Leadership functions help you recognize and identify the essentials of a leader.
Core functions of a leader:
1. Relational functions
Relational functions—related to the specific group of people God has given a leader to lead. They include team, ministry environment, conflict, care, feeding and development.
2. Task functions
Task functions—related to a leader’s ministry assignment and group goals. These include organization, structures, decisions, finances and administration.
3. Visionary function
Visionary function—related to hearing God and setting ministry direction. Included are issues of motivation, ownership, priorities and change. Leaders often carry out these three functions simultaneously.
Functions can vary, depending on the demands of a leader’s current ministry assignment. The specific leadership functions below help further identify the characteristics and responsibilities of a leader.
- Model: They live out the vision in actions and life-style.
- Motivate: They inspire so others follow.
- Encourage: They come alongside to exhort and admonish.
- Facilitate: They empower others, helping them excel.
- Coordinate: They bring people together.
- Responsible: They are willing to be accountable.
- Develop: They are conscious of the need for personal growth.
- Problem Solving: They can recognize and solve critical issues.
- Decision Making: They can make necessary decisions.
- Crisis Resolution: They acquire resources for emergency needs.
- Apprentice: They constantly seek to train new leaders.
"Leaders must be lifelong learners."
Reviewing leadership functions is important for existing leaders, because it reminds them of the multifunctional responsibility of leadership. Most leaders gravitate to those functions they feel they do well, but leaders are called to minister both in areas of their strengths and weaknesses.
Reviewing the leadership functions reminds new leaders that there are many aspects to being a leader. Therefore, there are always new skills and insights they can learn from others in leadership. New leaders must also be learners.
Biblical Example: Paul and Timothy
Paul’s exhortations to Timothy in both of his letters are examples of rehearsing the various functions of a leader. Paul admonished Timothy to model a life of purity (1 Timothy 1:18–19; 4:12), to be responsible (1 Timothy 4:11–15) and to apprentice (2 Timothy 2:1–2).
Timothy, like all leaders from time to time, needed to be reminded of the various functions of leading. Leadership is more than just an up-front affair. Effective leadership is allowing yourself to constantly see the bigger picture and a diversity of issues.
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