I have a couple of friends who are really into “Talk Like a Pirate Day” (September 19 in case you’re wondering). One dresses up like a pirate for the day (in Johnny Depp “Pirates of the Caribbean” style) and plays the part to the hilt, sometimes visiting local elementary schools to the delight of children. I think there may be some things pastoral leaders can learn from pirates. While pillaging and looting to help offset the church budget may not be recommended, here are nine ways you can lead like a pirate:
Look the part and act the part. Many pastoral leaders (including pastoral caregivers like chaplains who work in clinical settings) suffer from the “Impostor Syndrome” when they first take the job. Some humbler souls have difficulty being “first among equals” with colleagues in a large staff. Some feel uneasy with the deference given to them that comes with the office (it’s all projection, so take the accolades with a grain of salt!). It is worth remembering, however leadership has more to do with what the system needs of its leader and less about any insecurities one may have about playing the role. And, it can’t hurt to literally dress the part of the office, which can call for gravitas and decorum. One church member was overheard saying of his pastor, “I never can tell if he’s working or going to the gym.”
Treat colleagues as Mateys, but don’t forget you’re the First Mate if you’re the Senior Pastor. Staff and church members are smart, some are experts in their field, but they tend not the be “smart” about the larger picture of the institution: how the organization works, the minutia of theological and polity issues, the critical roles played by non-teaching and support staff, or the interrelated, the necessary expedience of political relationships, and the interconnected nature of the work of ministry its impact on everything from new member outreach, community service, stewardship and budgets, plant maintenance, member retention, endowments, to the economics of an institution dependent on the will and whims of a volunteer base.
On occasion, a staff member will forget they are also employees of the institution, believing themselves to be “free agents.” One pastor noted of his staff, “Individually, they’re some of the smartest people around, but in times of high anxiety, their collective IQ can drop 20 points.” Treat staff with respect, strive to remove obstacles to their work of ministry but accept the liability that comes with needing to be liked above being an effective pastoral leader. Remember what author Henry Cloud says to leaders, “You are ridiculously in charge.”
Prepare for turbulent waters and storms. Congregations and religious institutions that are sensitive to shifts in the larger environment will tend to fare better during times of social and economic stress. For pastoral leaders, the job can sometimes feel like going from one small crisis to another, but you can also count on facing at least one major storm during your tenure–institutional financial distress, employee or staff dismissals, faculty member revolts, lawsuits, conflicts with the deacons and/or Board members, all loom just over the horizon. Anticipate the storms. You’ll not only need to manage yourself, but also provide leadership for others in the system to weather the storm.
Keep things shipshape. Quality control, legal compliance, and maintaining institutional, programmatic and personal integrity all fall within the pastoral charge. Effective leaders know that everything matters–“small details” are ignored at their peril. Every accommodation to a plea for exemption from policy has an unintended consequence. Keeping things shipshape is not sexy, and no one will thank you for it. But when its neglect starts causing problems, you’ll be the one at whom people point fingers, and rightly so.
Keep the wind in your institutional sails. Every once in a while, get up on the crow’s nest and look out over the horizon to gain perspective. Suck in a lungful of sea air to clear your mind and let the vista inspire you. Invest in your own professional development as a leader—institutional and pastoral—and insist on a staff culture and ethos that values professional development of your staff. At the end of the decade the religious institutions that will be thriving will be the ones who have been imaginative enough to change, fleet enough to do so, and who have had the visionary leaders to get them there.
Seek a safe harbor during attacks and times of stress. During your tenure as pastor you can count on at least one instance of being under attack. Get a coach or support system to help you manage stress and anxiety. Stay close to your supporters and advocates, who should be an ally. Remember that 90% of the problems you’ll face will not be about you personally, they just come with the job. Maintain a real life, cultivate your spirituality, practice grace.
The Plank. Pastoral leaders need to guard against toxic attitudes and behaviors from staff and members for the welfare of the faith community. It is likely that during your tenure you’ll need to address personnel issues that call for dismissal of underfunctioning, underperforming, misfit, insubordinate, or acting out staff or church members. When things get to the point where a parting of ways becomes the right thing to do, pastors need to accept it’s appropriate to help someone walk the plank.
Check your compass often. In the midst of the daily barrage of administrivia and ministerial tasks to which pastors must give attention, it’s important to check your compass to make sure you’re headed in the right direction. Will all your activities, plans, and meetings help move you toward your institutional ministry goals? Do your programs help your members grow and mature in faith? Do your metrics provide the correct waypoints to get you where you are going? Is your ministry and congregation headed in the right direction?
Create your treasure map. Working for mere survival is not enough, though that can seem to fill most days for an institution under duress. But people need something higher than keeping the boat afloat to get believe in and support their congregation. Everyone on board needs to have a sense of purpose. What is the ultimate goal worth pursuing for your church? Where does your treasure lie? Keeping the mission and vision of the congregation before your mates will help everyone row in the same direction.
RELATED RESOURCES
The Virtuous Leader: Ancient and Modern Wisdom. Lessons from the Stoics and Bowen Systems,Galindo (Didache Press)
60 Leadership Concepts: Practical Wisdom for Adaptive Leadership in Anxious Times, Galindo (Didache Press)
Leadership Pitfalls: The Most Common Leadership Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them, Galindo (Didache Press)
Leadership in Ministry: Bowen Theory in the Congregational Context, Galindo (ed) (Didache Press)
Reframing Ministry Leadership: New Insights from a Systems Theory Perspective, Galindo (ed) (Didache Press)
Perspectives on Congregational Leadership: Applying Systems Thinking for Effective Leadership, Galindo (Didache Press)
The Hidden Lives of Congregations, Galindo (Alban/Rowman and Littlefield)
When a Pastor is Fired: Addressing the Silent Epidemic of Clergy Forced Terminations, Galindo (ed)(Didache Press)
A Family Genogram Workbook, Galindo, Boomer, Reagan (Educational Consultants)
