7 leadership hacks for the roaring 2020s: No. 1

Bob Whitesel Oct. 7, 2023

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I study how foresight gives insight into future ministry. Here is the first of 7 Church Leadership Trends that will have the most impact in these tumultuous Roaring 2020s.

1. Command-and-control leadership will be replaced by transformational leadership.

Command-and-control leadership occurs when a more knowledgeable "elder leader" tells or directs others what to do. Better described as "paternal leadership," it is less attractive to Millennials and Gen. Z (people under 40 years old) who have experienced collaborative decision-making through electronic mediums.

But, transformational leadership occurs when,

• A leader publicly demonstrates that he or she wants to improve (i.e. transform) their own leadership style
• While helping people transform their lives too.

We see this aspect in Jesus' leadership. He didn't castigate or excommunicate the leaders he was developing when they failed in their leadership (for example, Simon Peter's failures are recorded over a dozen times—Matthew 15:16, Mark 10:13, Luke 22:24, Matthew 17:24, etc.).

Hack #1:

1. Meet privately with those who report to you and ask how you can improve your leadership style.
2. Beware: don't ask this in a group setting! You will get exaggerated results because in a group people will build upon one another's comments and then give exaggerated replies. This is called group think).
3. Finish your session with the words, "You may be right, I'll pray about it" (that is reportedly what Billy Graham always said when someone critiqued him).

This article is adapted and expanded by the author from an article that previously appeared on biblicalleadership.com

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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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