The Leadership Tree

The best way to assess a leader is to look at the growth of those in their proximity over time. It is not to look at books written, speeches given, social media following, church size, degrees earned or vocational rank. If you want to know if a leader is effective in leadership, look at their leadership tree.

The leadership tree bears the fruit of ministry in people, not things. That fruit, also, may grow on another’s tree. Some of the most effective leaders I know have very little on their own resume…but the impact of those they impacted for the Kingdom registers high on the ministry Richter scale. In his important book, HeroMaker, Dave Ferguson observes: “Everybody wants to be a hero, but few understand the importance of being a heromaker.” Facts.

I’ve been doing some reflection on my career in ministry in preparation for a book I’m hoping to write. Over the course of my ministry, I moved from a person motivated by leadership knowledge and being known as a good leader to a leader focused on growing a healthy leadership tree. I changed what mattered to me. I stopped caring as much about what happened to my own career out there and made it my mission to be a developer and multiplier of leaders. I did so for two reasons: 1) My mentors persuaded me through word and example, and 2) I experienced the joy of exponential impact.

To that point, I enjoyed study and discussions of leadership so much I didn’t pay attention to my own presence and the impact I could have on those around me. While some might say the first ten years of my ministry bore the most, “fruit,” I would argue the last twenty were of FAR greater impact. I still experienced the blessings of church growth, though more moderately. Yet, I had much greater impact in planting a church of real impact and growing leaders who now grow leaders and churches all over the place. I went from fertilizing and watering a single, large tree, to planting an orchard of trees. In my case, that meant trading notoriety for less visible significance. In many cases it meant planting or watering the seed knowing the increase would happen later and probably elsewhere.

Of course it feels good to have people see you as a leader. However, what feels much better and matters much more is one’s leadership tree—the fruit of ministry born in the lives of those who have lived and served in close proximity to you over time. I get far greater joy out of watching those I’ve served alongside prevail in ministry than I do my own successes. It is similar to watching one of my children succeed in life. Is there anything better? Is there anything I could do that I would exchange for their growth and success? No. Their success means more to me than my own.

An effective leader will have interns who became full-time pastors or pillars of their church as members, associate-level pastors who became senior pastors, and a track record of helping people realize their full redemptive potential. Musicians become worship leaders. Children’s pastors become family life pastors while their interns become children’s pastors, and the children who grew up in the ministry became interns and so on. People become better communicators on stage. They become more disciplined, more compassionate, more mature, because of their exposure to a godly leader—who shows them both his/her strengths and weaknesses. I hope I’ve helped those around me grow from my weaknesses as well as strengths.

The leadership tree matters far more than leadership visibility or notoriety. Many who seek after and even obtain such things have a relatively barren leadership tree. Meanwhile, those with lesser-known names sometimes produce much fruit for the Kingdom through their focus on helping others become everything God has called them to be. Many well-known leaders in the limelight use the people around them to platform themselves. Great leaders in God’s eyes use their leadership to platform others who have grown in their proximity.

Great coaches help their players get better. Great mentors seek God’s best for their mentee. Great pastors, in God’s sight, seek His best for others above their own. In short, they follow the leadership of the one who said: “The greatest among you must be the servant of all.”

How’s your leadership tree looking? Has it been planted? Are you watering it and giving it light?