seek power or control.
I've just been reading the chapter on leadership in "Emerging Churches" which talks about participation, gifting, servant leadership, leading as a body, etc... It's made me reflect on our journey in Watling Valley. When John left there was a general desire to reform the Ministry Team as a "leaderless group" - that was the majority view. In the end we decided to have a Team Chair/Leader - which is the role I found myself in. From the beginning this was a challenging appointment since I was tasked with facilitating or enabling collective leadership in the Team without acting as a leader. Over time I developed a number of techniques for doing this, including listening, chairing, structuring conversations, reflecting back, etc... I also did a certain amount of "servant leadership" - through the Service Planning, central admin, etc... Through it all I made many, many mistakes as I found myself slipping into traditional roles, or taking the easy options. At the end of this period I think I've learnt a lot about collaborative leadership whether I was any good at making it happen or not.
I've also used a non-directive approach to leadership in a number of churches - which has not always been fun. Refusing to act as the mediator or ultimate authority can be unpopular with people who want you to impose their will on other people! Ultimately I agree with Rolland Allen who insists we "tell it to the church" - rather than sort it out for them.
The negative side of non-directive, facilitative leadership is that you can be seen as weak. The negative side of enabling and empowering ministry is that you are no-longer seen as the hero. More and more, I find myself less central to the stories of ministry that I'm involved in. Others get the praise, the status or the respect. I begin to wonder if people think I'm any good myself? All this, of course, is the necessary side effect of "lifting up the humble" and "bringing down the mighty from their thrones". We would all like to be the downtrodden poor who get lifted up, but sometimes we need to be the rich who are sent empty away. As an ordained, professional minister, "I must decrease that he may increase" - to borrow the words of John the Baptist.
So what is leadership in the church today? It is, I believe, the gift of each church member, but some individuals will act as focusses of that leadership at particular times. We all have our "leadership moments" so to speak. There are some, however, who are called to make that collective leadership possible. This is a challenging and sacrificial calling which involves a real responsibility to listen for the authentic voice of Christ - wherever it may be found..
Power does corrupt, but through the grace of Christ leaders can lay it down at his feet, perhaps recovering their own lives in the process...