The Ministry Leader Who Stopped Learning (And What It Cost)

In this episode of the Healthy Church Staff Podcast, Todd Rhoades discusses the often overlooked issue of leaders plateauing in their growth and the impact it has on their teams. He emphasizes the importance of continuous learning for personal and team development and provides practical steps for reigniting curiosity and fostering a culture of learning. • Silent killer on church staffs: Leaders who stop learning. • Leaders may become predictable, causing teams to stop bringing new ideas. • Comfort can lead to a decline in leadership effectiveness. • Recognize signs of plateau: Staleness, repeated stories, defensiveness towards new ideas. • Reignite learning by engaging with diverse resources and experiences. • Model continuous learning and curiosity for your team. • Encourage and support team members to pursue personal growth. • Growth as a leader fuels the growth of the entire team and organization.

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Transcript

When A Great Staffer Goes Quiet

SPEAKER_00 0:09

There's a staff member on your team who used to be on fire, and by that I mean they were light. Man, they were on fire, they were spot on. They read everything, they asked great questions, they were always prepared, they brought fresh ideas to the table, and you've noticed something now, it just seems like they just show up. They're doing a good job, they're doing the job, and they're doing well. They say the same things that they said three years ago. But here's the uncomfortable part. The change might not be with them, it might be with you. There's a silent killer on church staffs that nobody really talks about. It's not burnout, it's not moral failure, it's not even conflict.

The Silent Killer Is Stopped Learning

SPEAKER_00 0:52

It's the leader who stopped learning. And that's what we're going to talk about today. It may be a little convicting. Hopefully, you're up for that and you'll continue to listen to today's podcast. Hi there. My name's Todd Rhodes, one of the co-founders over at ChemistryStaffing.com. And I'm also the host right here on this podcast. You're listening to, we call it the Healthy Church Staff Podcast. Let me show you what maybe what I described at the top of this podcast actually works.

Signs You Are Drifting As A Leader

SPEAKER_00 1:21

It's really a plateau that you don't see coming, and it doesn't happen overnight. You hit a season where you finally feel competent, you know your role, you've got systems, you've preached that series, you've led that team, you've navigated that conflict, and somewhere, somehow in there, you stop asking. So you stop reading the books, you stop asking mentors, you stop attending conferences, not because you're lazy, more because you're busy, and because if you're honest, you actually feel like maybe you've arrived a little bit. But here's what happens next: it's really a drift that you a lot of people don't see coming. Your ideas get stale, but you don't notice. Your team starts solving problems without you, not because you empowered them, but because you're not growing with them. You start repeating yourself a lot. You notice that you're repeating yourself, and you're like, I don't know if I've told this person that story or not. Turns out you have. Your passion shifts from what could be to what we've always done. And you get a little defensive when somebody suggests a new approach. And the worst part that you notice, you're starting to notice anyway, is that your team felt it before you did. And this is what it looks like. This is what I said at the top of the podcast. They stop bringing you ideas because you've become predictable. They stop asking your opinion because they already know what you're going to say. They stop being that staff person on fire, not because they're not on fire personally, but they're just responding to how you're leading. Now, listen, this isn't about being a bad leader or a lazy pastor. That's not what I'm telling you today. You didn't get here because you stopped caring. You got here because you got maybe a little bit comfortable. And comfort is the enemy of growth. So, what

The One Question That Resets Growth

SPEAKER_00 3:20

do you do about it? Todd, help me. What do I do? If you've drifted, here's the good news. You can come back. You can come back pretty quickly and pretty easily, but it starts with one question, and here it is. What's the last thing I learned that actually changed how I lead? What's the last thing that I learned that actually changed how I lead? And if you can't answer that in the last six months, chances are you're you've plateaued in your leadership. So reignite that curiosity by reading outside your echo chamber. Pick up a business book, maybe a biography, something that stretches you. I'm getting ready to go on vacation, so I'm gonna I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna read a biography, I'm gonna read a historical book, something that just is outside of something I would normally do, but something that's gonna stretch me a little bit. Maybe you find a peer who's ahead of you in one area and ask them out to coffee, not to be inspired, just to pick their brain and to be trained, not to teach them or to mentor them. Make learning a rhythm again, not an event. Block some time on your calendar for it because what gets scheduled actually gets done. At least it does on my calendar.

Make Learning A Rhythm Again

SPEAKER_00 4:36

And here's the leadership move. Okay? And this is important. Model it for your team. Talk about what you're learning, admit when you don't know something. Celebrate growth over arrival. Because here's the thing about a leader who stops learning. If you're not growing, your team won't either. Culture flows from the top. Even if you're not the senior leader. If you lead from a place of, hey, I've got this figured out, your team will coast too. But if you lead from the I'm still learning mindset, you give permission for everybody else to grow. You create a culture where curiosity is valued over certainty, where asking questions isn't a sign of weakness,

Model Curiosity And Shape Culture

SPEAKER_00 5:20

it's a sign of health. I often mention Patrick Lanzioni, I think I did yesterday actually. But Patrick says this: he says the best teams are the ones where leaders are humble, where leaders are hungry, and where leaders are smart. And you can't stay hungry if you stop feeding yourself. So here's the staff culture piece. This really isn't about you. Look around your team. Who's plateaued? Who used to be sharp but now feels like they're just going through the motions. Don't shame them. Invite them. Ask them, hey, what's something you've been wanting to learn? And then offer to cover the course, the cost. Maybe it's a course, maybe it's a book, maybe it's a coaching session. Give them a half day to invest in that growth, not just in productivity. Because when your team stops learning, guess what? They stop leading too. And when they stop leading, your church stops moving. So here's the bottom line for today. If you stop learning, you start leading from memory instead of vision. That's that's the if you can walk away with that today, then I think we will have accomplished something here on the podcast for you and for your leadership and for your team. Remember, growth isn't optional for leaders, it's really the oxygen that fuels us.

Invest In Team Growth And Move Forward

SPEAKER_00 6:40

And the best news is that it's never too late to start again. So maybe you're in this phase today. Try taking some time, putting some time on your calendar, determining exactly what you need to do that will stimulate your learning because that will make you a better leader, and it'll make you a better leader, and it'll make your team better as well.

Bottom Line And How To Reach Us

SPEAKER_00 7:00

Thanks for listening. I hope this has helped, and if it has, I hope you'll share it with somebody on your team. We're in this together, and in our work at Chemistry Staffing, we work with churches and job seekers every day, and there's not one of them that is, we always say every church, every person that we work with is special, they're unique, and they're valuable. God has called you to what you're doing, and we're in this with you. And if there's any way that we can help you, reach out to me. Podcast at chemistry staffing.com is the email address. Podcast at chemistry staffing.com. All right, that's it for today. We'll be right back here again tomorrow for another episode. Hope you'll join me on the Healthy Food Staff.