What do the best do leaders do with their time?

According to Matt Beeton, 80% of new leaders fail to make a positive difference in their organization after two years of being in the role.

Last week, I spoke with Pastoral leaders that have been in their positions for longer than two years and they painfully remarked that they cannot see any tangible difference that they have made as a leader. One summarized it like this, “I’ve been working so hard, for so long and see no proof anywhere. It’s very discouraging.” In my conversations with Bishops and Priests, I am starting to see a consistent pattern. Many Pastoral leaders, at least those that care enough to talk about it, carry a burden of perceived failure. Their hearts are discouraged but called upon to lead during this difficult season.

Many Pastoral leaders, at least those that care enough to talk about it, carry a burden of perceived failure. Their hearts are discouraged but called upon to lead during this difficult season. Share on X

It’s not that these Pastoral leaders are bad leaders. It’s not that they have attempted to lead and failed. Many of these men and women simply do not understand the nature of leadership and therefore, do not know how to lead, even when they want to so badly.

Many new leaders simply do not understand the nature of leadership and therefore, do not know how to lead, even when they want to so badly. Share on X

Simply put, they don’t know what leaders are supposed to do. They don’t understand the work of leadership as distinct from others in the organization. So, armed with a passion to do good and a big heart, they get busy working, but not leading.

If Pastoral leaders tracked their work activity for a month, they would quickly see that most of their time and energy is being spent on non-leadership activities. They are very busy doing a lot of good stuff but not leading. At best they are managing by crisis or doing the work that should be done by their staff or volunteers.

This begs the question, what do the best leaders do to lead well? Here are the 7 most effective ways the best leaders invest their time.

Work On It. Every organization operates three agendas simultaneously: the sustaining agenda, the improvement agenda and the change agenda. The best leaders take ownership of the improvement agenda and change agenda. In other words, they work ON the organization (parish or Diocese)  not IN it. Their staff and key volunteers work on the sustaining agenda, the day-to-day work. Working “on it” means disrupting the status quo and challenging the process. It means painfully confronting the most brutal facts of current reality for the sake of getting better and encouraging others to do the same. The best leaders foster an appetite, even a hunger, for continual improvement and change. They never shy away from taking risks because they fear missing an opportunity more than they fear failure.

The best leaders foster an appetite, for continual improvement. They never shy away from taking risks because they fear missing an opportunity more than they fear failure. Share on X

Clarify and Communicate a Shared Vision. The best leaders are animated by a holy discontent because they see very clearly the gap between what the organization is now and what it could become in the future. In other words, the best leaders are visionary. They see further than others see, faster than others see and more clearly than others see. They never tire of sharing the vision with others. They develop a capacity for creative redundancy, speaking the same vision in multiple ways. The best leaders “leak vision.” The best pastoral leaders spend their time and energy in the activity of inspiring a shared vision. They are continually communicating a picture of the preferred future and will not stop sharing it until it is realized.

The best leaders are continually communicating a picture of the preferred future and will not stop sharing it until it is realized. Share on X

Set the Agenda. A dream without a plan is a nightmare. A vision without a strategy becomes di-vision. Great leaders set the agenda. Once the vision is clear, they work on strategy, planning a path to get from “here” to “there.” They make tough, strategic decisions. They confirm we are doing 1-2 and 3 but not 4-5 and 6. They give a great big yes to the strategic plans that matter most and say no to everything else. Every “yes” is protected by a hundred “nos.” The best leaders spend their time setting the agenda, crafting it into a clear plan.

Mobilize Others. If the vision and agenda are worth pursuing, it will require more than one person to accomplish it. Leadership is all about people, mobilizing others to take action. John Maxwell says, “If you think you are a leader and no one is following you, you are only going for a walk.” Great leaders transmit their vision and the agenda through clear communication. Great mobilizers utilize stories and metaphors to inspire hearts. And they use facts and evidence to convince minds. They communicate complicated ideas using simple language.

Mobilizing means calling forth the time, talent and emotional commitment of others and moving them forward on the plan to accomplish the vision. The best leaders know their people’s passions and gifts. Mobilizing is about delegating real authority to make decisions and final responsibility for achieving results. It is not about assigning them tasks, “go do this” and “now do that.” The best leaders spend time investing in their best people, mobilizing them, removing obstacles for them so that they can bear the most fruit for the good of the kingdom.

Mobilizing is about delegating real authority to make decisions and final responsibility for achieving results. Share on X

Communication. The best leaders invest their time in conversation with those closest to them. The greatest enemy of meaningful conversations is fear. Anxiety triggers the primitive part of the brain called the amygdala, which controls our fight or flight response. Also, fear inhibits the higher parts of the brain which control empathy, compassion, and curiosity. As fear increases, people tend to move towards conversational silence. When the best leaders recognize the shift to silence, they focus on creating a safe place through gentle eye contact, empathetic listening, curiosity, and an open posture. Empathetic listening is the art of being attentive to all ways people communicate their messages – through words, sounds and emotions. I wrote more about leading through conversations here.

Encourage the Heart. When it comes to believing in themselves most people are agnostic. Even the most talented, capable people will need continual doses of encouragement along the way. Great leaders utilize mentoring conversations to encourage people with a sense of the potential for greatness. Empowering leaders are most passionate about seeing other people become the best version of themselves and the leader encourages them until they see it in themselves.

Modeling. Great leaders model the way by demonstrating a high level of integrity and authenticity. These leaders “walk the talk” by being true to their own values, to the Gospel and the organization – its mission, values and culture. The best leaders make and keep promises. The best leaders live with a high level of ethics and apologize when mistakes are made.

There is nothing more frustrating than working very hard and not seeing any progress. This is the burden many pastoral leaders feel today. Cynicism can creep in, despair too. My hope is that today’s post provides some insight into the nature of leadership and what leaders need to do to, well, lead!