29 March, 2024

Entrepreneurship ≠ Leadership

by | 20 October, 2015 | 0 comments

By Mark A. Taylor

Big ideas. Bold initiatives. Novel thoughts and new approaches. Replacement strategies and structures and processes to eliminate the out-of-date. Change. Growth.

These are the fruits produced by all good leaders, right?

Maybe. It”s certainly true we hear all of these described in leadership seminars and discussed among many ministers and their advisers.

But lately it has dawned on me that what some see as leadership is really entrepreneurship. And they are not the same.

Oct20_MT_JNThe entrepreneur is, at least at first, a lone ranger. He (or she) pushes forward compelled by a new idea or a captivating vision, and accountable for little other than to see it realized. Later there will be a board and employees and maybe even stockholders. But today it”s just the entrepreneur and his dream and all the hard work he can pour into it. Who does an entrepreneur lead? Himself. He may negotiate with others. He may contract or even employ others. But they exist to make him happy and to fulfill his vision for what must happen.

If these partners don”t cooperate, they can easily be replaced. And if the venture doesn”t succeed, the entrepreneur can walk away and try something new. Some of the most successful entrepreneurs try many ventures before they find the one that works. They have demonstrated creativity and persistence and sometimes even brilliance. But not leadership.

In the church world, this is sometimes the situation with church planters. They start with nothing except, perhaps, the funding and coaching of a church-planting organization. The new church flourishes because of the planter”s grit and good instincts. For quite awhile, it”s on his back alone.

This is a far different situation than that of the minister who walks into a decades-old church with traditions and leaders and dozens of stakeholders. The minister of an established church (or the head of an established parachurch ministry) must have the skills to move entrenched constituents toward new worlds beyond the next horizon. He may share vision. He may advocate what”s new. He may seek change. But he doesn”t have the freedom to call all the shots or always to get his own way. He must lead. And, as difficult as it is to create something new from nothing, it is even more difficult to move a slow or stalled or misguided enterprise onto new paths.

Leadership is more than knowing what”s right and being able to describe it. Leadership is getting people to follow. As simple as that sounds, it”s more difficult than some entrepreneurs can master.

0 Comments

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Articles

Ministry Help Wanted

Recent postings: Impact Christian Church (Moon Township, Pa.) is seeking an executive pastor. The Christian Campus Foundation (CCF) at the University of Illinois is seeking a full-time director of campus ministry. New Brighton (Minn.) Christian Church needs a new senior minister. Summit Christian College (Gering, Neb.) is accepting applications for the position of academic dean. And more . . .

Stories

By taking these symbols of Jesus’ body and blood, we announce we believe there really was a Jesus, and he really did die for us and carried all our sins down to a grave . . .

Documentary Highlights Christian Response to Pandemics

Southeast Christian Church’s “Purpose in Pandemics” is a documentary that follows the response of the church to pandemics throughout history. The “Purpose in Pandemics” website also includes a study guide for small groups and individuals.

Used of God

I soaked up Sam Stone’s wit and wisdom during our lunches together. Afterward, I’d take notes about our conversations. After hearing of his passing, inspired by his wordsmithing, I felt compelled to share just a small part of his story.

Sam E. Stone: ‘He Tried to Speak the Truth in Love’

In memory and appreciation of our former editor, Sam E. Stone, who died early this week, we share this 2011 column from Christian Standard’s archives in which Sam discussed four Scripture verses significant to his life.

Elliott Library ‘Cornerstone’ Laid

Three Bibles of historical significance to Cincinnati Christian University were the first books place on the shelves during relocation of the George Mark Elliott Library.

The Death of Evil

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. saw in minority groups’ struggles for social equality in America a parallel with Israel’s bondage in Egypt. King envisioned God’s goodness would deliver the U.S. from the evil of segregation.

Mark Scott’s Greatest Kingdom Impact

Since I first enrolled at Ozark Christian College, Mark Scott has been my kingdom hero, and I’m not the only young preacher Mark has shaped. Over his 35 years at OCC, Mark has inspired generations of students.

‘Have We Plans for 1921?’

“All the Standard asks is the opportunity to serve, and it yearns to render in 1921 the greatest, finest, and best service of its history. . . .”

News Briefs for Dec. 9

Items from Timber Lake Christian Church (Moberly, Mo.), Choateville Christian Church (Frankfort, Ky.), Johnson University, and more.

My Counsel for Young Preachers

If I were counseling an aspiring young preacher fresh out of Bible college or seminary, champing at the bit to lead in the church, I would offer these three bits of advice.

My Memories of Marshall Leggett

By Ben Merold
As I think about Marshall Leggett, who passed away on March 2 at age 90, two personal experiences keep coming to my mind . . .

Powell Quintuplets Graduating from High School

When the Powell quintuplets were born in 2001, all of Kentucky celebrated, including Southeast Christian Church, where the Powells are longtime members. Now the quints are 18 and are all headed to the same university.

Reentry: It May Be Harder Than We Think

When the COVID-19 crisis eases, I anticipate that reentry is going to be harder than some people think. Churches, especially, need to prepare for this.

THROWBACK THURSDAY: ‘Easter Church Attendance’ (1949)

“This Lord’s Day will find nearly all the churches having the largest crowds of the year,” editor Burris Butler wrote in 1949. “It has become almost proverbial that many people attend church on Easter Sunday who never come at any other time” . . .

News Briefs for March 27

Ozark Christian College has updated their logo. Also, briefs from Harlan (Ky.) Christian Church, Summit Christian College, and the Common Grounds Unity Podcast.

The Best Sermon I Never Heard

“Can I tell you about the best sermon I never heard?” Matt Proctor asked the crowd at ICOM last November. “If I could time travel just once . . . I would go back to Luke 24. On that very first Easter Sunday . . . the resurrected Jesus is walking on the road to Emmaus, talking with two travelers. . . .”

KCU Announces Agreements with LBC, NEOBC

Kentucky Christian University has announced separate agreements to enable those who have earned a bachelor’s degree from Louisville Bible College or Northeast Ohio Bible College to seamlessly transition into the graduate programs offered by KCU’s Keeran School of Bible and Ministry. . . .

Follow Us