Content - Leadership Category

5 Ways Pastors Can Avoid Losing Their Way

Wed, 17 Sep 2025 19:53:00 GMT

By Peter Greer and Jill Heisey, co-authors of How Leaders Lose Their Way

In a time when so many leaders are faltering, the question of how to remain faithful for the long haul has never been more pressing. Peter Greer and Jill Heisey, authors of How Leaders Lose Their Way, sought to understand what causes leaders to lose their way and what sets apart those who remain steadfast. Their research points to five essential practices that enable leaders to stay grounded, mission true, and faithful for a lifetime.

At some point, you have likely sung the words, “Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it; prone to leave the God I love…”¹ Though the soothing melody softens the blow, it’s a frighteningly true statement for Christ-followers—especially those in leadership.

In fact, one study of Christian leaders found that only 1 in 3 finish well.²

Aware of our own propensity to wander, we researched what causes leaders to lose their way. Although strong currents pull us away from a faithful finish, we identified five essential practices of leaders who remain steadfast and mission true for a lifetime.

1. Acknowledge your propensity to wander.

Leaders who think they aren’t vulnerable to losing their way won’t be aware of the subtle but significant impact of small compromises. When they hear of others’ falls or drift, they might think “How could they let that happen?” rather than, “How can I make sure the same doesn’t happen to me?” Humble introspection is required to ask where, not if, we, too, are slowly drifting.

2. Focus on who you are, not what you do.

Henri Nouwen wrote that we inhabit “a world constantly trying to convince us that the burden is on us to prove that we are worthy of being loved.”³ In our quest to earn what God says we inherently possess, we too often run roughshod over relationships, failing to love God and others well. Our first effort must be to reframe our way of thinking, to recognize that entirely apart from our achievements, aspirations, and machinations, we are the beloved of God, who absolutely delights in his children.

3. Slow down.

When the life of a leader is rushed, it’s hard to see when and where we’ve gotten off course. We become so preoccupied with doing that we fail to pause and ask if the things we’re doing are aligned with our mission. Speed limits our vision, depriving us of the ability to see beyond the immediate future and beyond ourselves to those around us.

Avoiding drift requires a change of pace: a time and place to regularly pause, consider, and take stock. We won’t know that we’re veering off course unless we slow down enough to look up and check our location.

4. Pray and obey.

Pastors who finish well prioritize prayer—not as a last resort, but as a non-negotiable first priority. Prayer is an essential guardrail that recenters us and reminds us who we are and who God is. Amid the immense pressures of pastoral leadership, mission true pastors pray and remember, “We must obey God rather than human beings!” (Acts 5:29).

5. Keep others close.

On a safari tour in Akagera National Park, Rwanda, our guide pointed to a lone gazelle grazing and asked, “Do you know what that is called?”

“Gazelle!” someone helpfully offered.

“Dinner,” he replied.

1 Peter 5:8 warns that our enemy “prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” And isolation makes us vulnerable. Leaders who drift often do so quietly, without notice, because they lack close relationships with others willing to ask hard questions or offer correction.

We need more than companions; we need friends who know us deeply and will speak the truth for the sake of our souls.

Who knows you fully? The Johari Window, developed by psychologists Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham, helps us see that we all have a “hidden area”—known to ourselves but undisclosed to others. Any growth in this area is a warning sign to pause, ask difficult questions, and invite trusted friends into the conversation.

If you’re ready to take practical steps toward finishing well, we’ve created a set of free tools to help you reflect, recalibrate, and refresh your leadership journey. Access the free resources at howleaderslosetheirway.com—and press on toward a faithful finish.

¹ Robert Robinson, “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing,” 1758, https://hymnary.org/text/come_thou_fount_of_every_blessing.

² J. Robert Clinton, “Listen Up Leaders!” (Barnabas Publishers, 1989), 7, https://clintonleadership.com/resources/complimentary/ListenUpLeaders.pdf. Not all the leaders Clinton identified were described in enough detail to be evaluated, but of those who were, only about 30 percent finished well by Clinton’s definition. Although Clinton conducted his research decades ago, there’s no reason to believe that what has been true for millennia has changed in recent years.

