Remember the Jim Collins book, “Good to Great?†It’s a fascinating read on what makes the greatest companies, well…great. And the thing is, most of it is pretty simple but all of it is anything but easy.
For instance, they picture corporations as a bus and then talk about personel and positions as people in different seats on the bus. The analogy is simple and very effective. Get the right people on the bus and then into the right seat on the bus and that experience (ride) will end up being a great one.
Only problem?
You and I both know that people are real particular about where they want to sit on the bus. Some people even have some pretty strong feelings about where everyone else ought to sit as well. Just last week there was a story of one kid getting pummeled by two others because he tried to sit on the wrong seat on the bus. Seems some people are real particular about this sort of thing.
Which brings me to reason 4,308,211 why I love Southbrook Church. Our leadership team is willing to look at their (our) own seats at least a couple times a year and ask the honest questions:
- Is this still the best seat for me?
- Is there a better (more effective) seat on the bus for me, given my skills and shape?
- Is this even the right bus for me any longer?
- Have I outgrown this bus?
- Has this bus outgrown me (no longer the mini-van it once was)?
- Can I lead a bus on my own (campus pastor — a seat Geoffrey Janes recently moved to)? Perhaps a multi-site?
- Can I find a seat on a mission’s bus for Southbrook? (i.e. Dane and Kema Kovach)
These questions scare most church leaders to death. They avoid them at all costs.
Why?
They need a pay check, want job security, don’t want to change, too much pride…
Many reasons, but most boil down to putting themselves before the whole church and mission for God.
I feel sorry for pastors who have to work in that environment. For them, it’s just a job.
For us, it’s an adventure.