The Gospels record that the apostle, Andrew, was the first follower of Jesus. As we look further into this, we realize that Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist. So, it seems obvious that the Baptist’s “endorsement” of Jesus (John 1:36) provided credibility that made it easier for Andrew to accept Jesus’ invitation and to then invite Peter, his brother.
James Kouzes and Barry Posner are two well-respected leadership experts. In an essay they wrote entitled, Finding Your Voice, they’ve stated, “We keep rediscovering that credibility is the foundation of leadership… We’ve come to refer to it as the First Law of Leadership; if you don’t believe in the messenger, you won’t believe the message.” Your staff and parishioners need to believe in you and trust you before they can believe in your vision. Establishing credibility is a process, something that must be built over time.
Often, as leaders, we feel that we don’t have the time. This thought process can often lead to long-lasting difficulties which will ultimately affect your ability to lead your team. Establishing credibility is critical, but it is a process that is built over time, with a series of successful win-win outcomes. At first, this may seem drawn-out, but the growth occurs exponentially, that is, not in a straight line. Gains come slowly at first but build upon each other with increasing speed and impact.
First, we will focus on the new leader, someone coming into a new role where the team is already in place. This would be represented by your first assignment as pastor or when you are transferred as pastor to a new parish. There is an excellent article on credibility as a leader by Ben Brearley https://www.thoughtfulleader.com/leadership-credibility/. I will summarize it and make it more relevant for clergy leaders in the following paragraphs.
The first temptation you must overcome is the natural desire to try and make an immediate impact. This can mistakenly be seen by your staff as making a change just for the sake of appearance. You may be acting on information you received from one particular person, so you assume the change will be appreciated. Proceed with caution! Before acting, be sure that the majority of people agree that the change you are proposing is needed rather than just the wishes of a disgruntled employee or parishioner. First impressions are important and “mistakes” at this point in your tenure can have lasting consequences.
Another difficulty is making a series of “small” changes. There are two concerns with this type of activity. First, some people may not perceive the change to be small and they will not appreciate nor support your actions. Additionally, a series of “small” changes may create a false impression of a major change. If people do not see the need for this, they may feel your actions are misguided or unwarranted.
Our next several posts will continue to develop the topic of your credibility as a leader. As we quoted at the start, this is foundational. Since this topic is broad it deserves some focus and attention.