The Healthy Church Staff Podcast
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The Healthy Church Staff Podcast
4 Types of Church Bosses (And How to Actually Work with Them!)
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Understanding your church boss's leadership style is the key to navigating ministry relationships effectively and maintaining your sanity in the process.
• Every church boss falls into one of four distinct leadership styles: commander, cheerleader, caretaker, or controller
• Commanders are direct, decisive and goal-oriented - get to the point and don't take blunt feedback personally
• Cheerleaders are high-energy, relational and vision-focused - help refocus them and ask for clarity on details
• Caretakers prioritize relationships and encouragement - provide reassurance and encourage decision-making
• Controllers are structured and detail-oriented - come prepared and respect their need for order
• Adapting to your leader's style will significantly improve your ministry experience
• Knowing both your own leadership style and your boss's creates better team dynamics
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Understanding Church Boss Types
Speaker 1Ever worked with someone who steamrolls every decision you try to make , or who cancels meetings last minute and then changes the plan completely ? Maybe you work for someone who's so caring that they're afraid to make a tough call . Here's the truth . Every church boss falls into one of four leadership styles , and how you work with them makes all the difference in your ministry experience . Today , we're going to break down the four types of church bosses and give you some exact strategies on how to navigate each one . So stick around , because understanding your leader's style could save your sanity in ministry .
Speaker 1Hi , my name is Todd Rhodes . I'm one of the co-founders over at chemistrystaffingcom and I'm your host here on the Healthy Church Staff Podcast . Today we're going to talk about four different types of church bosses . We're going to talk about the commander and the cheerleader and the caretaker and the controller , and this comes from a Fast Company article I read recently , a really insightful article . I'll try and leave the URL , the link for it , in the comments here where you're listening or watching , but let's start with four different kinds . Let's start with the commander and of these four kinds , if you work for someone or maybe you're a senior pastor , maybe you're a solo pastor at a church you probably have . When you're working with your elder team or your board , you're probably working with these four types of leaders . So let's talk about these and then we're going to talk about how you can work best with
Working With The Commander
Speaker 1them .
Speaker 1Okay , so the first is the commander . All right , the commander . Commanders are direct and they're decisive and they're goal oriented . And as I go through these , I think not only of what your boss is , I think what kind of leader you are . Okay . So , commanders they're direct , they're decisive , they're goal oriented , they move fast and they don't waste any time and they expect results . They're all about action . They're always looking for that hill that they're going to charge , but sometimes that comes at the expense of other people's feelings . So how do you work with a commander , with that kind of gung-ho man ? We're just going to go and we're going to go and we're going to do it , and if I have to throw some people under the bus while I'm doing it , that's the consequence . How do you work with a commander ? All right , so when you're talking with a commander , get to the point . They don't have time for your fluff , okay , so lead with the key information and cut out all the necessary details and just get to the point with them , because they're no nonsense , they just want to hear it . Okay , just get to the point with them , because they're no nonsense , they just want to hear it . Don't take blunt feedback personally While they're charging that hill and while they don't want to hear a lot of details , they're not going to share a lot of details with you either . They're going to be very blunt and when they critique your work , it's usually about making it stronger . It's not about you . If you're like me , feedback hurts because I always tend my personality type is I tend to take feedback personally , rather than that , it's just about making the work better , okay . So when a commander gives you feedback and it's rather blunt and it stings just remember that it's usually about making whatever you're working on stronger . It's not about you , and you should be confident and assertive when you're working with a commander . Okay , Come prepared with a clear plan and own your recommendations . They will respect your decisiveness , but they also expect you to be decisive . Okay , they also expect you to bring things to the table and to bring plans to the table , okay . So those are some things you can do . What should you not do ? Don't do this if you're working with a commander , okay , don't get offended when they ask how your weekend . When they don't ask how your weekend was , they're not going to be the warm fuzzy , personalized hey , how's it going ? They're going to be writing directly to the point . Do not get offended . Okay , try not to ramble or over-explain . Okay , instead of saying so , I was thinking maybe we could consider a different approach for next week's sermon series planning . Do something a little bit more direct , like . My recommendation is to structure the sermon series this way to keep it engaging and biblically solid . Okay , so you're not dancing around it , you're just going in and you're reflecting the commander's style to the commander . And guess what ? The commander , they're going to love that . Okay , most of the time , unless you're going against them . Okay , so that's the commander ,
Navigating The Cheerleader
Speaker 1all right .
Speaker 1The second type is the cheerleader Cheerleader . Totally different . If you're working with a cheerleader boss , you're going to be totally different than working with a commander boss , okay . So here's the cheerleader . Cheerleaders are higher energy , they're relational and they're vision focused . Okay , the cheerleader is going to thrive on big ideas . They're going to thrive on momentum . They're going to live on enthusiasm . But that's all good . But they change directions often and sometimes they get excited but they don't follow through .
Speaker 1Okay , so how can you work with a cheerleader ? Especially if you're more of a commander type , a cheerleader's gonna drive you crazy , right ? How do you work with a cheerleader ? You can gently refocus them . If they get off on tangents , try and bring them back . That's a great idea . Let's make a note of that and let's circle back later . I know that's difficult when you're talking to your boss , but cheerleaders know that they're cheerleaders , right , and they know that they need people around them to kind of rein them in and make sense of all of their excitement .
