Pastors, People, & Puzzles.

Every quarter, I engage in leadership development meetings with my church leaders. During one such session, I aimed to acknowledge the limitations of visionary leadership. Although pastors possess a clear idea of the desired outcome, we sometimes lack the knowledge of the ideal personnel placement and the necessary components to bring our vision to fruition.

For example, I had a vision for land acquisition in the neighborhood. That was the vision; although we had capital, other components had to be ironed out before completing that vision. I was unsure of all the parts to make it happen, so I tabled it and missed some great opportunities to buy. Here in lies the problems for many pastors. Pastors sometimes believe they must know all the answers to have the vision come to fruition—not true! A visionary needs "versionaries."

Let me explain. A visionary (pastor/leader) casts a vision for a project, and the people serving the ministry (versionaries) use their gifts, skills, talents, and resources to provide a version of that vision. No vision in Scripture was built solely by the visionary. Noah had his family, David had his army, Solomon had his workers, Nehemiah had his countrymen, Jesus had his disciples, and God had Jesus.

I struggled with the idea that I had to have all the answers and provide a perfect and complete vision before I released it to those who faithfully served the ministry. It felt laissez-faire not to have all the I's dotted and the T's crossed before pouring out my vision. I felt inadequate to convey and even carry the vision if I did not know all the parts. This way of thinking stunted my and the church's growth because I was not equipped with a call to do it all.

I found that when I designed all the parts, they had to look a certain way, and when I built it myself, I handed them an excellence they were not equipped to maintain because they were not me (not that I was better; I was different). We all know pastors whose default to when people "can't do it right," they do it themselves. I was reverse engineering this phrase by doing it "right" by myself, then attempting to hand it off to others who invariably could not carry it. So, I had to learn to let people build a version of the vision for themselves and correct it with grace as needed as they built.

So, how would I get my leaders to understand that, at times, I have the image in my head, but I need the ideas; I still need the ideas in their head to make the vision a reality? Here's what I did: I went to the Dollar Tree and grabbed some puzzles. I introduced an exercise at our leadership training to share the concept of building a vision with my versionaries.
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Exercise:
Grab some puzzles and group your leaders. Give each group of learners a puzzle, but not the box with the image that the puzzle came in. They will ask for it but do not provide it. Give the group minimal instructions. Only tell them to work together to construct the puzzle. Then sit back, watch, and listen. What they say and do will be the bases for your teaching, and be sure to address it all.

For instance, during my exercise, someone said, "Pastor probably left out a piece of the puzzle on purpose to trick us." I did not plan for that, but I used it. I made sure to make it clear that when a moment of self-sabotage arises, it is not our fault but our problem. Doubts will arise, but we must all work to find the solution. I heard a person remark on the pace of the other group. I observed a few people looking at the puzzle but not touching the pieces. I made sure to use every instance to address how we may look in the process and how we will be successful as a church in achieving a vision. No issue was wasted.

During the exercise, the vision was clear, put the puzzle together. I gave a clear vision but not a complete vision. One person asked for the box to see the image because they wanted to see the completed image before the puzzle was complete. This exercise teaches that the vision may be clear when you have all the pieces, but it is not complete unless connected. The focus is on connecting the vision, not projecting the vision. This stage of the process, the building stage, is about aligning and assigning to clarify what is present and what needs to be added to achieve a complete vision.
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Nonetheless, here are seven (7) principles for putting together a puzzle (vision):

Start with a clear vision.The pastor pours out the vision, and the people pour into the vision. A clear and compelling vision provides direction and purpose for the ministry. Communicate the vision and ensure it aligns with the values, goals, and mission. Just like with a puzzle, it's crucial to have a clear idea of what the finished product should look like. As a pastoral leader, having a clear vision for the ministry can help you stay focused and keep your team aligned.

Identify the pieces.
Similar to putting together a puzzle, it is crucial to recognize the resources, abilities, and capabilities you and your team possess to accomplish your desired goals. These may involve individuals, monetary funds, technological advancements, and various other assets. By gaining insight into your available resources, you can create a strategic plan to utilize them efficiently.

Connect the pieces to people's values.
Demonstrate how the vision corresponds with their beliefs and how it can facilitate the accomplishment of their individual objectives. Aid individuals in recognizing the relevance of the vision to their lives. After identifying the pieces, the next step is to connect them. This can involve uniting diverse individuals and resources to attain a shared ministry vision.

Be patient but create a sense of urgency.
Putting together a puzzle can take time and require patience. Similarly, achieving a ministry vision may take longer than expected, and it is vital to remain patient and persevere through any challenges that arise. Stay focused on the vision and continue to move forward, even if progress is slow. Help people see why the vision is important and needs to be pursued now, but not hastily. Highlight the potential benefits of achieving the vision and the consequences of not doing so.

Celebrate progress.
As you start to see progress in putting together the puzzle, it's important to celebrate the small wins along the way. In ministry, this can mean recognizing and appreciating the efforts of your team members and acknowledging the progress made toward the vision. Give people opportunities to contribute to the vision and take ownership of their contribution to it. Encourage feedback and suggestions from people to improve the vision.

Embrace diversity.
A diverse team can bring a variety of perspectives and ideas to the table. Be intentional about creating a culture of inclusion and respect, and seek out perspectives that differ from your own. Just like a puzzle has pieces of different colors and shapes, a successful, thriving ministry team will likely include individuals with different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. Embracing this diversity can lead to a more creative and effective approach to ministry.

Keep the big picture in mind.
 t is easy to get bogged down in the little things and lose sight of your overall vision and mission. Ensure you and your team stay focused on the big picture and regularly review progress towards the vision. Use this perspective to guide decision-making and prioritize tasks, moving you closer to the vision. When putting together a puzzle, it is easy to get lost in the details and lose sight of the whole perspective. Similarly, it is crucial in ministry to keep your overall vision and mission in mind, even when dealing with day-to-day tasks and challenges.

Conclusion
As a visionary leader, it is crucial to recognize the limitations as a visionary and to rely on the skills and expertise of others to bring your vision to fulfillment. A clear and compelling vision, identification of available resources, alignment with people's values, patience, and urgency are all critical components of successful vision implementation. By trusting in and empowering your team of versionaries, you can create a successful collaborative strategy for achieving the ministry's vision and goals.