May 10, 2010
Leadership Tools
Hugh Ballou
LEADERSHIP TOOLS...
...Is divided into four sections:
- Foundations
- Relationships
- Systems
- Balance
In my leadership work, I have group skills and strategies into the four areas above. First, Foundations give the leader the clarity to know how to lead the team because the final result in clear; second, build and maintain effective relationship to assist in getting to the vision; next, develop effective systems allowing each team member to excel and to work together efficiently; and finally, create balance in work, in life, and between work in life.
The format for 2010 will be interviews with Christian leaders from many different types of leadership styles and perspectives - some pastors, some musicians, some lay leaders, some Christian business professional, and more. This month’s edition of Monday Morning Email’s “Leadership Tools” is an interview with Jim Hart, of The Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies who has helpful and practical input for those who plan and lead worship ministries.
Jim Hart, President of The Robert E. Webber Institute for Worship Studies, holds an M.M. from the University of Tulsa, and a D.W.S. from the Institute for Worship Studies where he graduated with the Alphas--the first graduating class--in 2002. He was critical to the formation of IWS in Florida and has held administrative responsibilities since its inception in 1999. He is a published composer/arranger, songwriter and author. He served as Director of Music and Arts ministries at Grace Episcopal Church and New Grace Church in Orange Park, Florida, from 1993 to 2008.
Dr. James R. Hart
For more about IWS and Jim Hart HERE.
The following interview is summarized below. If you would like to listen to the interview or download it for future listening click HERE.
I asked Dr. Hart to comment on church leadership from his perspective as an educator. Here are excerpts from this interview:
Ballou: Jim, tell the readers a little about yourself. What is your current position?
Hart: I'm currently the President of the Robert Weber Institute for Worship Studies...a graduate school that specializes in worship studies - the theological, historical, and biblical foundations of worship.
Ballou: And does that cater to any particular church or denomination?
Hart: No, we're, we're interdenominational, we've got over 40 denominations from the 3 major streams of Protestant, Catholic, and Orthodox. Mostly Protestant, but we do have a smattering of Catholic and Orthodox folks also in our school.
Ballou: Now tell us a little bit about your background and your history and, and, and what's prepared you to be where you are for now and why you think I'm interested in interviewing you for Monday Morning Email.
Hart: Well, I spent 30 years in the full-time music ministry, first as an orchestra director and arranger in a church, and then as the music minister or worship leader, director of music and arts ministries - whatever you want to call that, in a number of different denominations.
My undergraduate degree is in sacred music from Oral Roberts University. My master's degree is in Trumpet Performance, actually, from the University of Tulsa. And then I have a doctorate in Worship Studies from, from this institute where I'm currently serving.
My background is both instrumental and choral. So, I've had a lot of background in both. I've always been involved with both on the instrumental side and the choral side and, and in contemporary worship leadership as well - so, just a really wide variety. I've worked in Lutheran, Methodist, Independent Charismatic, Episcopal and Anglican churches over the years.
Ballou: Great. And as you know, Creator Magazine spans all of those, of both those areas as well.
Hart: Right.
Ballou: This edition of Monday morning email comes up the second Monday of each month. And it's called “Leadership tools.”
FOUNDATIONS
Ballou: Let me lead you through the 4 categories that I write about. The first one is “Foundations” - about the vision and the mission, and the skill set of the leader. So, sitting where you sit and working with those who lead and plan worship, now we have readers that are both musicians and clergy, those who lead and plan worship. What would you say to folks are, are some of the drawbacks you've seen, some of the skill sets that are important and some of the strategies in this area that you would share with us?
