Episcopal Church Foundation Vestry Papers - for leading congregations

Does your congregation have the right people on the bus?

I’ve been reading Jim Collins’ Good to Great, in part to prepare for my transition into a new job. What are the keys to success? How can I be an instrument of positive change?

But the book, I think, also offers some great insight for congregations, particularly as we move into vestry election season.

One of the critical elements, Collins insists, in moving from good to great is getting the right people on the bus – and ultimately, getting them in the right seats.

Collins and his team reviewed Fortune 500 companies, measuring their sustained success and then isolating the traits that separated 11 great organizations from the rest. They found that time and again the company’s leader spent a great deal of time finding the right people. Sometimes that meant hiring people without specific jobs in mind but with the knowledge that their skills, gumption and commitment would make them prime candidates for any position. Collins posits that without the right people, the best strategic plan will fail. 

People make the difference. 

In more than a decade of working for a diocese, I’ve seen this theory bear fruit. Most congregations move through cycles of health and struggle, but the ones that emerge stronger are the ones with dynamic leadership. Often that includes the ordained leadership but the lay leadership is critical. If the vestry is stocked with pessimistic, doomsday-ers, then the church is positioned to miss opportunities for a turnaround. But if the vestry and other key leaders are realistic optimists, then the church often finds its footing again – even if that means significant change or sacrifice. 

This combination of realist and optimist is interesting. It’s one that Collins found in leaders of great companies as well. Great leaders both fully accept the realities and limitations of a situation while believing in limitless possibilities. So for instance, a congregation in a economically depressed Appalachian town might not realistically become a mega-church, but it can be a vessel for God’s grace through creative micro-lending programs or partnering with community social services. Realistic but optimistic. 

The right leaders will have this mix. Look for them in your congregation as you seek to build a slate for vestry. They might be old-timers who have been a part of the church for decades. They might be newcomers who are still figuring out the Episcopal lexicon. These leaders may be young or old, male or female, straight or gay. It is not their external features that make them great leaders; it is their heart. 

Since most congregations add a third or so of the vestry each year, it may take a while to transform the leadership from good to great, to get the right people on the bus. But each addition of a great leader will change the congregation, building it into a place ready to act when God calls.