When to Leave: Recognizing the Cronkite in Your Church

This episode explores the vital role of trust within church leadership, illustrating the significance of individuals termed "Cronkites" who amplify a leader's influence. We emphasize recognizing and rebuilding these key relationships, as they form the foundation for effective ministry and community impact. 

• Identifying your trusted individuals, or "Cronkites" 
• Understanding the impact of trust on leadership effectiveness 
• Recognizing signs of trust erosion in relationships 
• Steps for rebuilding trust through open conversations 
• The importance of engaging in meaningful dialogue with key supporters 
• Addressing awkward relationships as a path to strengthening leadership 
• Trust as a currency in influencing community health

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Transcript

Speaker 1 0:07

Hey there , welcome to the Healthy Church Staff Podcast . I'm Todd Rhodes , the co-founder of chemistrystaffingcom . I'm excited to have you here with me today . We talk every day , monday through Friday , here on the podcast about ministry leadership , and it is full of relationships some uplifting , some challenging and some that quietly hold more influence than you realize . And today we're going to dive into the idea of having a Cronkite in your church .

Speaker 1 0:35

Okay , so we're talking about Walter Cronkite . Do I need to for some of us probably need to say who Walter Cronkite was ? Walter Cronkite was the chief newscaster of the CBS Evening News for years , decades back , oh boy , back when I was growing up and here's the thing you need to know about Walter Cronkite News back then was a little bit different than what it is now . This was the place where Americans got their news , and Walter Cronkite was known for being , for the most part , pretty straightforward , a straightforward news guy . So because he was delivering the news to America , he was one of the most trusted at this time in American history . He was one of the most trusted people in American history .

Speaker 1 1:21

Wade Hodges in his book . We've been doing a series on this when to Leave , how to Know when it's Time to Move On Before you Stay Way Too Long . He talks about this concept of being able to recognize the people whose trust and influence shape your leadership and what happens when that trust fades Again . Going back to Walter Cronkite as we get going here , he was often called the most trusted man in America . Imagine any news person in America now being called the most trusted person in America . I don't think it would happen anymore . But back then Walter was known as the most trusted man in America .

Speaker 1 1:58

And in your church you likely have people who serve as Cronkites right Key individuals whose trust and support amplify your leadership . They really boost your leadership . But what happens when you lose the trust of those people ? It can feel like the ground really is almost shifting beneath your feet . So Wade offers four different things here to watch .

Speaker 1 2:24

Okay , if you feel like this is happening . Number one one is who are your cronkites ? And I thought wade wrote this book a while back and back , when everybody knew who walter cronkite wasn't , I thought maybe I should pick somebody different and I thought who would I pick ? That's different , that that widespread everybody trusts anymore , and there's hardly anybody that I could think . I couldn't think of anybody , so I'll just stick with Walter . Walter's a good example here .

Speaker 1 2:51

But are there people in your church that are the most trusted people ? They're your Cronkites , right , they might be long-term elders , they might be , maybe , influential volunteers . They might be on your staff , a respected staff member . They're the people that others look to when forming their opinions about your leadership , and their trust really does matter . When you have your Cronkites , your people around you that support you , it's almost like a multiplying force . They can rally others to your vision and they can sway people maybe that are on the fence . They trust them , they maybe trust you , they're working on their trust with you , but the Cronkite comes up to and says , no , this is the right thing . They can really rally others to your vision and your leadership , but when you lose their trust , when you lose those Cronkite's trusts , it can lead to some resistance and some gossip , even some division .

Speaker 1 3:45

And you need to look for this is number three look for signs of trust erosion . Are your Cronkites less engaged in meetings ? Are they hesitant to back your ideas ? Are they hesitant to give you feedback ? Is the relationship just feeling strained ? I mean , pay attention to subtle changes in behavior and tone . Tone Because here's the case when you lose the trust of the people , that people have trust in your greats .

Speaker 1 4:18

It doesn't just affect your relationship with them , it can impact how the entire church views your leadership . So the good news trust can be rebuilt with intentional effort . But if it can't , it might be a sign that your season of ministry could be coming to an end where you are . So here's the bottom line for today Relationships in many ways and I've heard many leaders say this and I believe it's true Relationships in many ways are the currency of leadership . If a key relationship is faltering , it's worth taking the time to address it . So here are some steps I'd like for you to take as you think about . Maybe this is a new concept . Maybe you think , todd , I've never really ever thought about . I know my leadership has influence , but I never really thought about those close around me , these kind of Cronkite characters that have trust with the people , the key people . I've never really thought about the influence that they can help me to have in the life and vision of the church . Here are some steps to take .

Speaker 1 5:12

Number one identify who your Cronkites are . Who are those key people whose trust is essential to your leadership . Write down their names , reflect on your relationships with them . Are the relationships getting stronger or are they starting to get a little cold ? And then have an honest conversation , especially if you sense that trust is eroding . Don't ignore that . If you ignore it , it's not going to get any better , it just won't . So schedule maybe a one-on-one meeting with your Cronkites and address any concerns . Maybe listen to their perspective and say , hey , how are we doing ? Ask them directly how do you feel about the direction I'm leading ? Is there anything I can do to make things better ? If they've started to lose trust , how can I rebuild trust and confidence in you and then just be humble and transparent ? Rebuilding trust , it takes humility and it takes time , and you have to be willing to own your own mistakes and make some adjustments . So here's your action step this week Identify , let's say , one key relationship from a concrete cronkite that maybe needs some attention and schedule a conversation with that person . It might feel awkward , matter of fact . It's going to feel awkward , I can tell you . But it is a critical step in strengthening your leadership if you're to stay where you are .

Speaker 1 6:35

Do you know who your Cronkites are ? That's your question for today . Are you having a tricky relationship with any of them . I'd love to hear your story . You can email me anytime about anything at podcast at chemistrystaffingcom . Your experiences matter and we're a small community here at the Healthy Church Staff Podcast growing , but we're small and I'd love to offer any encouragement that I can . If you're new to the podcast you haven't subscribed yet , hit that subscribe button wherever you're listening and if there's any way that can help you or your church in any kind of staff relationship maybe it's hiring a new staff member , maybe it's you've got a staff member that's on the bubble and you need some advice . Maybe you need some staff realignment . That's what I love to do and how God's gifted me . Reach out to me anytime at podcast at chemistrystaffingcom . I'd love to hear from you .

Speaker 1 7:27

Finally , if you're finding these episodes helpful . We've been talking about this last week , this week and continuing next week , and then I'm happy to announce today we're going to be doing a webinar on this whole topic of when to leave and more information on that coming soon . But I would love to get a copy of Wade Hodge's book when to Leave in your hands absolutely free . You can grab one at chemistrystaffingcom slash when-to-leave . It's just a fantastic resource in navigating some of the tough decisions that we have to sometimes in ministry . All right , thanks for spending some time with me today . Remember , building maintaining trust with your Cronkites probably one of the most important things you could do this week as a leader and when those relationships thrive , your ministry will thrive as well . All right , take care , I'll see you again time . Bye-bye .