The instrumental leadership style describes the person who views self, colleagues, followers, circumstances, and resources as instruments for goal achievement. If you are an instrumental leader, then chances are you possess the ability to examine all interactions and processes in a complex situation for value related to mission. With an unselfish commitment as an instrumentalist, the church planter can avoid harshness that harms team esprit de corps and performance. Instrumental leadership expresses itself in what I call the personal, networking, and empowering styles.
Personal style leaders use intellect, communication skills, vision casting, and persuasion, to attract people to the mission. As a personalizing leader, you will tend to be adept at both dramatic and counterintuitive skills as a means of casting vision and recruiting resources. You’ll most likely possess a sense of timing and flair as well as the ability to seize opportune moments for progress toward the goal.
The network style leader depends less on self and more on interpersonal connections to accomplish tasks. By building and cultivating networks, you can call on persons with the necessary expertise, experience, knowledge, or skill as the situation and opportunity demands.
The empowerment leader tends to be very motivational as he or she anticipates the contributions of others, inspires confidence among players, and encourages a sense of goal or project ownership among team members. If you’re a leader who regularly empowers, you’ll tend to freely seek counsel from your peeps and give team members the freedom to choose methodologies designed to achieve objectives.
Now, unless you have the proverbial “big red S” on your chest, you will most likely not be able to deliver all nine of these leadership expressions we’ve looked at the past two months. However, being aware of these crucial new church leadership behaviors, you can monitor whether each is occurring thanks to your team members and yourself. You can be strategic in shoring up some leadership weaknesses. You can provide the leadership balance that your new “outpost of hope” needs and deserves so that connectional leadership is fully operational. You may not be Superman, but by paying attention, you can operate with speed, strength, and agility to the glory of God.
