Leadership talk necessarily invokes something like the scene with Caesar that I quoted in the previous article where Caesar grabs a shield on the front lines and single-handedly turns the course of the battle not only by his direct actions but also by his inspiring presence. That is the sort of figure we all wish to be. It is also how we want to be led.
But we don’t have to read between the lines in Caesar’s commentary to realize that such bold actions were few and far between. Caesar’s virtue and competence, his character, were essential. They created trust and respect with his subordinates and made him inspiring. That is essential and we will get to that more directly, eventually, but for now, I want to recognize how Caesar spent most of his time. Most of his time was spent on mundane but essential tasks. There was nothing more important for victory in Gaul than logistics. Caesar’s attention to detail and scrupulous planning enabled his army to move faster than any other on earth at the time. It also meant that they had what they needed to fight and win when they arrived.
Thomas Aquinas argues that there is a unity and mutual dependence of the cardinal virtues due to their singular aim. Yet they can and should be distinguished from one another (Aquinas, ST I-II. Q61. A4). We can say a similar thing about leadership principles. Caesar’s aim wasn’t logistics. It was victory. Logistics was a tool. Leadership principles can be stated in various ways but they never stand alone. Nonetheless, however we phrase them, distinguishing them from one another is useful. Today’s principle might be summarized as “an army marches on its stomach,” even if Napoleon never said it. ( https://shannonselin.com/2014/07/10-things-napoleon-never-said/ Whether he did or not, the idea behind the saying is sound and worthy of our consideration as it applies to pastoral leadership.
Pastoral leadership requires attention to detail and the execution and oversight of mundane tasks. While the exact circumstances and tools might vary from parish to parish, it is probably not possible for a modern pastor in the United States to operate without some sort of a calendar, a to-do list of one sort or another, and something like checklists to keep track of it all. But before we get there, let us consider something of God’s concern for details and then get a few other leadership examples and explanations from McRaven and Bishop Hardy.
Theology
God cares about the details. We are charged to pay attention as well and to administer our duties faithfully. Through St. Paul, God dictates that a pastor must not only be virtuous and competent theologically (1 Tim 3:1-3, 6), he must also rule “his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?)” and he must “must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil” (1 Tim 3:4-5,7a). To rule one’s own house well includes providing for the bodily needs of one’s subordinates. Having a good reputation in the world includes not being bankrupt or facing weed violations from the city. Again, St. Paul says, “if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Tim 5:8). These aren’t skills taught at Seminary. They are prerequisites. Perhaps the most telling principle in this regard is Our Lord’s summary statement at the end of the parable of the unjust steward: “He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much” Luke 16:10).
This isn’t all Law. God’s care of the details is driven by His mercy. The God who cares for every sparrow and lily, counts every hair on our heads (Matt 6:26,30). He doesn’t do this because He is bored, rather He finds us fascinating and is also watching over every detail. He knows what we need and is shepherding us toward green pastures and still waters. He goes in front of and behind us (Ps 23:1, 6). What He directs us to in the Law, in this case attention to details and providence for our subordinates, is His own eternal character and will. The leadership tasks and duties that He gives to us to carry out are part of His image.
McRaven’s Insight into Inspections
I was a fool of a soldier and I hated inspections. Admiral William McRaven has finally taught me why they mattered by drawing lessons from General Friedrich Wilhelm von Stueben’s invigoration of the Continental Army in Valley Forge and the raid of the POW camp in Son Tay, North Vietnam led by Green Beret Colonel Bud Sydnor. It is inspiring material. McRaven uses them to explain the necessity of inspections for military operations and also to show that they have a position effect on morale. Describing how this applies to the business world, he writes:
“Inspections are not just about ensuring compliance; inspections force a level of discipline into the corporate system, and when discipline is applied, the rank and file know they are in an organization that cares about quality, that cares about results, tha cares about hard work. No one loves to be inspected. But every professional appreciates knowing that someone above them cares about the details, because it is in the details that businesses succeed or fail. The Wisdom of the Bullfrog: Leadership Made Simple but not Easy) 148”
Hardy’s Application to Finances
Bishop Hardy’s most significant chapter is likely chapter 9, “Financial Matters and Why They are Important.” 141. Hardy makes the case that the pastor is morally obligated by his ordination vows to pay attention to the congregation’s finances. He also gives some basic and concise instruction on what pastors need to know about finances. While he is very specific in this chapter, I would place this under the broader leadership category of handling logistics and caring about the details. Rather than repeat what he says, I simply want to use it as another example about the essential need to be about the mundane tasks of leadership and commend the chapter to you.
