Leadership Principles from "Extreme Ownership"
Gleaning and Applying Jocko Willink's Principles to the Local Church
As a young minister, I have been left frustrated and wanting when reading leadership books. I read them to hone my leadership skills as I manage a church staff and moderate a session. Leadership skills can be easily applied to my work as a churchman in my presbytery and the General Assembly. This doesn't even include my home and community. Yet, with a focus on leadership in the local church, some books I have read have been helpful, and some are an utter waste of time. Again, generally, my feeling when I close a book on leadership, especially when it is written from a Christian perspective, is a disappointment. Admittedly, even the secular leadership books I have read are lacking.
Jocko Willink and Leif Babin's "Extreme Ownership" book has been one of the most helpful leadership books I have read. (The war stories included in the book don't hurt either!) While I don't agree with every conclusion, the principles are easily applicable and thoughtful. They have written with the business world in mind; therefore, it takes some scriptural reflection to relate their principles to the local church. As I read their bestselling book, I contemplated what they might look like in my own context: a minister in the local church. I am sharing my thoughts as a possible help to men like me.
The Principles
The Leader Must Own Everything: A good leader will acknowledge mistakes and admit failures, take ownership of them, and develop a plan to win. The best leader will take responsibility for their job and take "extreme ownership" of everything that impacts their mission. The leader is responsible for explaining the mission, developing the tactics, and securing the training and resources to enable the team to execute properly and successfully. (p. 30)
Ministry Application: As the administrator of the church office, manager of the church staff, and moderator of the Session, the Minister has an important leadership role in the local church. He articulates the mission of the church (Matt. 28:16-20), sets the vision (Prov. 19:18), underscores the tactics (Col. 1:9-14), trains the other leaders (1 Tim. 4:7-8), and strives for God-glorifying execution (Eph. 3:20-21). In the church, when there is a failure in the mission, a lack of vision, desertion of the tactics, negligence in training, or an absence of focus on God's glory, the best leader will take ownership of these deficiencies. The Minister will not push the blame upon a ministry leader, other elders, or the church's members but will humbly take responsibility and strive to improve.
The Leader Must Set the Standard: Leaders drive their teams to achieve a higher performance standard. The standards will be articulated, and anything less than the standard will not be tolerated. There must be an expectation amongst the team that the standard of performance will be enforced, and consequences are appropriate when the standard is not met. Furthermore, standards are not stagnant, but a good leader will push the standards in a way that encourages and enables the team to succeed. (p. 54)
Ministry Application: Setting and enforcing expectations in ministry is difficult. We preach grace and mercy; therefore, we feel like grace and mercy must always be the answer when the team is not meeting the standard. Admittedly, we often err in this way, forgetting that we are stewards of the ministry Christ has given us, and He expects us to faithfully perform those duties to the best of our ability (Matt. 25:14-30). Therefore, a Minister must articulate the standard of ministry, which is to glorify God and advance His Kingdom here on Earth, and will hold the team accountable in that pursuit. If secular work demands standards to be met, how much more should the church demand faithfulness in ministry, which has eternal implications?
The Leader Must be a True Believer: In order to convince and inspire others to follow and succeed, the leader must truly believe in the mission. He will always be convinced that the mission is worth the effort and challenges ahead. Leaders must always operate with the understanding that they are a part of something; therefore, personal interests or glory cannot be the target. The target is always for the team to succeed in their mission. Once a leader believes in the mission, that belief shines through with actions and words. The confident actions and words of the leader will cause others to fully believe in what they are doing. (pgs. 76-77)
Ministry Application: The ministry staff, elders, deacons, or congregation will never be convinced of the power of the gospel if the Minister is not. As the leader, the Minister must be fully confident of God's promises (Rom. 4:1) - that the ordinary means of grace (the Word, sacraments, and prayer) are God's designed means of saving sinners and sanctifying saints. He must commit himself to these means, and his confidence in this will be clearly heard in the sermons he preaches, the lessons he teaches, the conversations he shares, and more. This confidence will not drive self-promotion but the glory of Christ Jesus.
The Leader Must Check His Ego: Ego drives some of the most successful people in the world. They want to win, to be the best. But when the ego clouds judgment and prevents the world from being seen as it truly is, it becomes destructive. When personal agendas become more important than the team and the overarching mission's success, performance suffers, and failure ensues. Many of the disruptive issues within any team can be attributed directly to a problem with ego. (p. 100)
Ministry Application: Ego has no place in ministry. Ministry is not about "winning," and success in ministry is not secular in nature. Gospel success is faithfulness, advancing the Kingdom of Christ, seeing sinners saved, believers sanctified, covenant children making professions of faith, and baptizing covenant children. Even in these things, it is not that Ministers might boast in themselves or the church to trust in financial stability or numerical growth, but the chief end of ministry is to lift high the cross and bring glory to the Lord's name. Ministers must humble themselves so that Christ might be exalted if they are to be effective leaders in the church (Jn. 3:30).
The Leader Must Promote Teamwork: "Cover and move" means teamwork. All elements within the greater team are crucial and must work together to accomplish the mission, mutually supporting one another for that singular purpose. Departments and groups within the team must break down silos, depend on each other and understand who depends on them. If individual teams operate independently or work against each other, the results can be catastrophic to the overall team's performance. (pgs. 121-122)
Ministry Application: The work of the local church is often broken down into committees. In my current ministry context, seven committees chaired by Elders do much of the church's work. While committees sometimes frustrate us by slowing down decision-making or not executing a ministry the exact way we would, they are good for the congregation's life. Not only does it allow the Elders to lead amid the church membership, but it also gives members ownership in the church's work. Nonetheless, committees can be detrimental to the ministry of the church if they are not always working toward the same goal, working against one another, or operating independently from each other. A good leader will promote teamwork. He will ensure each elder and their respective committee knows the ministry's goals. He will also encourage coordination and collaboration among all the committees.
