A lot of progressive leaders within the local church spend time studying leadership from people such as Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric or Howard Schulz, founder and CEO of Starbucks. For me, one of the great leaders whom I respect is John Maxwell. At one time Mr Maxwell was known as Pastor Maxwell, senior pastor of Skyline Wesleyan Church in the San Diego, California area. He has since become a highly sought after speaker on the subject of business leadership. He knows the ropes in both the corporate and church world and deserves respect for his abilities in both arenas. There are three things that Maxwell talks about where the church could lead as example for corporate leadership:
1. It’s all about relationship: In business, success is measured by the profit margin and how effectively and efficiently the company operates in achieving its goal. A lot of times coercion and the threat of being fired serve as motivators. The human element is removed in the corporate world. As John Maxwell says, “People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.” In the church, many things are based on building relationships with one another and with the community. Show people the human side of your business and watch them connect with your story and endear themselves to your product or service.
2. Leaders should be heard: Prominent companies have faces on their leaders. We recognize CEOs such as Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Donald Trump. However, they are the exceptions. Most of the times the leadership of a corporation is relegated to being behind the scenes. Rarely does a corporate CEO make herself visible to those within the corporation or to the general public. Contrast this with senior leaders of local churches being in front of their staff 5 days a week and then in front of the public on Sundays. The vision of the local church has a face, a family, a story that allows us to connect with them. With so much access to media and social media these days, it just makes sense to take advantage of this for corporate leaders. Spend more time in front of those you lead and those you want to buy into your vision so they can better-connect with your mission. To quote John Maxwell, “People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision.”
3. Think about the Experience: Business these days needs to be more about providing an experience than an actual product. As much as people rave about Apple products, it’s more about the user experience than the actual product. It’s especially true with Starbucks. Do you go there because it’s the best coffee money can buy, or do you go there because of what happens there? While some churches may strive to provide an experience based on cool lighting effects and concert-style music sets, mostly leadership within the church hopes that people come and experience the presence of God. For them it’s not about a product (great sermon, free coffee, education), rather it’s your personal experience while in attendance there. Corporations must find ways to engage consumers on a tactile level and move them to become fans, not just consumers. The church is very effective at presenting itself as an experience rather than a product and while it’s not done for the sake of profit, Starbucks and Apple have done it well and increased their bottom lines as a result.
There is always a danger when looking at leadership principles within the church and comparing them with the corporate world. In the context of this post I point out attributes that would be favorable in a corporate environment, not likening them to a corporate mindset. One day we may even find churches and corporations in partnership building upon each other’s stories for the sake of social good. It could happen, if we remain open minded on both sides.
Dave Ingland is a former entrepreneur and pastor with leadership insights in both areas. You can find his thoughts—personal and professional, corporate and ministerial—on his blog at http://www.daveingland.com.
[Image by ell brown]
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