Implementation in the Parish
The most obvious ways we might implement this into parish ministry is in regard to the worship services. We might look over the acolytes before the Service and quiz them about their duties. We might do something similar with the ushers and elders. Beyond the parish, which of us hasn’t been disappointed to show up at an ordination or installation in the circuit where the pastor leading the service failed to give any substantial instructions or was otherwise ill-prepared? Even if we have done this a hundred times, every building is different and the service gets tweaked for local customs. So we want to know how we’re going in, where we are standing, what parts of the service we are participating in directly, and so forth. We don’t want to look foolish or be distracting to the service and we want to know that the man leading the service cares about our part in it and how we conduct ourselves. To some degree, this is what we are doing when we quiz the catechumens on Catechism and require them to recite it. Why don’t we do the same with the elders and council? I think we should. You can’t be a member of the Ranger regiment if you can’t recite the Ranger creed. Why would we have elders who can’t recite the Catechism?
I know we have to take baby steps. I get that. So let’s start with the Apostles Creed, Lord’s Prayer, and 10 commandments. After that let’s add the first question and instituting passage of Baptism and the Office of the Keys and finally the definition of the Sacrament of the Altar and the Verba. Then we can add the rest. But before we can do anything, we need to set the base. We need an inspection to find out if they can actually recite the Creed and the commandments, etc. I understand that they are volunteers but I also think that one of the tasks of pastoral leadership is to raise the bar, and, of course, the pastor himself must be able to do more than he expects of the elders. He must be able to recite the Catechism in its entirety along with a number of Bible passages and explain them. He must lead by example and inspire the elders so that they see recitation of the Catechism not as a task for children but as a feat of strength and masculinity.
Apparently the 28 Standing Orders of Roger’s Rangers were from a novel about the rangers and not actually penned by Major Rogers. I was made to recite all 28 at one time. I have never forgotten the most cardinal and first of the orders: “Don’t forget nothing.” Inspections were meant to make sure we didn’t.
To not forget nothing requires some organization and discipline. Calendars are essential. We have to have a means to make and keep commitments, but they can be more than that. They can also be a way of setting priorities. Setting aside time for sermon preparation or worship on a calendar and then following the calendar rather than just waiting for time to open up for it sometime during the day, makes sure it actually happens. Even as a checkbook ledger might show where one’s heart is, a man’s calendar might do the same. How much time does he spend watching television as opposed to exercise? How much time does he spend talking to his wife as opposed to looking at his phone? How much time does he spend in study as opposed to meetings?
The next tool we need is some sort of to-do list. For some it might be possible to use a calendar as a to do list but I like it to be distinct for a couple of reasons. First of all, it is a kind of mini-goal list and I like to have a column for the day, the week, and long-term. I also find it satisfying to cross things off the list and I like granularity. For example, I hate making phone calls and scheduling meetings. Because I hate it, I tend to procrastinate on it. The worst part of a shut-in call is scheduling it. Once it is on the calendar and I am committed to it, and don’t have to think about it, it is easy. So I put the act of scheduling the call on my to do list and then I get it to cross it off when it is done. Then I put the actual call on my list and I get to cross it off again when it is done. Because of this, I sometimes put things on my list retroactively, after they are complete, just to cross them off. Say, for example, a shut in calls me to schedule an appointment before I had even begun to think about it. I would make the appointment in the phone call then write down “Schedule call with Mrs. Schmidt” and cross it off.
The final tool is some sort of checklist. Checklists are a kind of self-inspection. If the task is frequent and well known, it may be only a mental checklist. It may be possible, for example, to look at the altar and tell if the altar guild has been in to set it up or not. I don’t need a physical list to notice that on Sunday morning, but I do need a mental check so that I pay attention. In our set up the chalice is veiled so I do need to lift the veil and make sure the celebrant’s host is on the paten and it isn’t a dirty chalice left from a previous service. I’d guess that it is ready and as expected 95% of the time, but about once every 2 years it isn’t. I learned this the hard way. One Sunday I didn’t check and when I unveiled the chalice during the service I discovered the altar guild hadn’t cleaned up from the service the day before. I had to go into the sacristy and get a clean chalice, paten, purificators, and celebrant’s host while the congregation waited. Fortunately, we were prepared for that but it was an awkward moment that didn’t need to happen and can easily be avoided by a quick check, one that has to be performed in some fashion before every service.
There are times, however, when a physical checklist is probably the best way to operate. I use elaborate checklists to get me and my team ready for any extraordinary service such as Good Friday, the Easter Vigil, Christmas Eve, and Weddings. I also conduct rehearsals. The acolytes and ushers and assistants come in at a scheduled time and we walk through the service in the Chancel and make sure everyone knows his part and what to expect. Simply giving verbal directions immediately before the service and hoping it is clear is not sufficient.
Sometimes checklists are useful for tedious tasks, like the Army’s hated PMCs (Preventive Maintenance Checklist) which are supposed to be completed every time a vehicle is signed out. When they are followed, there are far less breakdowns. Our church secretary uses a checklist like this on erasable overhead projector sheets for bulletin production. She has written on there in permanent marker what has to be changed every week, such as the date, so that it doesn’t get overlooked. She checks it off with a dry erase marker. When she is finished she wipes off the dry erase and is ready for the next batch. Pastors could do this with sermon prep steps or for other repetitive tasks they must complete.
Next time: Extreme Ownership isn’t only for Navy Seals
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