Hart: Well I think starting with the foundations with a sort of big picture mission of things. We need to always keep in mind the big mission, which is the kingdom - advancing the kingdom, furthering the kingdom through what we do. And sometimes we lose sight of that when we get into the minutiae of the day-to-day tasks. So, that's the first thing, I think, is keeping in mind the big picture of the kingdom. Jesus did not die to give us all careers in church work. So we need to be careful that we keep that vision of what we're doing to further and to advance the kingdom of God in what in what we do. And then secondly, the individual mission of our of our churches or in my case a school also, that that's an important thing. So to know what is our part of the big picture mission - what is the little corner of the kingdom that we've been given to work in. And how, how can we be faithful in that corner of the kingdom - our little garden that God has placed us in, and, how can we be faithful to that mission as well. So, keeping those 2 things and think in perspective is vitally important as worship leaders when we get down into the minutia. What song to do and what key to do that song in and what kind of theological impact we're trying to have through that song. That we need to keep the bigger pictures in mind as well. And it's also really important to realize that on Monday morning, standing in the shower, most of our Parishioners are not going to be whistling the sermon. They're going to be whistling the music that's been done the day before. So, we have to give some really intense theological biblical reflection on what we're choosing to do in our worship on Sunday morning.
Ballou: Great. I work with entrepreneurs who are implementing a vision that's their vision and I work with church leaders who are implementing a vision that's God's vision. So we have a vision that's been given to the pastor who is the spiritual leader of the church. How, how would you advise musicians who are not the ultimate champion of the vision to work in tandem with the church vision that's been articulated by a senior pastor.
Hart: I would probably say this is in 2 parts. One is understanding the big picture of what it means to be a servant leader. To me the best picture of that is at the last supper when Jesus wraps the towel around his waist and washes his disciples' feet, and serves them and how he, also his ministry, how he blesses children. And, and different ways in which he serves those that he loves and is, instead of being a more hierarchical kind of a leader, he's a servant leader. He serves, he leads from, from at least from the same level if not below. The second part, I think, is that every music director who is working for a pastor needs to understand what it means to lead upwardly - how to serve their boss, how to add to their ministry, how to support them in their ministry, and how to pray for them, and, do everything they can to support what that person is doing which sometimes they may mean making the, how should I say it? the gut-wrenching comments that are not always easy to make. But it also includes not putting away our own agendas, and realizing that the guy on top has a bigger picture and that we need to support that picture. He's, he's the one who has the view of what the mission of the church is, and we're there to support that view.
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RELATIONSHIPS
Ballou: The second category is “Relationships”. I have often said that ministry depends on relationships. But, the paradigm you just painted depends on the effective relationship of the pastor and the musician.
Hart: Yes.
Ballou: Would you speak a minute more about that? Being able to do what you just said depends on having a really good relationship between the pastor and musician.
Hart: Right.
Ballou: And especially for either one of those people, especially musicians, to get the job done, it depends on effective relationships with members of the congregation. Will you speak on both aspects of the relationship?
Hart: Yeah. Let me, let me talk first about the relationship with the pastor, and the music minister. Many times a high value among music ministers is, you know, the pastor leaves me alone and lets me do what I want to do. And that's really not exactly what we're there for. We’re not there to be left alone. We need to enter into that relationship. And it, it takes time. It just takes time.
The way to find what the vision of the pastor is going to be, to develop a relationship, to develop a trust. I have sitting on my desk a little tiny trumpet that was given to me by one of the members of one of the bands that I directed in a church orchestra. And he used to come into my office and he would say things to me. He'd would kinda tell me, right where, where it was and he'd walk out. And let me deal with it, the way I wanted to deal with it. And when I left that church he gave this little trumpet to remember these conversations we've had over the years. Remember that so people who are working with you, that you're in a relationship with that you need to depend on - the people who are your friends, who have bought into your vision, who share your passion for ministry. Develop those relationships and let those people continue to speak to you. So, there's nothing that can substitute for the amount of time that you have with a pastor and if he's a busy man that means you have to carve out the time to be able to spend with him and to be able to develop that relationship. The same thing goes for the parishioners as well. I fully believe that worship ministries need to serve the congregations as well. So, we need to find out what the congregation wants - where they are? What, what they? What moves them? What, what would bring them to a place of a real encounter with the Lord in worship, and that takes time to develop. That takes time to listen. And we have to put away our agendas of time to listen to what they have to say and to hear what moves them and what touches them, and, what brings them to a deeper place of relationship with Lord.
Ballou: Great! Putting relationship in its proper perspective, you said earlier to make sure that you say what needs to be said, but you used different words, but basically to speak the truth in love.
Hart: Right
Ballou: I like the Maxwell model - the 360 degree leader.
Hart: Yes.
Ballou: You effect people above, beside, below, in an organizational chart.
