Patrick Lencioni, in his book, The Advantage, notes that ‘organizational health trumps everything.’ Not only have I found his argument to be true in the church to a high degree, but I have also found it to be true for the leaders of the church as well. Outside of the work of God, health is the most important factor in the effectiveness of pastors, staff and ministry leaders. Outside of the Gospel, the most important factor in the effectiveness of a church is the health of the church. Health trumps all.
Healthy Leaders
Habit #4
Healthy leaders have high self-knowledge.
Self-knowledge may be the most underrated of all skills needed for healthy, effective leadership.
Self-knowledge is not a helpful leadership tool. It is the tool box!
Knowledge is power. Self-knowledge is exponential power.
Self-knowledge takes a lifetime to achieve and is often learned in painful ways. We learn about ourselves through experiences, intentional learning and in relationships. Self-knowledge can also come through a variety of tools such as inventories, mentoring relationships and other educational opportunities.
Self-knowledge happens more easily when we are vulnerable, authentic, humble and teachable. Self-knowledge includes growing in emotional intelligence, an essential skill for all leaders
We are all created in the image of God, each of us unique. Our personality is often our greatest asset and our greatest liability; a double-edge sword. The more self-knowledge we have, the better we can leverage our strengths and gifts for good. The more self-knowledge we have, the better we can name and manage our weaknesses.
So often, we focus in on our weaknesses, which is a grave mistake. We often try to compensate, excuse or eliminate them, which is often unhealthy and impossible. We can know our weaknesses and blind spots without giving them power. When we manage these things, we are able to focus our energy on that which is more effective-leveraging our strengths.
The more self-knowledge you have, the more effective you will be at leading others and the more effectively you will lead yourself.
Healthy leaders know who they are and who they are not.
Rev. Dr. Marcus J. Carlson, Executive Director
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