QUARTERLY CONNECTION #3
LEADERSHIP BEHAVIORS
1 Corinthians 1:10 (TLB)
“Let there be real harmony so that there won’t be splits in the church…Be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.”
That isn’t just a reminder to me(Tom De Vries) of where we are in the RCA today—it is the recognition that leaders help a church to identify why it exists, what God has called it to be, what God has called it to do, and how it will to do it.
When I have worked with churches to help them focus their ministry—especially around vision and values—I have laid out “Seven Questions Every Church Must Answer,”[1] developed by my friend, Terry Walling.
You went through them back in Month 3 as you talked about strategic discernment and direction:
- Why do we exist as a church? (Biblical Purpose)
- How has God worked in our past? (Ministry Milestones)
- Whom has God called us to reach? (Ministry Focus)
- Who has God shaped us to be? (Core Values)
- Where is God leading us in the future? (Vision)
- How will we accomplish our vision? (Ministry Goals)
- What is our plan for ministry in the next 3-5 years? (Ministry Plan)
Most churches and organizations can never get through answering all seven questions—they usually only get to four or five. If they do go through all of them, they find out that leadership is really hard.
Getting clarity as a leader is extremely challenging.
With a list of questions like this—questions we continue to ask ourselves as leaders—I realize why I was so struck when I read the vision and values statement of Pfizer on a handout at a conference I once attended:
They define us, focus our efforts and drive every aspect of everything we do.
We are people with an ennobling PURPOSE.
We are driven by an ambitious MISSION.
We are fueled by our defining VALUES.
And then . . .
We are guided by our LEADER BEHAVIORS.
In defining what it was trying to accomplish, Pfizer articulated it like this:
“Achievement of the vision begins with clarity. As you read on, you will see that we have rare clarity about our mandate as an organization and the way people within it must pursue results.
But the words can only be a guide for action. To move beyond #1, each of us must feel energized by our purpose and mission, become a champion of our values and behave as a leader.
We are a great company, with a record of exceptional performance and success. But we have before us the opportunity to become an enduring leader, contributing more to human health than any company in history. It is up to each of us to find a way to lead.
Understanding the principles that guide our quest is only the start. Bringing them to life through action is the challenge we face every day. Together, we can meet this challenge.”
Let’s backtrack a moment.
As we have journeyed this year, we have said that leaders:
- Inspire hope
- Incite change
- Increase impact
We have looked at how hope can come into hopeless situations and be inspirational.
We have talked about how you embrace and catalyze change rather than resist it.
We have said that increasing impactis more than executing a strategic plan really well.There is a commitment to personal action that models the behavior necessary for making a difference.
It is significant when a business says, “Understanding the principles that guide our quest is only the start. Bringing them to life through action is the challenge we face every day. Together, we can meet this challenge.”
Please don’t read this as my making any moral or ethical pronouncements on the actions of this company. I am only trying to lift up a case study of how an organization—and more specifically, how we as leaders—can increase impact as a result of our leadership.
When Pfizer describes being guided by leader behaviors, they paint the picture this way:
“Out of our values has grown an effort to redefine and promote leadership at Pfizer in new ways. Leadership is not an end state at which one arrives—either as an individual or as a company. It must be earned every day. It must become an ongoing way of thinking, behaving and performing, regardless of level or position. At Pfizer, it is a mandate for the many, not a select few.
How do we define leadership at Pfizer? We have identified six areas of behavior and attitudes that successful leaders embody. The leader behaviors serve as a guide for personal action as we work together to achieve business goals and build an even more vibrant, open and successful culture.”
Here are the six areas:[2]
- Sustain focus on performance
Leaders sustain a focus on performance by setting the right priorities, adhering to high standards, being strategically opportunistic, and focusing on their customers.
- Create an inclusive environment
Leaders create an inclusive environment by being open to new ideas, seeking always to include colleagues, and ensuring that all managers do the same.
- Encourage open discussion and debate
Leaders listen actively, encourage contribution, accept criticism, skillfully manage meetings and discussions, and communicate effectively.
- Manage change
Leaders manage change by anticipating strategically, taking initiative, and planning for better ways to operate. They empower people to act, train change agents, and seek better priorities.
- Develop people
Leaders develop people in many ways. They practice helpful feedback, listen skillfully, plan for development, and serve as coach and mentor.
- Align across Pfizer
Leaders contribute to helping the company as a whole, communicate and collaborate with other Pfizer groups, and utilize and support our governance system.
It isn’t enough to be purpose driven.
It isn’t sufficient to be mission minded.
It won’t be effective enough to only define your values.
The leadership behaviors that you embrace and embodyare replicated in the attitudes and actions of those around you.
And these behaviors are not all the same. We don’t adopt leadership behaviors from Pfizer or Saddleback or Willow Creek and demand that the leaders in our environment live them out.We don’t import the leader behaviors from Centerpoint, Fair Haven, La Senda, or Colt’s Neck and think they can align with and help us achieve our unique, God-given purpose.
Strong leadership requires the time to think through, reflect on, and have clarity about the behaviors that you want to pursue, practice, and perpetuate—behaviors that affirm your vision and values in how you live and lead.
So I hope that you will spend time identifying two, three, or maybe more leader behaviors that will guide your pursuit of your mission and vision.
DISCUSSION
What are the leadership behaviors we want to embrace and embody as a team in order to achieve our purpose, accomplish our mission, and realize our values for God’s glory?
Leadership competency
Being a skilled leader is a continuous pursuit. It requires ongoing persistence in learning and growing, but it also involves living out the behavior that we want others to pursue and replicate.
It assumes that we desire to enable and enhance leadership at every level of our organization.
It is committed to imparting clarity of purpose, establishing a shared sense of goals, and shaping an environment of exploration and innovation.
It focuses on developing those around you and empowering them by sharing your gifts, knowledge, and experience liberally and generously.
It is accepts and acts, recognizing that leadership is not for the few—it is a mandate for all.
Everyone must find a way to lead, to influence, to impact.
As a key leader you will do all in your power to grow, develop, and empower others to make their unique and God-ordained contribution for Christ and his kingdom.
This Year 2 journey is focusing on nine specific skills or competencies:
Inspire hope
- Trust
- Visionizing
- Strategic discernment and direction
Incite change
- Developing people
- Embracing change
- Decision-making
Increase impact
- Culture, innovation, and risk
- Execution
- Redemptive conflict and confrontation
When we gather for the conclusion of Year 2 and the launching of Year 3, we will again personally share our leadership journeys, but I also want us to dive deeper into these competency areas.
Each of you will take one of the areas and prepare a 10- to 12-minute time of learning, growth, and interaction about the specific competency to help us understand it better and to improve our skill in this area. We need to take volunteers—or assign areas to specific individuals—so you can help us learn more in this particular area. Be ready to lead us through it at our annual gathering.
[1]Terry Walling, Refocusing Your Church: Strategic Planning Process (Church Resource Ministries, 1994).
[2]“Summary of Pfizer Policies on Business Conduct,” accessed September 18, 2015,