Leadership Teams: What and Why? Rev. Nancy Bowen

Leading a Beloved Community

Current Situation is often Small elected committee = Nominating Works for a few months To fill the slate for the annual meeting With little consultation And minimal accountability. Providing “ Checks and Balances”

Leadership is understood as People in elected office Anyone willing to serve is worthy of any role No specific skills are needed Little orientation is offered No training or support are offered It is very democratic but not especially effective.

Let’s Explore Another Model  Group of 7-10 folks working year round  Experiment with a collaborative and supportive model  Inviting members to discover their leadership gifts  Supporting current leaders  Consulting broadly with Board, Minister, other Leaders  Accountable to congregation, minister and board.  Seen as an important partner in effective governance

Leadership in the new model Partnerships are common Members share their gifts to support the mission Members are oriented and supported in leadership Leaders support the mission of the congregation Authority and accountability are clear and shared

Change Change is the recognition of A different reality A new understanding

Transition Is the psychological and emotional work needed to accept a new reality. Needs clear, compassionate support, and repeated invitations.

How to initiate this change: Define a bold experiment in leadership development Gain authorization for it Recruit bold thinkers with the right skills for the experiment

Consultations to find partners To make the change talk to Minister Board president Current Nominating Committee Membership Committee Administrative staff with data

What is the experiment? Implementation of a bold experiment to demonstrate the benefits of collaborative and supportive identification, recruitment, orientation and support for elected leaders. Demonstrate higher satisfaction with leadership roles.

Make a plan Ask a lot of questions about: Skills sets Requirements Trainings Orientation Support Rewards Typical tenure Who has served where

Skill sets for the experiment People focuses people Data loving people Event planning people Facilitators Detail focused people Big picture people

Your questions:

Let’s get specific

The Nitty Gritty Change theory indicates that in voluntary organizations folks need to experience a new model before accepting it. Some relevant systems theory: Don’t resist the resistance Changing a system is hard work Understand and articulate the values involved Stay the course of the experiment Maintain relationships with everyone

In your congregation : Who needs to authorize a culture change experiment? Who needs to support the experiment? Are there other significant changes happening now? How do they relate? What are your communication vehicles?

Congregational Experiences What have congregational experiments taught us? How is the change best described? What are the roles of the Board and Minister?

Congregational Experiences What has a successful timeline looked like? Who is enjoying this new model?

Some examples Opportunities for increased self awareness True Colors Social Styles inventory Spiral dynamics Learning styles Compassionate Communication

A diverse experiment team People focused people Data loving people Event planners Facilitators Detail focused folks Big picture people

Make a plan Ask a lot of questions about: Skills sets Requirements Trainings Orientation Support Rewards Typical tenure Who has served where

Authorization Proposal Timeline Recruitment Consultations Actions Make a plan

Take courage friends. The way is often hard, the path is never clear, and the stakes are very high. Take courage. For deep down, there is another truth: you are not alone. Rev. Wayne Arnason