New Leadership for the New Evangelization

In 1979 Pope John Paul II called for a new evangelization, an “evangelization of the second millennium.” He invited the Church to embrace a, “new ardor, new methods and new expressions” in our efforts to spread the Gospel. In today’s spiritual climate the new evangelization also needs a new type of leadership.

Saint Pope John Paul II called for a new evangelization - new in ardor, methods and expression. In today’s spiritual climate the new evangelization also needs a new type of leadership. Click To Tweet

There are certain fundamentals that apply to all forms of organizational leadership, including Pastoral leadership. In the fundamentals, Pastoral leadership is more like other roles of organizational leadership than it is unlike them. Yes, there are unique responsibilities and challenges, but the essence of leadership remains the same. Here are three consistent leadership fundamentals that apply to every sector, including pastoral leadership.

The mandate of every leader is to ensure the organization accomplishes the mission. It’s this simple: well-led organizations accomplish their mission, poorly led organizations do not or not well.

Change is a permanent landscape for leaders. If change isn’t necessary, leadership isn’t required, management will do just fine. Managers maintain the status quo, leaders disrupt the status quo. Leaders challenge the process and foster an appetite for change and continual improvement. They take risks because they fear missing an opportunity more than they fear making a mistake.

If change isn't necessary, leadership isn't required. Leaders challenge the process and foster an appetite for improvement. They take risks because they fear missing an opportunity more than they fear making a mistake. Click To Tweet

Leadership is a choice. Leadership is not about holding a position or a title. It’s not a job as much as it is a responsibility, specifically, the responsibility to influence people; bring about positive change; and make forward progress.

Pastoral leadership is more like other roles of organizational leadership than it is unlike them. Yes, there are unique challenges, but the essence of leadership remains the same and the formation required is also similar. Click To Tweet

When titled leaders fail to lead for whatever reasons, four negative consequences arise within the organization:

• Leaders that fail to lead, forget to model the way and then people within the organization become disengaged. A true leader inspires others by the brush of their example  – to dream more, be more and do more.
• Leaders that fail to lead, forget to set an agenda and then the organization moves blindly into the future. One of the most important functions of a leader is to inspire a shared vision, without it the organization is adrift and vulnerable to mission creep.
• Leaders that fail to lead, neglect to enable others to act and then people feel disempowered to make things happen. Great leaders create a culture where everyone knows their strengths and puts them to work every day in meaningful work.
• Leaders that fail to lead, forget about aligning systems then yesterday’s solutions become tomorrow’s problems. Leaders embrace systems thinking by coordinating all the moving pieces for greater effectiveness and efficiency.

One of the most important functions of a leader is to inspire a shared vision, without it the organization is adrift and vulnerable to mission creep. Click To Tweet Yesterdays solutions become tomorrows problems when leaders forget or neglect to lead through aligning systems. Click To Tweet

Many, including Andre Regnier and Fr James Mallon have identified the need to transform the culture of our parishes as a first step to embracing the new evangelization – and therein lies the need for new leadership –  transformational leadership.

Pastoral transformational leaders are divinely discontent with current reality. They lie in bed at night dreaming about transforming the parish into what it could be and should be and must be for the sake of the renewal of the world.

The goal of transformational leadership is to transform people and organizations in a literal sense – to change them in mind and heart. There are four roles of a transformational leader in the parish context:

• To inspire others by their exemplary commitment to evangelization and disciple-making.
• To set a missionary agenda focused on the people they are trying to reach, not the ones they are trying to keep.
• To recruit and release the talents and charisms of their people.
• To align all activities and initiatives to the evangelizing mission.

Transformational leaders lead their parish from maintenance to mission. They are passionate and committed to a “steps, not programs” mindset. They make sure that every parish initiative is designed to help people take a step – a step closer to conversion, a step deeper in discipleship or to a step out in missionary boldness.

Effective pastoral leaders ensure that every parish initiative is designed to help people take a step - a step closer to conversion, or a step deeper in discipleship or to a step out in missionary boldness. Click To Tweet

Fortune 500 companies invest billions of dollars every year into the professional development of their leaders. It’s ironic because many of those leaders leave their companies long before their is a return on that investment. Sadly, there is way less investment in our Pastoral leaders that champion the most important mission in the world and have committed to a lifetime of leadership.

Seminary is the beginning, not the end of formation, especially formation in leadership. The new evangelization requires a new form of leadership to transform our parishes into missional outposts. We must do this, we can do this. Lets go do this!

Great leaders create a culture where everyone knows their strengths and puts them to work every day in meaningful work. Click To Tweet