The Leadership Evolution: a Leadership Culture By Apostle Martin Wilson

As pastors, we are called to lead, guide, and inspire our congregations. But how can we ensure that we are developing leaders within our organizations? According to Dr. John C. Maxwell, a coach impacts every aspect of how organizations function. We must create a leadership culture to ensure that we have the necessary leaders to fuel our future success.

Negative culture creates terrible environments, like fire that spreads and creates destruction. Problems in an organization are like sparks and fire. Leaders have two buckets in their hands: one with water and one with gasoline. They will either extinguish the fire with the water, or they will turn that spark into a raging fire. We get the culture we create, and the nature of the culture affects what we can and cannot accomplish as an organization.

Developing leaders is easier in a leadership culture. The leaders within the organization are the only ones that can create a leadership culture. "To ensure that you have the necessary leaders to fuel your future success, you must build a leadership culture. A leadership culture only happens when leaders are routinely and systematically developed, and you have a surplus of leaders ready for the next opportunity or challenge. Most often, it is leaders that hold back weak organizations from developing a leadership culture. They think that they are already doing well enough, or that they are too busy to develop leaders. They create a cycle of mediocrity" (Maxwell, A Leader's Greatest Return).

Mark Miller, Vice President of High-Performance Leadership at Chick-fil-A, says this about leadership:

• Define it - Forge a consensus regarding our organization's working definition of leaders.
• Teach it - Ensure everyone knows our leadership point of view, and leaders have the skills required to succeed.
• Practice it - Create opportunities for leaders to emerge and lead; stretch assignments prove and improve leaders.
• Measure it - Track the progress of our leadership development efforts, adjusting strategies and tactics accordingly.
• Model it - Walk the talk and lead by example - people always watch the leader.

Building a culture of leadership is a slow but valuable process. Developing leaders is the key to growth, improvement, and momentum, as affirmed in 2 Timothy 2:2, "And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." Organizations can foster a culture of leadership by creating opportunities for leadership emergence, consistently developing leaders, and tracking progress. As leaders ourselves, it is our responsibility to model leadership behavior, walk the talk, and commit to creating a culture of leadership within our organizations.

As leaders, we have the power to guide and elevate others into leadership roles. Let's make a firm commitment to cultivating a culture of leadership within our organizations, enabling us to carry out our mission and make a lasting impact on the world in the name of Christ.

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👉 Reflection Questions

How do you currently define leadership within your organization?

1. What are some ways that you currently teach and develop leadership skills within your organization?
2. How can you create more opportunities for leaders to emerge and lead within your organization?
3. How do you currently measure the progress of your leadership development efforts?
4. In what ways are you modeling leadership behavior for your organization?
5. What steps can you take to cultivate a culture of leadership within your organization? 

Thank you for reading the Black Church Leadership podcast blog with Apostle Martin Wilson. For more information on our upcoming  audio episodes and to join our community of Black church leaders, visit our website at www.theblackchurchleadership.com. Don't forget to follow us on social media and subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform for more inspiring conversations and insights on leadership in the Black church.