Hart: That's right.
Ballou: So, we do influence people wherever we are in this organization. I interviewed William Willimon last month and also interviewed him for Creator Magazine some time ago. And he says pastors tend to, avoid conflict because they don't want to upset people. I think musicians, sometimes are in that same camp.
Hart: Oh, we're all in that same camp, yeah.
Ballou: So going forward and asking for what you need, I think depends on having a trusting relationship.
Hart: Right.
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SYSTEMS
Ballou: So putting that in perspective is important. Jim, have you ever been a part of a boring unproductive meeting?
Hart: Oh, sure. I have led boring, unproductive meetings. [laugh]
Ballou: Oh dear, I'm, I'm so disappointed.
Hart: [laugh]
Ballou: “Systems” is my next category. I teach leadership in a generic sense. I teach using conducting principles. And, I say to people, if we have a boring or a really bad rehearsal, if we don't fix things then we're going to have a pretty mediocre or bad performance.
Hart: That's right.
Ballou: So, people tend to have poor meetings and expect good results. There are lots of systems that we empower in the church. And, as musicians we know that it takes 2 to 3 times as long to prepare rehearsal as to conduct it.
Hart: That's right.
Ballou: And I think running meetings and other systems are pretty much the same way. So, you've been in the church, you work with church leaders. What, reflections or advice or comments would you have on developing systems that not only save time but, save energy and stress, and make us more effective as leaders. Or, doing this weekly thing of planning and leading worship.
Hart: Well, there needs to be an absolute dedication to planning and to preparation. And I'm talking about not just planning for the rehearsal. Although, first of all that's important as well, and, I agree with you. I think that for every hour of rehearsal, at least 2 to 3 hours of preparation time needs to go into it. But also big picture strategic planning, looking at, developing 5 or even, in some cases 10 year plans. I think in this current culture 5 years is probably good because everything changes so, so quickly. I think 5 years is probably more realistic.
But having an absolute commitment to strategic planning is critical to know where we're going. Organizing meetings, for example, so that, when the people come, they know why they're there, they accomplish what they set out to accomplish in the meeting, and then they leave. So that, so that we're not hanging around for a long time trying this kind of brainstorming. And there's a place for brainstorming. But, but too often, meetings evolve into brainstorming sessions that usually are dominated by certain personalities. And then the rest of the folks in the meeting are there just wasting their time. So, there needs to be a lot of thought and planning that's put into meetings, into rehearsals but also the big picture strategic planning of where we're going as the church - where we're going as ministry within the church. Where we're going in my case as a school. Looking 5 years down the road what our preferred future is. What we think the Lord has for us that process needs to be participatory. It needs to be something that everyone buys in to. So that when we come together for meetings or for rehearsals or whatever we're doing we all know where we're heading. What the end result is from the beginning.
Ballou: Absolutely, it's a holistic approach. It's not just this Sunday and this anthem, but it's more of a holistic approach.
Hart: That's right.
Ballou: That is so important.
Hart: That's right.
Hart: By the way, in the higher education environments, schools live and die on these strategic plans, it's that important. A poorly devised strategic plan will kill a school.
Ballou: I think the other part of that is the implementation part.
Hart: Yeah.
Ballou: I've seen lots of strategic plans that have dust on them.
Hart: [laugh] That's exactly right. Yeah, and others that are sunk in concrete where there's no opportunity for adjusting as you go through the plan too. So you can fall off the plateau either side.
Ballou: Oh that is great. You know everybody in the organization, makes a difference.
BALANCE
Ballou: My fourth area is, in musical terms I call it “Value the Rests”.
It's overall balance. It's not only about making sure that the, the brass section doesn't overpower the rest of the orchestra...it's about...we’re got lots of priorities going on.
So how do we balance the priorities? How do we balance the activity of people in the meeting? How do we balance personal life and church work? And how do we balance all those pieces of our self: spiritual, mental, emotional, etcetera. That balance has a lot of aspects. I know you've seen people that get consumed by their job.
From where you sit as a resource for people who plan and lead worship ministries, what words of wisdom do you have in this area?
Hart: I did my dissertation on the choral leadership of daily prayer, evening song services and, and what we used to call morning song services.