³ Henri J. M. Nouwen, Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World (New York: Crossroad, 1992), 129.

10 Must-Have Books for Pastors

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 16:14:00 GMT

Pastoral ministry is both a sacred calling and an essential part of God's mission in and through the church. Those engaged in teaching, caring, leading, and offering spiritual guidance bear tremendous significance in the life of their churches and communities, often in ways not fully seen or acknowledged.

Through both the challenges and the rewards of day to day ministry, the right resources can help pastors in their day to day calling. These books have been thoughtfully chosen to support and equip pastors in varying aspects of their ministries and their own spiritual lives.

If you are seeking fresh insight, deeper spiritual formation, or practical wisdom for ministry, there's something here for you. Whether you're a pastor yourself or you want to support the church leaders in your life, these books are the perfect place to start!

A Conversation on Life's Transitions with D. Michael Lindsay

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 16:23:00 GMT

In this interview, Michael Lindsay explores the seven stages of transition he writes about in his book Hinge Moments. With vulnerability and insight, he shares how he has navigated his own vocational transition from president of Gordon College to president-elect of Taylor University.

Leaving Gordon College this year and becoming the appointed president for Taylor University, you are experiencing your own hinge moment. What insights from your book have you seen in new ways as you prepare to make the most of this current life transition?

Michael Lindsay: In the book, I outline seven stages of transition, which are graphed against two axes: time and one's sense of confidence. The low point for everyone in transition occurs in what I call the intersection stage, the point when we are between our former life and the new life we will experience as a result of this hinge moment. For some changes, the intersection stage lasts only minutes; for others, it can last months. For me in this most recent hinge moment, it lasted about four months as I waited to see where the Lord would take us after announcing my decision to leave Gordon.

Love, encouragement, and support from family members and special friends are very important in the intersection stage because many of our other networks and sources of support are removed in this liminal phase. This is true even in changes we bring on ourselves: I relied on loved ones more than I have in years after deciding to step down at Gordon. But I'm also living proof that the intersection stage eventually passes, and we move into phases of greater confidence and encouraging hope. That's the great thing about God's redemptive work in the midst of hinge moments; he keeps moving us along, and in so doing, we make peace with the change and become stronger for the journey ahead.

That's the great thing about God's redemptive work in the midst of hinge moments; he keeps moving us along, and in so doing, we make peace with the change and become stronger for the journey ahead.

In the book Hinge Moments, you outline seven different phases that occur during a transition. To date, you have experienced discernment, anticipation, and intersection as you move from Gordon to Taylor. Are there any new lessons from these phases that you learned from this recent transition that aren't referenced in the book that you could share?

Lindsay: I am more convinced than ever that God can use our bodies to give us helpful indications of what's happening in our spirit even when we, in our conscious thinking, are not fully aware. In the discernment and anticipation phases, pay attention to things like the butterflies in your stomach—when they come, what calms them down, and how long they last. They can be signals that change is approaching, whether by our own choosing or someone else's, and indications that a godly restlessness may be growing within us by the prompting of the Lord. God can also use conversations with others, sermons, or devotional readings, as well as new observations and nighttime dreams as signposts that change may be afoot. The great thing about the Christian life is that God is working to redeem all things, and he often guides us in the hinge moments of our life through a variety of signals and signposts.

What part of the upcoming phases of landing, integration, inspiration, and realization are you most looking forward to as it relates to this transition?

Lindsay: For all of us, the best part of any change in our life is the chance to start anew, to develop new friendships and connections, and to grow more fully into the mature person God wants us to become. So as I prepare for my start as Taylor's next president, I am most looking forward to the chance to get to know the wonderful people associated with the university and to have a chance to be a better, wiser, and more effective college president in what will be my second lap around the college presidential track.

Also, I am a big believer that every person and every institution needs to experience some form of self-renewal every so often. As such, this hinge moment in my life is also providing a chance to renew my sense of calling to Christian higher education and giving both Gordon and Taylor a chance to start a new chapter. It's exciting and energizing for everyone.

