For this week’s post, I am pulling out one first posted in Feb. 2014 and adding a little.

A little more than a year back I wrote a series of posts on Organizational Health for religious entities including the church. In the first post I mentioned the need for returning to leading instead of managing. In recent months speaking on this topic I have observed many realizing as for the very first time that they have slipped from leading to managing in the church or other religious entities. I have also received several comments and questions about moving from managing to leading. In this article my aim is to briefly address the difference between the two.

I have never met a person who entered the ministry to be a manager. Think about it. Have you ever heard anyone say one of the following: I want to be in ministry so I can manage people. or I think ministry is right for me because I want to manage programs and facilities.

My guess is, like me, you’ve never heard these or similar statements because no one enters the ministry to be a manager. Rather, a ministry calling involves the desire to lead; leading people to faith in Christ, leading others in deeper spiritual intimacy with God, leading people in maturation of discipleship, etc. It is all about leading. We want to lead. Our passion is to lead.

When you look up the word lead in the dictionary or thesaurus you find words as front-runner, guide, direct, and steer. When you look up the word manage you see the words; to cope, control, and handle. Ask yourself, “Do I prefer to be guided or controlled?” The answer is always guided. Your people, your staff, team, volunteers, and members are the same. They want to be guided, to be led. No one wants to being controlled. It is not an enjoyable lifestyle.

I do understand in leadership there are times when you must manage. However, when our focus becomes managing instead of leading, we have missed God’s calling. While no one enters ministry to become a manager, too often ministers and ministry leaders become managers – managers of people, programs, and facilities. When managing occupies your time you are not leading. In our churches and religious organizations of North America we must return to leading as God ordained and called each of us.

For some pastors and leaders managing is all they know. They have never seen or been taught the difference. There is a very big difference in the two and the effectiveness of good leadership vs. managing always shows in greater beneficial results. You may not realize you are a manager. But if you realize you are or may be, please contact me or someone who can assist and coach you in becoming a true leader.

You may be seeing positive results, but I promise you, as a manager you are squelching the happiness and potential of those you are supposed to be leading.

Every leader is a learner – constantly reading, training, and observing others in order to be a better leader this year than last. When was the last time you read a book on leadership, or attended a leadership conference, and came away with one or more ways to improve? If your answer is more than 3 months ago, you are not growing as a leader and it is likely you are more manager than leader.

For more information on leading in ministry and moving away from the manager mentality contact George Yates and visit soncare.net.