Leading Beyond the Peak: A Pastor’s Path to Lasting Impact
Second Curve Thinking to Thrive in Ministry Leadership
Church Leader Insider - Empowering Leaders with Actionable Insights
~855 words – 3 to 4 minutes, but click through to the links. They are worth it.
This is the second of a three-part series honoring the legacy of author and management thinker Charles Handy,, who died in mid-December.
Here is the first part and my tangential connection to Handy.
Handy was the son of a pastor. He explains that the turning point of his life was attending his father's funeral service. He expected a small crowd at his rural congregation, but he was shocked to see how many came and explained his father’s impact on their lives. That changed his perspective.
Here is a brief reflection on his father’s passing.
He went on to be the long-running host of “Thought for the Day” on BBC radio, a version of a devotional each day.
From my perspective, his best contributions were in management and leadership, specifically in studying how organizations and individuals grow and change over time.
Here is a great summary of his books and thinking.
Jumping to the Second Curve
He describes the sigmoid curve and the need to jump to “The Second Curve.”
“Obvious, you might think, but there is a problem. The nasty and often fatal snag is that the Second Curve has to start before the first curve peaks. Only then are there enough resources – of money, time and energy – to cover that first initial dip, the investment period.”
He perfectly identifies WHY efforts fail to jump to the “Second Curve” in an organization that I have observed: insufficient resources are available to cover the required investment.
This is also a real challenge in churches. How do we begin to change when things are going so well that everyone thinks, “Why change now?”
This is also observed in my work on Senior Pastor Smart Succession ™ when a Lead Pastor thinks – “Why would I step down now when things are going so great? This is my most productive season yet.”
Often, that is true.
But it also means there are enough resources of time, energy, and finances to plan the transition to the next leader well.
Your productivity can be shifted to other key roles the church and kingdom may need.
So, this next one is a bit problematic:
“Life can only be understood backwards but you have to live it forward. You can only do that by stepping into uncertainty and by trying, within this uncertainty, to create your own islands of security....The new security will be a belief that ...if this doesn't work out you could do something else. You are your own security."
I think we can agree with that first part. As I counsel later career pastors, that understanding of trials and challenges comes through clearly.
While I think Christ is our ultimate security, pastors often wonder, “Who would I be if I were not a pastor?”
One can still be a pastor, just not in a pastoral office role. Many of your skills and strengths can also be applied to other fields. Many have gone before you.
I desire healthy pastors to stay in the pastorate, but I also recognize that fears that you are worth less if you are not a pastor are unfounded.
Start Lighting Small Fires
Here are two on vision:
And:
“A leader shapes and shares a vision, which gives point to the work of others.”
They seemingly contradict.
The latter quote describes the work of a top leader in any organization. They shape the vision and help it be articulated. However, the vision, with its source in God, is shaped by the collective desires of the body, where a leader points beyond the organization and group.
At this point, it helps shape the work and the meaning of everyone in the organization. That is leadership.
Returning to the former quote reminds me how many times I have spoken with exemplary pastors waiting for the next silver bullet or big idea that they can then adapt to move their church forward.
Some will even point to past conferences where they first learned an idea, saw it in action, and thought, “That might work for us.”
I am not saying that is wrong, but I feel a better path is to light the small fires in the darkness to see what God could be doing in your midst. Small fires can grow if tended and nurtured.
Church leaders should focus on initiating small, meaningful changes within their congregations rather than waiting for grand visions or revolutionary ideas.
Communicate, then do it again, and again, and probably again
"If there is one general law of communication it is that we never communicate as effectively as we think we do."
This is the tale of many frustrated pastors. “I mentioned it in my sermon; why didn’t they get it?”
Because you have to keep repeating it. Over and over.
Sometimes, they use the same words and change them up a bit to grab their attention.
This is one of those places where various formats of the same message – email, social media feeds, staff meetings, and other groups will increase the effectiveness of the retention of the key message. So make sure you select the message well, and hit it again. And again.
But keep going and keep repeating.
Perhaps 3% get it the first time through. Grow that number with each telling.
Takeaways from this issue:
What is the second curve you need to start in 2025? (See the PS below for some of you)
What small fires will you light this week?
What are the core messages to send to the congregation for 2025?
PS:
Is this the year to start on your succession plan? Good transition seasons require:
Time to work out a myriad of details.
A team of trusted leaders from your church.
A good plan and structure of conversations in the proper sequence.
A guide to help your team maximize this season that leads to greater momentum coming out of the season.
Now is the time to have an introductory conversation and learn about a model you can apply. Set a time here for a conversation.