Of the seven phases, is there one that you feel is the most critical? Why is that phase so critical, especially in relation to vocation, in your view?

Lindsay: I think our character is shaped most profoundly in the intersection phase of a transition because it represents a time when we have the fewest forms of support. So we rely on God more fully and regularly than we do in the other phases. As such, the Lord can use that particular season as a chance to redirect us to new opportunities, new professional horizons, even new ways of thinking about ourselves and the contribution we make. That said, we can only remain in this phase for a limited time period because it's emotionally and spiritually draining, so we rely on our reserves a good bit in this phase.

I think our character is shaped most profoundly in the intersection phase of a transition because it represents a time when we have the fewest forms of support.

Eventually, in God's providence we move forward to the landing, integration, and later phases of transition. As this occurs, we are confirmed in our new callings and get excited about the positive aspects of the change. Things like loss, disappointment, and isolation diminish as we become more fully integrated and are able to more fully embrace our new season. This is true for a job change, a relocation, or even a family change like having a baby or rebuilding our lives after a loved one dies. The trajectory of our recovery from the change is determined, at least in part, in how we handle the intersection phase of transition, which is why it matters so much that we handle that season with godly wisdom and faithful commitment.

How are you working to make the most of this life transition for yourself, your family, and your new colleagues?

Lindsay: Saying goodbye well is really hard. For starters, once we know where we are headed next, our heart and mind become increasingly focused on the next chapter, so our ties to our last chapter become looser. And then there is all the sadness about not seeing beloved colleagues and friends regularly and the fear of the unknowns about what will be challenges in the next chapter. But the way you say goodbye says as much about your character as does the way you carry yourself in your new place. So my wife and I are thinking a good bit about finishing well at Gordon even as we are excited about the promise and possibilities that await us at Taylor.

One practical way to manage this transition well relates to giving yourself some time between the two roles. We are taking several weeks between the time at Gordon and Taylor to decompress a bit with some time off, but we are also making sure to have time to pack up, move, and unpack. Feeling settled at home is important to success at work, and we wanted to have the space and time to do that well while also giving it our all through the end of our time at Gordon. So we are excited about what's coming ahead and working diligently to manage this hinge moment as best we can.

A Conversation on Christian Leadership with Richard Stearns

Wed, 09 Dec 2020 21:09:00 GMT

17 Character Traits of Effective Leaders

In your book Lead Like It Matters to God, you highlight seventeen different character traits that are important for leadership. In today's current climate, are there two or three traits that seem to be of critical importance right now?

Richard Stearns: Perseverance, Vision, and Encouragement. In this particular season of uncertainty, disruption, and anxiety, leaders have the challenging job of calming, encouraging, and motivating their teams despite their circumstances. In the midst of such daunting challenges a leader who can persevere with unwavering belief in a positive future can also help their team to believe there are better times ahead. Perseverance can be contagious.

Then casting a compelling vision of what's possible and how to achieve will lift the eyes of the organization to a more desirable future state. The leader must own and sustain this vision by constantly painting the picture through their words and actions.

And lastly, simple encouragement along the way really helps keep people motivated. Take time to recognize and praise team members when they make a good contribution. Call them personally to affirm how important their work is. Help them to believe that their work is crucial to the team's success. Encouragement has a great return on investment.

With COVID-19, many companies have a workforce that is now fully remote and working from home. In what ways do you believe leaders must adapt and change to continue to lead well virtually?

Stearns: Shifting to a virtual workplace poses some real challenges for leaders. There are two critical ingredients that aren't easily transmitted virtually—culture and relationship. The workplace culture of an organization is critical to its identity and its flourishing. And culture is often created and sustained through both formal and informal human connections in a workplace. But how does that happen when the workplace is gone?

Human connections and relationships in a workplace are critical to the fabric and health of an organizational culture. Leaders must find creative ways to build and strengthen culture online—celebrating victories, recognizing individual achievements, inspiring with vision. Work cannot be allowed to devolve into hour upon hour of mind-numbing technical drudgery. Finally, leaders need to have regular one-on-one talks with individual members of the team—not to review their to-do lists but to check in on them personally, affirm them, and encourage them along the way.