I did some investigating into the spirituality of the discipline of daily prayer. In one of the things that I read, I think it may have been Eugene Peterson that said this, in a survey that was done sometime in the last, 5 or 10 years, only 10% of church leaders, in particularly pastors, had a regular discipline of prayer.
And, it's not because they didn't want to, or they didn't value it, as other things got in the way, and sometimes sermon preparation was their Bible study, their own personal scripture study. And I think there needs to be, there has got to be space in our lives first, and foremost, to hear the word of the Lord, to be with, the Lord in prayer and in scripture study, so that we can be better formed into a faithful followers of Christ - or, as the Eastern Church calls it, the Divination process of becoming Christ-like. I think that's absolutely critical and I think that's first and foremost that we've got to have a strong devotional life. We, we have to be employing the spiritual disciplines of prayer, even fasting, doing the things that will help us become more Christ-like. I think also living into the model of death and resurrection.
You know how every Sunday is a little Easter and Easter is a big Sunday. And we live into this model every day really, of this Easter model of death and resurrection, dying to self and rising to Christ. In all of our daily decisions, everything that faces us - in temptations, in relationships or whatever. We die to self and rise to Christ and that model is critical for us. And also, I think maintaining the relationships, with our friends and family that the, the Lord has brought across our paths, because we are not saved alone. We are called into the kingdom as a corporate body. I had a mentor tell me one time, that it is very significant that the Lord's Prayer doesn't, doesn't start off, “My Father”, but starts off, “Our Father”. Because when everything's pulled away from our lives, what was left is not just you and God, but you and God and your brother, or sister. And that's critical - those relationships are very important.
Ballou: Outstanding, outstanding. Time gets away from us. How would you encourage people to make sure that this happens. How do you make sure it gets on your calendar and you have this discipline?
Hart: Well, for me personally I do it first thing. It's the very first thing I do in the morning. Some of that is from my experience in visiting Monastic communities. The very first thing they do or the very first word out of their mouth is Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall proclaim your praise from Psalm 51. And so there's this tradition in the church - the very first thing we do is pray. Martin Luther did that as well. The very first thing he did was pray. And he reminded himself when he did it - the very first thing you said was, Lord, I am a baptized Christian. The very first thing that came out of his mouth was to remind himself who he really was at the core of his being.
Ballou: It's about commitment and dedication to it. I think our, our Christian faith is very similar to our music discipline. If you don't have commitment discipline, you really don't have anything.
Hart: That's true. That's true.
Summary
Ballou: So, we're, we're closely aligned. Now, we've covered the four areas, and in summary, are there any global reflections or comments that you would like to leave for our readers about the, the area of leadership and church ministry?
Hart: Well, you know, I think leadership is an area that has not been given the proper kind of regard, particularly among music ministers and worship leaders. We say we are worship leaders and we talk mostly about worship and not so much about leading and all of us in some way are called to be leaders in the way that, again, the way that Jesus modeled for us being servant leaders. And serving those with whom you spend your life and your ministry. And so, I think reflections on leadership are, are vitally important for all of us who are involved with worship leading ministry or actually just any kind of kingdom advancing ministry. We need to be reflecting on how leadership plays into everything we're doing.
Ballou? Those are great words. That's great advice and wonderful wisdom, from Jim Hart, the President of the Weber Institute for Worship Studies. And you're in the area Orlando, Florida, I believe.
Hart: Actually, I'm closer to Jacksonville. We're, we're in a Jacksonville, Florida suburb called Orange Park. We're about two hours from Orlando.
Ballou: Well I know your schedule is busy and I am grateful that you, and I am sure our readers will be that you've shared these thoughts with us today. Jim Hart, thank you for being part of Monday Morning E-mail.
Hart: Thank you Hugh, God bless.
ConclusionArrive at your place of comfort utilizing the best of what you can learn from others. Build your foundation, maintain your relationships, utilize effective systems and keep a healthy balance in your life. Begin today. There's not an arrival point. It's simple a journey.
Grace and Peace to you in your duty and delight as a Christian leader.
June "Leadership Tools" will be an interview with Mac Lake, Development Pastor, Suncoast Church in 12 locations throughout South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia.
Hugh Ballou
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