6 ways leadership will change in the next 10 years (Part 1)

Bob Whitesel Dec. 23, 2020

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We are experiencing an unprecedented time of change. I've called it the eReformation, because it is changing how the church conducts ministry in the same manner that the printing press fueled the Protestant Reformation.

But how much will leadership change?

According to experts, it will change more than you expect and much more than you're planning for. In this first of two articles, I will apply to the church the 12 ways leading expert Chris Herd of Firstbase predicts leadership will change in this decade.

1. Life first. Work second.

Herd found that people are re-prioritizing, and increasingly work serves their life, not the other way around. This will lead to a greater emphasis on the church leader's family as well as to the fellowship of the believers.

However, leaders must be prepared to not only equip the volunteer to do their job better, but also help the volunteer be a better parent, spouse, and family member. This does not mean pushing the volunteer into some family systems training course. Rather, it means the leader must take an interest in the volunteer's family and a give the volunteer tools to be a better parent, spouse and family member. We see Jesus emphasizing this through his words with Mary and Martha, where the work-focused Martha misses the intimacy and understanding upon which Mary is focused (Luke 10:38-42).

2. Focus on outcomes.

Organizations will focus more on effectiveness, rather than just focusing on a vision. While church leaders must still have a vision, they must also be able to set goals and design tactics (or at least have a team member who does so). The role of organizer will be increasingly valued. Jesus recognized that responsible people know this, when he said in his parable: "Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn't first sit down and figure the cost so you'll know if you can complete it? If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you're going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you: 'He started something he couldn't finish'," Luke 14:28-30 (MSG.)

3. An end to senseless tasks.

But what if volunteers could regularly evaluate their work, adjust it and end senseless tasks? How much time would that save church volunteers so they could do other things?

In the future, time-wasting tasks will be avoided. Thus, the effective church leader will create a process for prioritizing volunteer activity. Usually, the best way will be to evaluate how a task supports and furthers the local church's mission. However, this does not mean abandoning traditions that have spiritual meaning to many traditionalists. It does mean adjusting traditions, with input from change proponents and the status quo too, so that traditions can be adapted to more powerfully bring about the church's mission.

4. Work when you want.

Working from home "will give workers 25 extra days a year to do other things" according to Herd. And, the eReformation has allowed flexibility in work-from-home church volunteerism.

Volunteerism, committee meetings and training sessions are increasingly taking place through online meetings. And many of these meetings are "asynchronous." For example, a training may be placed online and volunteers take it when convenient for them. Even board meetings can be conducted over a few days by utilizing chat rooms, allowing people to add their comments as they are available. Universities learned the value of "asynchronous" education when they put their courses online, therefore allowing busy students to post their comments as they were available. Universities that adapted flourished. But ones who didn't languished in a dying model where everyone had to be in the room at the same time.

5. More priority on health and well-being.

A friend of mine, Pete Scazzero, wrote a seminal book about "The Emotionally Healthy Leader." In the next decade, leaders will be expected to help the volunteers they oversee with their emotional needs and their physical health too. After all, the Old Testament dietary laws were in place partially to foster health in the children of Israel. Very specific dietary laws were given three times and early in the Bible: Genesis 1, Genesis 9 and Leviticus 11/ Deuteronomy 14.

6. Rural towns will flourish. (If they're fast.)

Rural and small town churches have been wringing their hands for years over the exodus to the cities. But an eReformation means that remote work can be done from smaller towns that have a lower cost of living and higher quality of life. That is, if they also have fast Internet access.

Rural churches should not despair, but rather look for ways to connect with a younger, more professional culture. Because of this return to the small towns and rural areas, Jesus' words have renewed meaning: "The food that keeps me going is that I do the will of the One who sent me, finishing the work he started. As you look around right now, wouldn't you say that in about four months it will be time to harvest? Well, I'm telling you to open your eyes and take a good look at what's right in front of you. These Samaritan fields are ripe. It's harvest time!" Luke 4:343-35 MSG.

In part 2, I will look at diversity, burnout, automated tasks (robots), written over spoken communication and other leadership changes coming in the next 10 years.

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Bob Whitesel (D.Min., Ph.D.) is a foresight coach, professor, and award-winning author of 14 books. For over 30 years, he has guided leaders and churches to pivot and engage what’s next. He holds two earned doctorates from Fuller Theological Seminary and teaches on leadership foresight, church health, and organizational change. His website is www.ChurchForesight.com. Learn More »

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