Leading Up: Learning Your Boss

In your ministry position, there is a good chance that you are NOT the boss. You could have a direct supervisor above you. You may report to the head pastor. You might be accountable to an elder board.

Regardless, you will have to learn the art of leading up when you are NOT the boss. Coming with a new idea, a prosed change, or a big request will require you to lead up to someone who is above you.

A key component of successfully leading up is learning your boss.

Two Categories of Leaders

Leaders tend to fall into two categories: vision driven or data driven.

Generally speaking, data-driven leaders tend to be characterized by the words doubtful, suspicious, unconvinced, cynical, doubting, hesitant, questioning, unbelieving and may hold a dissenting view.

On the flip side, vision-driven leaders, generally speaking, tend to be characterized by these words: definite, certain, sure, convinced, unquestionable, convinced, undoubting, spontaneous and restless.

Now, within those two larger buckets of vision-driven or data-driven leadership, there is an even deeper breakdown. Vision-driven leaders can be either performance oriented or people oriented. Data-driven leaders can be either pennies oriented or process oriented.

Let’s discuss each of these four categories.

Vision-Driven Leaders

Performance Oriented and People Oriented

Performance-driven leaders thrive on making big moves. The lens through which they see the world is achievement. These types of leaders see potential growth as paramount. Performance leaders get fired up to 'take the hill' and often have a 'win at all costs' perspective. If there is a plan to make it bigger or a strategy to make it better, performance-oriented leaders are on the edge of their seat.

Now, let’s contrast this with people-driven leaders. People-driven leaders are motivated by life change. The lens through which they see the world is story. People-driven leaders want to know, 'What is the transformation this will bring to peoples’ lives?' These types of leaders are most interested in having the compelling narrative defined, and long to connect the mission to a deeper story line. If there is a plan to bring about life change, people-driven leaders are all ears and are on the edge of their seat.

As we transition our discussion from visionary leaders to more data-conscious leaders, remember that visionary leaders are often quite optimistic while data-driven leaders are often cautious and skeptical.

Data-Driven Leaders

Pennies Oriented or Process Oriented

If visionary leaders can be either performance or people driven, data-driven leaders tend to focus on the pennies or on the process.

There are certain leaders who are driven by 'The Pennies'. These leaders are most concerned with stewardship and budgeting. These leaders will ask questions like: 'Is this the wisest use of kingdom resources?'

Leaders in this category will probe deeper by asking, 'Is there a more efficient way of doing it?' Another common question might be, 'Is this the right time to do this according to the budget?' They might lead with caution and ask, 'Where is the money coming from?'

Our final leader fits into the data-driven category but is far more concerned with process than with pennies. Process-oriented leaders are concerned with systems, structure, flow of traffic and more. Process leaders love the internal gear systems of the church. Because of this, these leaders intuitively know if a seemingly isolated change will actually be a massive monkey wrench to the whole church. Process leaders will ask questions like, 'How does this fit into the bigger picture?'

They will want an explanation about how this change will gel with the rest of the current ministries. Process leaders think long term.

Know Your Leader

We tend to communicate to others in the way we wish others would communicate to us. But to be successful in leading up, you must do your homework and learn your leader.

Likewise, there is no one superior way to lead. A healthy ministry needs people who are willing to look at the vision and people who will examine the data.

If you are a vision-driven leader who is leading up to a particularly penny-pinching data-driven boss, you might feel hurt over their questions. Remember, these types of leaders are not shutting YOU down, they are being THEMSELVES and leading according to who they are.

Being aware of your own leadership tendencies as well as the personalities above you will go a long way in successfully leading up.

After serving as a pastor for over 10 years, Josh Denhart transitioned his vocational energies toward Lead Ministry and KidMin Science. Josh is passionate about helping leaders (1) get organized, (2) stop the revolving door of volunteers and thus (3) prevent ministry burnout through Lead Ministry. Josh is an international speaker, author, course and curriculum creator. He is the founder of leadministry.com.