Intentional Leadership

This week I spoke with a longtime friend on my podcast (Shift Change) and in our discussion we discussed implicit vs. explicit leadership. I am confident that if you are like me, you’ve had many bosses and have had numerous folks who’ve reported to you. Or perhaps you’ve served in some capacity, or been influenced significantly by a coach, a pastor, or a mentor. In some cases, their leadership has been intentional and in other instances it has simply been seen through their example. The difference in the influence of these two is often referred to as implicit and explicit leadership.

In most cases, leaders seem to be much more comfortable in implicit leadership, the kind of leadership that is caught and not taught. This is the belief that simply living your life well will be enough to impact those who follow and the hope that others will see you leading and living well and pick up on the clues and example that you set.

I recognize the power of implicit leadership, but perhaps you are like me, where much of what I learned implicitly was what I didn’t want to do. I didn’t want to wait to tell employees what they were doing wrong until it became a big deal. I didn’t want to lose my cool with employees. I didn’t want to be an absent leader. I didn’t want to be a bully and treat people as if they were simply tools to be used and discarded when no longer needed.

What I wanted to be was the best leader possible, and the best leaders (I believe) purposefully engage in explicit actions and intentional planning. They are men and women who are thoughtfully engaged with those around them. They have a clear purpose and a clarity of direction that is consistently communicated, while giving those they work with the freedom to find their own path within the vision. More importantly, they intentionally lead and serve their employees.

With that said, here are some specific and simple actions you will often see in the intentional (explicit) leader.

·      Scheduled meetings, actions, and follow-up

·      Meetings with agendas, purpose, and clear timing

·      Intentional follow-up

·      Mentoring

·      Accountability

·      Identified expectations

·      Opportunities to identify and discuss goals, long-term plans, and needs

·      Vision casting

Here is my biggest concern, very few leaders are doing these things.

For 20+ years I served in the church. During those years, I remember only one meeting where the men and women in the primary roles of leadership within the church specifically spoke to leadership development. Those in roles of leadership addressed theology, philosophy, worship, evangelism, church growth, finances, the list goes on, but they NEVER addressed leadership development.

It is part of the reason (I believe) that church leaders continue to fail. They don’t know how to lead. They’ve never been taught. Those in charge have always hoped that pastors would just catch on (implicit). Unfortunately, that’s not leadership. Leadership is taught (explicit). Very seldom is great leadership caught (implicit).

Perhaps we should be more intentional (explicit) about teaching leadership!