Human connections and relationships in a workplace are critical to the fabric and health of an organizational culture.

What is the one thing about leadership you wish you knew when you began your career?

Stearns: I wish I had better understood the power of encouragement to motivate others, lift performance, and help the people around me realize their full God-given potential. That simple insight, though it may seem obvious, is one of the most powerful motivational tools at our disposal. The best leaders know that regular affirmation and encouragement, not criticism, is what helps the people on their team develop confidence, improve their performance, and lean into their gifts and abilities. Encouragement energizes people while criticism often demoralizes. A leader who understands the power of encouragement and affirmation will see a huge return on investment, paid back in improved performance, motivation, and loyalty.

Looking back at your impressive career, who would you say influenced your leadership style the most?

Stearns: We are not born fully formed as great leaders. The best leaders grow and evolve over many years of experience—watching and learning from others above them, around them, and below them. But learning from others requires enough humility to admit that everyone from the janitor to the CEO may have something worth emulating. I learned not to try and emulate someone else's style of leadership because we each have our own unique style. You want to be the best you that you can be. But you can and should emulate the positive values and principles that you admire in others. How do they treat others, are they people of their word, are they forgiving, are they good listeners, and do they work with excellence? Imitate those qualities when you see them demonstrated.

The best leaders grow and evolve over many years of experience—watching and learning from others above them, around them, and below them.

Your career afforded you the opportunity to lead in both secular and Christian companies. What insights about leadership did you gain in both types of work environments? Were the insights the same or different?

Stearns: There are many commonalities between for-profit, not-for-profit, and Christian organizations. All three involve carrying out a mission, managing people, and hitting financial targets. Most of the nuts and bolts of leadership are the same. But Christian and nonprofit organizations have an edge in motivating staff because of their unique and compelling missions—curing cancer, fighting poverty, educating students, etc. Those inspirational causes really help to inspire staff to work with passion. For-profit organizations don't always have such motivational missions and so they often invest more to motivate staff through financial incentives and career advancement.

Christian and nonprofit organizations have an edge in motivating staff because of their unique and compelling missions.

If I were to summarize the most profound difference, I would say it this way: In a for-profit organization, the end goal is money or profit. Everything else (books, automobiles, retail stores, software, etc.) is simply a means to that end. But in a nonprofit organization it's just the reverse. The end goal is usually cause-related (improved health, reducing poverty, protecting the environment, etc.) and money is just a means to that end. It's a profound and fundamental difference that requires very different leadership approaches to motivating staff, establishing goals, and communicating with constituents/customers.

What lessons do you hope readers learn from your book Lead Like It Matters to God?

Stearns: I hope readers will take away at least five key points from the book.

Christian leaders are called to be different—their leadership is their witness to the truth of the gospel. The 'one job' of a Christian leader is to be an ambassador for Christ as described in 2 Corinthians 5:20 "as though God is making his appeal through them."
Achieving success in the secular sense can become a form of idolatry for Christian leaders. In the words of Mother Teresa, "God has not called us to be successful; he has called us to be faithful."
God is much more concerned about how a Christian leader leads than what that leader achieves. In other words, we tend to put the highest value on the outcomes of our work, but God values our motives more. We value the what of our work, but God values the why and the how. We prioritize the destination, but for God it's all about the journey. We reward success, but God's bottom line is faithfulness.
The beauty of becoming a values-driven leader is that embracing positive values does not require you to master any exceptional new skills or techniques. Values-driven leadership is more about character than capabilities, more about being than doing, more about pleasing God than people.
Leaders who embrace these characteristics will lift not only their own performance but also the performance of their teams. Putting faithfulness above success will ironically make a leader more likely to achieve success as they honor God with their character and trust him for the outcomes. And not only do people want to follow a leader who consistently demonstrates a godly character—every organization wants to hire leaders like this because of the positive culture they create.