John Sweetman
4. THE LEADER’S VISION AND PLANS
Older Leaders – Goals and Plans
Carucci: Older leaders believe that effective performance is about setting goals, monitoring progress, and achieving measurable results. The process of setting targets and intentionally moving towards them is vital. They dislike inhibiting bureaucracy, but see the importance of strong processes that enable definite progress. Results are fundamental. Anyone in the organisation can have vision as long as they can achieve the results that are expected.
Long: Older leaders need to know the destination towards which they are heading. They want a master plan. Many churches and Christian organisations use long-term strategic planning. They spell out a clear destination and then work out the precise steps needed to reach that goal. It’s then the leader’s role to lead them in climbing the steps. The leaders have the answers to the questions – they have the map. They say, “Follow me.”
Younger Leaders – Dreams and Freedom
Carucci: Younger leaders can dream for days. They are very idealistic, wanting to achieve great things, and are passionate about causes. However, they see most processes as unnecessarily bureaucratic and inhibiting creativity. So they don’t generally value data and structure (it’s too monotonous) and have a tendency to be impulsive. They may also struggle with holding others accountable, preferring for them to dream and enjoy freedom.
Long: Younger leaders want to enjoy the adventure of the journey. They feel that in a rapidly changing context, plans are quickly outdated, and so the journey becomes more important than an unpredictable destination. They still have dreams and visions, but no clear pathways. They have a compass but no map. The leader’s role is to facilitate the journey together into unchartered territory. Leaders know how to ask questions not to provide answers. They say, “Let’s learn to follow Jesus together.”
John’s Reflection
Everything in me says that you need a plan. How can you hit any target without a plan? One of my sons was a long distance runner at school. He had a training regime that enabled him to hit his targets in races. Every athlete has a plan. At Malyon, I work with a four-year strategic plan and an annual operational plan. It’s the way we make progress. I can’t imagine not having a plan.
But then, am I just a product of my age and culture? I must admit that sometimes it’s not the plan but the surprising things that God does that really make a difference. For example, I was planning a fund-raising strategy and canvassing ideas that donors might be attracted to when a member of faculty mentioned the idea of a leadership centre, and suddenly, out of nothing, Malyon Leadership and neoLeader emerged. It was never part of my plan. So God is certainly not bound to our plans.
However, I’m still nervous about no plans at all. Paul certainly had intentional plans to evangelise the Gentiles and the Old Testament is full of God’s plans for his people. Take Gideon for example. God gave him a very specific plan for defeating the Midianites. So you certainly can’t say that planning is unbiblical.
But is it necessary? Will dreams carry the day? I think not. I think that some form of flexible planning is important. Some form of accountability is necessary. But then, I am an older leader.
I would be very interested in the opinions of younger leaders. What do you think?
Yes,
Old men can dream too! (Acts 2:17) and younger leaders can plan (just check out a City Life Comm Life meeting some time.)
Both vision and planning/infrastructure are needed. Neither are mutually exclusive in an effective organisation.
To say that young leaders have no planning and infrastructure may sound attractive, if you say it quickly enough (as opposed to the “Long” quote), however, just ask the organisers of the big day out, Easterfest or your local heroin dealers if they do things without plans.
On the other side of the argument, older leaders can dream.
The sad thing is that older leaders may cease dreaming. This would be just as sad as when young leaders ceased strategising. Both impulse and strategy help to grow organisations and cultures.
Don’t know if i qualify as a younger leader or older leader-born 1965- but I have had about 15 years in senior management now and have made the following observations so far:
1. Management syle preference can be greatly influenced not by age but by personality type
2. As a personality type that thrives on dwelling in new dreams and ideas, it became obvious, nevertheless, that a plan to achieve would be required
3. The need for a plan becomes more necessary as the complexity of human intereactions is involved. Where ther are more than a few people involved, how can yuou actually manage without a plan?
4. Create the plan, laminate it, stick it in the staff lunch room, review it at staff meetings, do it, monitor that it’s being done, reward those who help do it, simultaneously form a whole bunch of new ideas, and as the old plan gets stale, be replacing it.
I realise the conversation has likely moved well on from here, but thought I might throw a couple of cents in. I find myself caught in the middle a bit. Maybe I’m semi old. I value planning, think it is essential for success. In my experience, if we run an event, good planning gives us the best chance of a successful event. However when it comes to big picture, direction and strategy, I find that plans need to be so flexible, I’m barely holding on to them. John mentioned the Old testament, and the first scripture that comes to mind is the great Jer 29:11 that Christians love. First thing is that God says is that HE knows the plans he has. Sometimes I think my job is to wait day by day and receive the next part of God’s plan, more than coming up with a great plan and then submitting it to God. I said MORE than not RATHER than. That was Gideons story wasn’t it? He didn’t know GOd’s plan. Success for Gideon was found in keeping an open ear, a submissive will, and obedient heart and hands, to caryy out God’s orders.