Systems Leaders
There’s a whole lot of research and books on systems thinking. Systems thinking says the sum of the parts is actually greater than simple math would indicated. If you and I are in the equation, systems thinking says there are now three components, not two. There’s you, me, and the relationship between you and me.
In systems thinking, one plus one is three.
The third component listed (the relationship) is the most complex. It’s unpredictable and is also full of the most possibility. Every time even an element in the system changes, the whole system changes. Dynamic complexity says every relationship touched by that element is now altered.
Leaders today must understand systemic issues in the church.
Staff, volunteers, members, visitors, guests, family: the numerous relationships of a church compound the complexity of the systems.
That’s why you rarely come across something that is black and white.
That’s why you have to take all the relationships into consideration every time you make a decision.
That’s why the effects of decisions are far reaching.
That’s why leadership in a church is so challenging.