The Leader Must Keep Things Simple: Like everything in life, there are inherent layers of leadership complexities. Simplifying as much as possible is crucial to success. When plans and orders are too complicated, people may not understand them. And when things go wrong and inevitably do go wrong, complexity compounds issues that can spiral out of control into total disaster. Plans and orders must be communicated in a simple, clear, and concise manner. As a leader, it doesn't matter how well you feel you have presented the information, plan, tactic, or strategy. If your team doesn't get it, you have not kept things simple and you have failed. (p. 140)
Ministry Application: Presbyterianism can be viewed as a complex of checks and balances. Local churches, full of committees, shepherding groups, ministries, staff members, family units, etc., can also feel overwhelming. Yet, the beauty of the mission of the church is simplicity. We are commanded to go and make disciples (Matt. 28:16-20) and worship the Lord (Ps. 96:9). The means to accomplish this mission are the Bible, prayer, and the sacraments. Though ministry is a high calling, if you consider it, there is great clarity in what we are to do and how we are to do it. As the leader, the Minister will ensure that this simplicity is known, understood, and practiced so that the church staff, officers, and members know their duty to God and man.
The Leader Must Prioritize and Execute: Countless problems to address are among the norms of leadership, and often they compound in a snowball effect. Every challenge is complex in its own right, each demanding attention. Yet, the growing issues can overwhelm even the most competent leader when they compound. However, a leader must remain calm and make the best decisions possible. Navy SEALs utilize a motto to give direction in these trying times, "Relax, look around, and make a call." With multiple problems and high-pressure, high-stakes environment situations, the leader must lead in prioritization and execution. (p.161)
Ministry Application: Understanding the simplicity of the church's mission - to worship and make disciples - will help the Minister lead in the ministry's prioritization. Committees have well-intended ideas. They want to start new ministries, support new missionaries, have a dozen Bible studies each summer, and pack the church calendar with events. In and of themselves, these are not bad desires. However, if it distracts or subtracts from the ultimate mission, it needs to be avoided. Volunteers only have so much time and energy, calendars can get so full that they deprioritize Lord's Day worship, and resources can be so widespread that they are ineffective. A good leader will help keep the main thing the main thing, and he will continuously and clearly articulate the mission of the church and the means that God has promised to bless. Then, the Minister must lead in its execution.
The Leader Must Plan Well: A great leader will continuously consider the question, "What is the mission?"Planning begins with mission analysis. Leaders must identify clear directives for the team. Once they understand the mission, they can impart this knowledge to their key leaders and others tasked with executing it. The plan of execution must be carefully refined and simplified so that it is explicitly clear and specifically focused on achieving the greater strategic vision of which that mission is a part. Planning ensures that the best ways to accomplish the mission are explored and discovered - the manpower, resources, and supporting assets. Information gathering is critical to utilizing all assets and providing the most accurate and up-to-date information. (p. 204)
Ministry Application: Administrative duties often seem beneath the leader. Can't we hire someone who will do all the planning and communicating? Many churches do, and in their rightful place, it can be helpful. However, this doesn't negate the leader's responsibility to plan well and clearly communicate that plan. A good leader does not separate himself from coordinating the church's ministry. He doesn't just show up when his secretary tells him to, but he is involved in the inner workings of the preparation and organization of church life. Good leadership doesn't require excellent administrative skills, but it does require intentionality to not be absent-minded walking the halls of the church building. Learn how to keep a calendar, take notes, share Google Docs, create spreadsheets, and be organized. Good planning will help the Minister be more efficient in his duties and leadership and enable other leaders to do the same.
The Leader Must be Decisive: No amount of reading can truly capture or articulate the pressure the leader will face, especially in times of uncertainty, chaos, and the element of the unknown. The leader almost never has the fullpicture or a clear understanding of what will try to derail his team from the mission. A great leader will have a sense of awareness and urgency, but can never be paralyzed by fear. That results in inaction. Leaders must act decisively and make the best decisions based on the available information. (p. 254)
Ministry Application: Ministry is often messy; something inevitably goes wrong, and chaos ensues. The church looks to her Minister to be decisive. Just as a secular workplace looks to an Operational Officer to decide and drive the company forward, so does the church look to its Minister to take the same action. Oftentimes, even fellow Elders will look to the Minister in times of chaos, and it is of utmost importance for you, as the leader, to be decisive and lead the church out of the ruckus. Therefore, a good leader will identify the problem, pray for the Lord's help, decide, and own the moment. He will lead the church forward, reorienting their minds to the ultimate mission to bring clarity and drive.
Conclusion
These thoughts and applications are scratching the surface of all that could be said. Even the list of principles is selective and not exhaustive. Furthermore, as I contemplate these principles, I will notice a hundred things I could have said. However, this post was not meant to be exhaustive; it was meant to help us think through leading in the local church. Whether you are a Minister, Elder, Ministry Coordinator, or in another leadership capacity in the local church, we should consider leadership principles. We need to be grounded, prayerful, thoughtful, and decisive. The congregation and even fellow leaders in the church are looking to you. Be ready. Plan well. Believe in what you are doing. Take ownership of your duty. Glorify God.
If you are interested in reading this book, you can find it for purchase here.