A mistake a lot of people make is that they lead the way they think they’re "supposed to lead." So many people in leadership have a sense or an idea of the "right way" to do it because of a book they're read or a leader they follow. But so often, the thing that gets left out of the equation when deciding your leadership style is your team's personality.

Student ministry is known for wild and crazy antics, but student leaders deal with a lot more than errant dodgeballs or wondering how many pancakes a kid can eat on a retreat before he gets sick. By the way, the answer to that one is 23 – and I know that because I watched it happen.

In some office environments, you can put a sign on the door that says "do not disturb," or you can interrupt someone mid-sentence and say, "I don't have time to hear this story right now. But in a church office, that's rarely something that is done. And church office interruptions aren't usually short bursts of time; they're often emotional moments that require a little bit of time to come down from after.

Working at a church is a unique mix of worldview, employment and lifestyle that is hard to describe unless you've done it, and “when you're at work” seems to be one of the most challenging intersections to navigate for Senior Leaders.

"Worship… is so much more than what you see on Sunday mornings. The 20-minute worship set is the tip of the iceberg; prep, rehearsal, projection/Livestream setup etc. Take 10x-15x more time than what you see. And that's just standard weekly service prep”

Most Elders have self-identified as someone who believes that giving their time and talents to their local church something they're called to do. Most elders bring various skills and knowledge from their workplaces to create a well-rounded team. And most elders enjoy seeing people get to know Jesus and watching their church grow.