218. Trust, Teams, and Transformational Leadership, with Mike Bonem, author of The Art of Leading Change

Strong sermons, pastoral care and counseling, leading Bible studies.  These are all really important for effective ministry leadership.  But leading a church or organization is more than just that, isn’t it?

In this episode, Mike Bonem--consultant, coach, and author of The Art of Leading Change--offers invaluable insights into how trust, effective team-building, and adept communication can transform your leadership and help you navigate the complexities of ministry.


THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:

• Mike Bonem highlights the importance of trust in leadership, emphasizing that people are unlikely to give 110% if they don't trust their leader.
• Markus Watson notes that trust has different dimensions and can erode gradually through unfulfilled commitments and unmet expectations.
• Trust is built through follow-through on commitments and investing in relational components.
• When there is trust within a congregation, people are more likely to give the benefit of the doubt, get involved in initiatives, and commit to change.
• Trust is about being trustworthy as a person, not just doing things to gain trust.
• Manipulation by leaders is easily detected, underscoring the necessity of integrity.
• Mike Bonem discusses the importance of building strong teams to handle heavy loads and accomplish needed tasks.
• Building a strong team involves intentionally enlisting different perspectives and gifts.
• It is important to include people who bring different perspectives in the planning stages.
• Mike Bonem elaborates on the value of getting different perspectives and gifts in the room for effective team building.
• Markus Watson reflects on his own experience of leading change in a church amid the pandemic, highlighting how difficult it was.
• Mike Bonem emphasizes the importance of incorporating business practices into pastoral work to improve leadership in congregations.
• Mike Bonem and Markus Watson discuss key principles for leading change, including leading with trust, recognizing the importance of strong teams, and understanding that resistors are not the enemy.
• Mike Bonem’s Fuller Equip online course "The Business of Ministry" provides fundamental training for pastors in areas such as finance, HR, and church business.
• The first module of Mike Bonem’s course addresses the debate on whether the church should adopt business practices to ensure good stewardship of resources.

RELEVANT RESOURCES AND LINKS:

• Mike Bonem:
  • Website – mikebonem.com
• Business of Ministry online course
• Books mentioned:
  • The Art of Leading Change, by Mike Bonem
  • Leading from the Second Chair, by Mike Bonem
  • Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership, by Ruth Haley Barton
  • Sacred Rhythms, by Ruth Haley Barton
  • Good to Great, by Jim Collins
• Related episodes:
  • How Did God Intend Us to Experience Sa

Did you know Spiritual Life and Leadership has been named the #1 Spiritual Leadership Podcast by the Feedspot Podcasters Database? Check it out HERE!