Speaker 1Right , take some initiative in rescheduling . If they cancel meetings , proactively , follow up and set a new time , because the cheerleaders will cancel meetings . They'll have too much going on and they'll just be like , no , I can't do that . Another thing you can do is ask for clarity . They love casting vision , but they don't care about the details . So ask things like what would success look like for this ? Okay , so get as much clarity as you can . Okay . So what not to do when you're working with a cheerleader ? Okay , do not wait for them to remember something's important , because they won't . Okay , don't sit at your desk thinking why hasn't this person gotten back to me , it's because it's a detail and they've probably forgotten . They've moved on to something else or they're dreaming about something else . So don't wait for them , just follow up . Okay , just know who you're working with and make sure you follow up if you need more details .
Speaker 1Do not expect structured , step-by-step instructions . Okay , for example , if they say let's do something fresh for Easter , here's how you should respond . Here are three fresh ideas . Do any of these match what you're envisioning ? Okay , so you're again . They're painting the broad stroke picture , the excitement , let's do something fresh . And it's your responsibility a lot of times to come in and say , hey , here are some ideas that are fresh . Do any of these match what you're thinking ? Okay , so we've talked about the commander . We've talked about the cheerleader .
Speaker 1Let's talk about the third kind , which is the caretaker
Managing The Caretaker
Speaker 1. Okay , caretakers prioritize relationships and encouragement and they make sure that everybody's okay . They're kind and they're nurturing , unlike the commander or the cheerleader . Sometimes they are great listeners , but they can struggle with indecisiveness and they can struggle with avoiding contact . Are you this kind of leader or do you work for this kind of leader ? The caretaker great people to have around , but they require a little bit different skill to work with .
Speaker 1Okay , so how do you work with a caretaker ? First , they need a lot of reassurance , so reassure them whenever you can . If they keep checking in , let them know you've got it . Hey , I appreciate you checking in , but I'm good , I'll let you know if I need any help , because they're the caretaker . They're going to want to hold your hand and make sure that you're all good , so just give . They might need a little bit more reassurance . The commander , on the other hand , needs no reassurance . They just expect you to be on top of it . Okay , how else to work with a caretaker ? You may just need to ask direct questions . They avoid hard conversations , so you may need to push gently for clarity and you may need to encourage them just to make decisions . Would you prefer option A or option B ? Would you like to do lunch on Tuesday or on Thursday ? Encourage them to make decisions , okay .
Speaker 1What you should not do with a caretaker okay , assume that they'll give you honest feedback without being asked . They usually won't . They're going to be on the positive side and they're going to be taking care of things as a caretaker . So don't assume that they'll give you honest feedback if you don't ask them and don't let their indecisiveness slow you down . You can help move things forward . Instead of saying , do you think this is okay , you can say something like hey , would you like me to move forward with this or would you like me to adjust anything ? If you don't ask those kind of specific type questions to a caregiver , you may not get the direction that you need to fulfill actually what they want you to fulfill Okay , so not get the direction that you need to fulfill actually what they want you to fulfill . Okay , so that's the caretaker .
Speaker 1So we talked about the controller , the cheerleader , the caretaker . The last one is the controller .
Handling The Controller
Speaker 1Controllers are structured , they're detail-oriented , they're focused on efficiency . They're a lot like the caretaker , but they're just more controlling . They want the processes followed , they want the rules obeyed , they want absolutely no surprises . They can seem really rigid , they can seem really slow to embrace change .
Speaker 1So how do you work with a controller ? A controller , you need to come prepared , because they value clear expectations and you need to ask up front what are your key priorities for this project ? Okay , what are your key priorities ? Frame ideas as system improvements . Instead of saying let's try something brand new here , say , let's improve our existing system . Okay , you're feeding into . You're saying the same thing , right , but you're feeding into hey , let's make what we have better rather than let's start something new , because controllers are a lot of times really resistant to change , and this is hard if you're not that type of person . But you need to respect their need for order . So you need to meet their deadlines . Don't miss their deadlines . The controller will not appreciate it and you will lose trust if you do not meet deadlines or follow procedures . Okay .
Speaker 1So here are some things not to do . If you're working for a controller or with a controller , okay , don't spring last-minute changes on them . They do not like change period and they really do not like last-minute changes . So don't spring last-minute changes on that . And don't ignore their need for structure . Don't be a rogue . Don't go outside the structure . You need to follow the structure , follow the processes . For example , instead of saying we need to revamp our volunteer saying system , you can say something like hey , I found a way to streamline our current system without disrupting our workflow . You're kind of speaking their love language there .
Speaker 1Here's the bottom line for today . Every church boss has a unique style . The commander moves fast , so be direct . The cheerleader loves big vision , so help the cheerleader by bringing some clarity . The caretaker prioritizes people , so help the caretaker make decisions . And the controller needs structure . So be detailed and precise and here's what you'll find . The more that you adapt to their style , the better your ministry experience will be .
Speaker 1Was this video helpful
Key Takeaways & Conclusion
Speaker 1? I hope it was . Or this podcast ? I would love to hear from you , hear your comments . Maybe you want to push back and say , todd , oh , my goodness , you were so off on that . I would love to hear that . Just be nice , right , tell me what kind of leader you are . Tell me what kind of leader you think I would be if I was your boss at your church . That's a scary thing . You can leave a comment . If you're watching this on YouTube , leave a comment below . Or if you're listening on the podcast , just send me an email . Podcast at chemistrystaffingcom . And if you ever need help navigating your church staff dynamics for your church , or you're looking to hire or you need to let somebody go from your team , I would love to have a conversation with you . You can reach out to me anytime . Podcast at chemistrystaffingcom . All right , thanks so much . That's it for today's edition of the Healthy Church Staff Podcast . We're back here every weekday , monday through Friday , for a quick Healthy Church staff podcast . Thanks so much . Have a great day .
