Shifting Your Leadership to Align with Church Size and Structure

Every new ministry setting requires a leadership reset. Resets are needed whether it is a new context, new people, new program, or a combination of these. And sometimes, a new ministry setting requires a leader to learn new leadership skills. When a leader steps into a role leading in a different organizational size or style, the need to reset is no exception. Effective leadership requires adapting your approach based on the size, style, and structure of the organization you are leading.

Here are some key differences and leadership adaptations:

Small Organizations:

Focus on relationships: Smaller teams thrive on close-knit relationships and direct communication.

Delegation: Delegate whole tasks and empower people, build trust through close collaboration and a shared sense of purpose.

Flexibility and autonomy: Embrace a flatter structure, allow for greater flexibility, offer opportunities to develop diverse skills.

Communication: Leverage open communication channels and informal check-ins to ensure everyone is on the same page and feels heard.

One signature ministry: Smaller churches are far more effective when they focus on one key signature ministry rather than several to eliminate frustration and burnout.

Larger Organizations:

Structure and clarity: Larger organizations require more structured communication and defined roles and responsibilities to manage complexity and coordination challenges.

More complex systems and processes: There are more formalized processes and procedures that have likely been built on over time. Sometimes those processes and procedures are outdated or irrelevant, so reviewing and asking lots of questions is essential. Systems and processes need to be in place to facilitate workflow, limit liability, and provide clear directions without stifling innovation and creativity.

Strategic communication: Develop an organizational communication plan, consider your audience, and utilize diverse communication channels ( to ensure information reaches all stakeholders.

Decision-making: Involve multiple layers of stakeholders and decision-makers, employing strategies to navigate complex decision-making processes and ensure alignment.

Staff and ministry team leader development: Provide structured equipping opportunities with clear expectations (i.e., job descriptions) and intended outcomes (i.e., goals, objectives). Staff and ministry team leaders need to be team builders who pour into their teams to identify, recruit, equip, and deploy disciples.

Practice accountable leadership: It’s SIMPLE. Set expectations. Invite commitment. Measure progress. Provide feedback. Link to consequences. Evaluate effectiveness.

Strategic Ministry Planning: Strategic ministry planning includes articulating the mission (purpose), the vision (God’s preferred future, core values, goals (set by the board). And the objective (ministries aligned to the goals, set by ministry teams).

Right Sizing

An organizational structure that is not congruent with the actual congregational size is another setting that church leaders are finding themselves. This occurs when a church grows, but has not also grown their systems, processes, and structure. Or, this can happen when a church was once much larger than it is currently, and the systems, processes, and structure have not been right-sized and remain too complex for their current size. There are also situations when a church’s budget is more typical for a much larger organizational size. Often this leads to having inadequate processes, systems, alignment, accountability, and structure to support the financial reality of the church.

Ineffective Leadership Styles

Autocratic Leadership: All decisions flow through one person. Nothing gets done without his/her approval. Leadership is either a pastor-centered or personality-driven style. While there may be initial growth or vitality, as soon as the leader leaves, the organization collapses or is greatly diminished. The person is typically given unlimited responsibility and authority with little to no accountability. While this leadership style may sometimes be effective, it is not a safe style of leadership.

Bureaucratic: This leadership style is large-group driven and is oftentimes committee-based. Bureaucratic leadership is often consensus-driven which results in slow decision-making, weakened authority and accountability, hidden conflicts, compromised quality, time-consuming and frustrating processes, stifled innovation, the potential for “Groupthink,” and lack of individual responsibility. In this leadership style, leaders are given ample responsibility, but little to no authority. While this leadership style may be more safe, it is typically not effective.

Leadership Style Considerations

Coaching Leadership: Effective in both small and large organizations, this style focuses on developing individuals, empowering them to take ownership, and supporting their professional growth.

Democratic Leadership: Fosters collaboration and engagement by involving staff and ministry team leaders in the decision-making process, particularly valuable when you want to leverage diverse perspectives and build consensus.

Transformational Leadership: Inspires and motivates individuals to embrace change, foster a shared vision, and achieve exceptional results. This style is crucial in driving innovation and adapting to context shifts.

Accountable Leadership: Marries responsibility with authority and accountability. Promotes unity. Functions on a high level of trust. Decisions are made quickly. Mission and vision fulfillment is the driving force rather than management. Goals and objectives can be adjusted as needed. Accountable leadership, when practiced effectively, is a collaborative leadership style that builds camaraderie, promotes a supportive culture, and leads to missional fruitfulness.

Ultimately, effective leaders adapt their style and strategies to the unique characteristics of their organization's size, fostering a culture of clear communication, empowerment, and continuous evaluation and improvement.