Adaptive Leadership - 4/12/05

     When I was in seminary in the late 1970s, mainline denominations were still in denial about loss of membership and influence.  What piece of evidence was that in the one church administration class I took there was no discussion of leadership or leading change.  The emphasis was on avoiding conflict, and if one became entangle in it, how to get out alive.  The assumption was that the way things were was the way things would remain and that if we did not ruffle people, churches would soon be back on course.
     We now know that the situation was not routine, and that congregations needed to move into an adaptive mode to thrive in a rapidly changing culture.  In a 1997 article in the Harvard Business Review, Ronald A. Heifetz and Donald L. Laurie shared some helpful insights about the differing responsibilities of leaders in routine versus adaptive situations.
     Jan Linn shared the insight from Robert Greenleaf that leaders are people who point direction better than most.  When our role is to point direction and the task is routine, leaders must define problems and provide solutions.  A simple building maintenance or personnel issue might be best handled using a problem solving methodology.  But if the situation is adaptive such as inviting our people to look at their spiritual lives and the way we organize as a spiritual community in a new way, then the leader must identify the challenge and frame key questions and answers.
     If the situation is an external threat to the congregation, the leaders role must be protective.  For example, if a group was trying to co-opt the ministry direction through a fundamentalist takeover, the leaders would want to directly act to shield the organization from the threat.  But if the situation is adaptive, the threat being a more indirect challenge by changes in society and the community, leaders should let the congregation feel the external pressures within the range it can stand.
     In a rapidly changing situation, leaders must clarify roles and responsibilities and try to manage the rate of change so that it neither overwhelms the congregation nor allows it to lose its sense of urgency about the need to change.  A good image is of using a pressure cooker and raising and lowering the heat to maintain optimal pressure to cook.
     If a congregation is experiencing routine conflict (think carpet color) it is the responsibility of leaders to maintain or restore order.  If conflict is a natural result of change, such as introducing The Jesus Connection process for Spiritual and Structural Transformation, leaders should allow it to emerge as part of the birth pangs of the new.
     Leaders are entrusted to maintain the norms of the congregation, pastors are given authority to teach the tradition, but they must be willing to challenge unproductive norms. 
     I found this helpful to think about.  Some of the work I do is routine management, maybe 70%-80% of my administrative role is taking care of daily nuts and bolts issues as efficiently and effectively as I can.  Transformation tasks are by nature adaptive and require a different leadership vision and style.  Let me know what you think.
 
- Loren Olson       First United Church, Little Falls, Minnesota
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