Motivating Adults to Lead

By Doug Franklin April 1, 2010

Yesterday I wrote about why adults don’t develop themselves as leaders. My main points were that adults don’t want to grow, they can’t master leadership and it costs too much. So what are some solutions to motivating adults to grow as leaders? Please take note that I said grow as leaders. Most adults will take leadership positions, but what I am talking about is being good at leading and that requires growth.

Some Solutions

1. Create a  circle of life
Every organization needs a circle of life. A life circle is a step-by-step growth plan to help each person know what is their next leadership step in the organization. This is to ensure people don’t think they can stay in the same spot forever. For example: if you attend a small group your next step would be to apprentice in the small group and the next step after that would be becoming a small group leader, after that small group coach where you over see five small groups. You get the idea. The reason it’s a circle and not a line is to remind us that we are never finished growing. If we complete all the steps, we then take someone else through the steps over and over again.

2. Driving vision
A popular vision statement churches are using today is “Loving God, Loving People.” That’s good and I know the verses in the Bible it comes from, but my problem with this statement is it’s lack of motion. I can love God and love people without taking any steps forward and without taking any leadership positions in my church. Now, I know many of you might disagree, but from the number of people involved at our churches it looks like it’s not pushing people to action.  It’s my personal opinion that a church’s vision should call people to action and change.  Once you have a driving vision repeat it at least 10 times per week for 5 years and then your people will start to get it. You might be thinking this doesn’t sound like a solution but it is; it just takes discipline and tenacity. Churches that do this reap an unbelievable benefit. I’ve been at a church that did this and it grew like crazy. I also observed it when it stopped and man did it shrink.

3. Create space for leaders
In many of the new style churches that have entrepreneurial pastors and small elder boards, most of the leadership is filled by staff members just leading small groups for other folks. Now leading a small group is important but for some of us with leadership ability we want more or something different and there is nothing left. So we sit in church thinking there is nothing that catches my attention or interests.  Churches that want to develop leaders will create space for them and opportunities for the gifts to be used. But if power is consolidated in order to keep control, then leaders will stay home.