Some high-profile individuals are known for dressing the same way every day. Think of Steve Jobs always wearing a black turtleneck and jeans. The explanation is that this is one less decision for the busy leader to make each day.

Many church and ministry leaders are suffering from decision fatigue right now. There are more decisions, and many routine decisions have become more complex. A year ago, none of us were having to decide whether to open the doors for worship on Sundays. Even if that decision has been made, the list of other pending decisions feels like the waves of the ocean that just keep coming. 

So what can you do if you’re experiencing decision fatigue?

• Reduce the number of decisions that you have to make. I’m not saying the questions should go unanswered, but I am suggesting that someone else can answer them. Now is the time to delegate. If you have been deeply involved in worship planning worship, this may be the time to let that go to give you bandwidth for other decisions. Don’t hold onto decisions just because you’ve always done it that way.
• Expand the circle of people who are authorized to make leadership decisions. It’s the only way that you will be able to reduce your involvement. No, they won’t always make the same decision that you would make, nor will they always get it right. But if you have a competent team, trust and empower them to do their jobs.
• Choose the right time horizon for your decision focus. Week-by-week is too short for any meaningful planning. Looking a year into the future seems futile for most issues in the current climate. (Although some opportunities require a long-term perspective.) Pick a time frame that makes sense. Focus on programming decisions for the fall, not the entire school year. Consider a 3-month rolling budget rather than a 12-month one.
• Act rather than getting stuck in constant deliberation. “Paralysis by analysis” describes the desire to have all the information before choosing the path forward. But we never have all the information, and that’s especially true in our current environment. So get the right people in the room with the best information available, decide the right next step, and act.

I don’t expect you to be any less fatigued even if you take all these steps. But I am confident they will help you and your organization step into an uncertain future.

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I’d be embarrassed to count the number of times that it has happened. I meet someone new at church or at an event, and as I’m walking away, I realize that I’ve already forgotten their name. The truth is that the name never lodged in the memory bank of my brain because I was too busy thinking of what I would say next or too distracted by something else around me. 

Perhaps this is just my personal failing, but my observation is that many church and ministry leaders commit an even more serious mistake. In the moments when important decisions are being made, many leaders are not paying full attention to what others are saying. Instead, these leaders are “reloading,” readying the next round of their argument to support their position. Or they are shifting into a defensive mode because they feel attacked. Or they too are distracted, thinking about the meeting that they just left or the one they’re about to go to.

This failure to listen fully is easy to understand. Pastors, in particular, are seemingly trained and paid to speak, not to listen. And reloading or defending are natural human tendencies. But we need to be aware that these behaviors virtually guarantee that our decisions will be less than optimal and that our leadership teams will be frequently frustrated.

If this blog strikes a chord, then let me invite you to remember some simple practices that you’ve learned in the past:

• Paraphrase what you’ve heard someone else say before responding. 
• Monitor your own defensiveness and anxiety, and when you feel it rising, slow down before speaking. 
• Invite trusted colleagues to gently question you when you don’t appear to be fully engaged. 

I can remember that new acquaintance’s name if I just pay attention. And you can hear more fully if you do the same. 

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Staff led or lay led? I’ve been in many conversations with churches where this question has either been asked directly or implied. We generally think of large churches as staff led and smaller congregations (with only 1 or 2 staff members) as lay led. But I believe the question creates a false dichotomy. And in doing so, we miss the opportunity to be well led.

Why is this a false dichotomy? Surely it’s important to know who is leading. The problem is that the language implies one person/group will make all the important leadership decisions. This leaves the other group on the outside, waiting to be informed and then expected to follow. If you’ve spent any time around churches and ministries, you know this doesn’t work. 

A lay led model puts all the decision-making authority in the hands of the governing body (board, elders, session, church council, etc.). They make the directional decisions. And because they take their responsibilities seriously, they may also be heavily involved in programmatic details. The pastor normally has a seat at the table, but may have few opportunities to speak or influence decisions. As a result, communication with the broader congregation – which is normally led by the pastor – will lack enthusiasm. And the actions of the pastor and other staff members will be half-hearted because they haven’t bought in.

Of course, if all decisions are made by the staff leadership team, the same issues of low buy-in will arise among lay leaders. Their lack of support will often spread to others in the congregation. And as important as staff leadership is for a large church, it is futile if no one is following.

So how can a church be well led, rather than staff or lay led? It starts with the recognition that there is only one senior pastor (or perhaps 2 co-pastors). They are the primary communicators. They spend more time praying and thinking about the direction of the church than anyone else. They have a unique voice that needs to be heard at the leadership table. At the same time, well led recognizes that lay leaders bring a deep love for the church, diverse gifts, and a fresh perspective to the table. Their ability to motivate fellow members is distinct, and often more powerful, than paid staff. 

In a well led church, staff and lay leadership collaborate on important issues. When a decision is made, they use first-person, plural language – “we decided” – to indicate their ownership. And they demonstrate their ownership by fully investing their energy into implementing the decision. So quit asking whether your church should be staff or lay led. Instead, ask how it can be well led. 

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