Church boards are vital. But when they step too far into day-to-day operations, things can go sideways. Staff feel micromanaged. Decisions get delayed. Trust begins to erode. And soon, you have a ministry team that is stuck waiting for approvals instead of moving forward in faith. Here’s how to fix it.

Authority is the ability to make decisions without asking someone else’s permission. So often we give a leader responsibility without also giving him the authority. Their job is clear--but for just about every decision, they must get approval from their boss, or accounting for every expense, or HR for simple personnel approvals. Or, they actually have the authority to make all those decisions, at least on paper. But in reality, they know you are going to swoop in and make changes.

Nobody's perfect. But let’s do everything we can to have men and women of integrity leading our organizations.

Stop giving experience so much weight. Spend more time developing a culture where leaders can learn and grow and thrive, and then go out and find some leaders—regardless of their experience.

Here’s a startling fact: Many of the things you do to help a small church grow are the very things that will eventually kill the church if you continue doing them. That’s right. A senior pastor who wants nothing more than to see the church grow could, in fact, single-handedly kill its growth.

Leaders who don’t have control of their calendars will constantly be spinning out in the dirt without making much progress. Life will seem frantic and harried, yet it will be difficult to pinpoint what they are actually getting done.

A leader who is successful at work but a failure at home is not a successful leader. The first test of leadership is your ability to love, lead, and care for those who are closest to you.

We live in a society that is geared to make you want what you don’t have. We are exposed to as many as five thousand advertising messages every single day. That number is increasing. And nearly every message’s aim is to show you something you don’t have but probably need.

When we are talking about volunteers or staff leaders, whom we have brought on the team to help others take steps, it is important that there aren’t any debilitating character flaws that will cause others to stumble.

I’ve learned a great deal watching the skillful handling of group interviews conducted by my coworkers. The following is a list of great questions you should consider asking your next job candidate:

Love is the selfless promotion of the growth of the other. The opposite of a generous leader is a selfish leader.

The creative and the leader can be focused on the same mission, yet so differently; they can be serving the same cause, yet often hold opposing views on how to call others to do the same. This may be the single most important relationship to navigate in any church or business. And unfortunately, most leaders never figure out how to make it work.

When you are working with friends, it takes a much higher commitment to communication. Sometimes you have to say out loud, “Right now I’m wearing my leader hat. In a few minutes I’ll put my friend hat back on.” Sometimes I’ve said, “As your friend I would advise you in one way, but as your employer I would counsel you differently.”

Most executive leaders would say they have a team. But having a team and operating as a team are two different things.

There is nothing worse than working at an organization with a bad culture, and there is nothing better than working at an organization with a great culture. You wake up every day looking forward to getting back to work on the mission with people you enjoy being around.

If you are in a culture where meetings feel like a waste of time, change the culture. How? One meeting at a time.

It takes discipline and integrity to go against popular opinion. But your team will give their best, be at their best, and perform their best when they believe you have their backs.

When you work at a church, it isn’t just a job. It’s not just about fulfilling a responsibility. It is also about doing life together. It is about being the church while you are leading the church. It is about having fun, working through conflict, accomplishing ministry, and yes, being highly effective in your job.

Have you ever asked the question, “How many hours should I require my staff to work?” or, “Should I make everyone work the same hours?” Hopefully I can provide some food for thought...

Your leaders want influence. They usually have a lot of responsibility over a specific area. They typically feel very trusted to lead, as long as they stay in their lane. They may even get paid well for what they do. But what they desire is an opportunity to influence the entire organization.