How do you lead an organization stuck between an ending and a new beginning-when the old way of doing things no longer works but a way forward is not yet clear? I call such in-between times liminal seasons-threshold times when the continuity of tradition disintegrates and uncertainty about the future fuels doubt and chaos. In a liminal season, it simply is not helpful to pretend we understand what needs to happen next. But leaders can still lead.
Liminality: Neither Here nor There Liminal seasons come often in a congregation's life: The interim time between established pastorates. The beginning of a new pastorate, when trust in the new leader is still forming. The months after the completion of a strategic plan, when leaders are left wondering where the next big idea will come from. The time following the death of a matriarch or patriarch. Most liminal seasons are resolved within a matter of months or years.
However, in our time the institutional Church is experiencing a liminal era that will not be resolved any time soon. The models and structures that have defined the Church are crumbling around us. New ways are emerging, but we do not yet know what, if any, institutional church structures will remain. The disorientation and disengagement of this time are exhausting all of us.
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How to Lead When You Don't Know Where You're Going: Leading in a Liminal Season by Susan Beaumont
How to Lead When You Don't Know Where You're Going is a practical book of hope for tired and weary leaders who risk defining this era of ministry in terms of failure or loss. It helps leaders stand firm in a disoriented state, learning from their mistakes and leading despite the confusion. Packed with rich stories and real-world examples, Beaumont guides the reader through practices that connect the soul of the leader with the soul of the institution.
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In this Faith & Leadership interview from 2015, a Harvard Business School professor says that authenticity is crucial to leadership in today's volatile environment.
Read more from Bill George » |
| A professor of congregational mission and leadership writes that the ambiguity facing the church today requires leaders to spend less time defining bold goals for institutional growth and more time refocusing the congregation's life on cycles of listening, discerning, experimenting and reflecting at the grassroots. Read more from Dwight Zscheile » |
Christian leaders need to nurture talent in their institutions. Our series will help you do that. Learn from leaders in a variety of organizations, including the Reformed Church in America, about training, evaluation, goal setting, leading amid uncertainty and more.
Read more about the Reformed Church in America » |
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