Photo by jurvetson
Posed by Joy Wong
It’s been my observation that no matter how great or glorious the institution, the higher up you go in leadership, the more ugliness you see. Ugliness in terms of power plays, decision-making, or just the general muck that comes with politics. At the same time, it seems that no matter how bad it gets in the upper realms of leadership, the “end-users” such as students, parishioners, etc. may actually be quite happy with the institution and may be getting what they need, whether it be a good education, spiritual growth or nourishment, etc.
As we rise up in leadership, we’re bound to witness, and perhaps run into, ugly politics. How do you keep your joy amidst the ugliness, as well as a sense of purpose and fulfillment in ministry?
Joy Wong has an MDiv from Fuller Theological Seminary, a BA in English from Princeton University, as well as four years’ experience in industrial distribution management. She is a contributing author to Mirrored Reflections: Reframing Biblical Characters, published in September 2010. Joy and her husband live in Pasadena, California and attend New City Church of Los Angeles.
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Joy, I’m glad you ask this question. Being the optimist that I am (of course, my husband might disagree), it took me a long time to admit that Christian institutions engage in politics games just as much as the next institution. Not that I hope we raise a generation of cynics, but I think it’s best to be wise and have eyes wide open as a leader, earlier rather than later.
Two things come to mind as far as how I address ministry sustainability (and I warn that my responses tend not to be typical Christian-speak or “spiritual” lore, but more practical and tangible stuff). First, I try to keep perspective. Religious/Christian institutions have similar kinds of limitations on resources and similar types of power asymmetries that secular institutions have. So I try my best to avoid putting the former on pedestals. At the same time, I’m developing a habit of analyzing institutions along at least 4 different frames (Rational–chain of command, everyone in her/his role; Human Resource–everyone contributes and has value; Symbolic–how the organization makes meaning of significant events, milestones; Political–how the organization’s subgroups negotiate/make alliances to vie for limited resources….these are not new; see Bolman & Deal on organizational frames). Good leaders are able to see that the institution can both be analyzed through these lenses and be led using the same frames. I suppose it removes the mystique (unattainableness) of the almighty “Politics Game.”
Second, I find joy in getting better at what I know best and what I’m passionate about. I really hate several things about the “politics game”: having to know how to “spin” things in your favor, hob-nobbing with the powerful or decision-makers, having to network, the pressure to say the most clever thing at just the right time…yuck, yuck, and more yuck! But I’m finding that when the connections I’m making with “important” people come from a genuine desire on my part to understand more about the topic, it isn’t networking anymore; it’s just finding information. And, for me, that’s life-giving! Through this process, I begin to realize that I, too, have something to contribute, that others want to hear what I have to say. Double life-giving!! So, while others continue to play games for selfish gain, I try to commit to work and ministry because of my genuine love for it.
Hope some find this helpful!
I DO find this helpful, Debbie — thanks for your reply! I like your advice to have a realistic perspective on the limitations on all institutions, as well as pursuing what is life-giving regardless of the power plays of others. I think I’m going to have to brainstorm a bit on what I personally find life-giving, so that I can commit to that when I get discouraged or pressured to play the politics game. Thanks again!
Great analysis and encouragement, Debbie. Joy, as someone who served as an Assoc Pastor on a staff for 18 years and now have been senior pastor at the same church for over 14 years, I can tell you that the amount of church politics is heavily affected by how into politics the sr pastor and key leaders are. When I really didn’t have much say or ‘power,’ I had many experiences where I felt voiceless and powerless. So shame on me if, now that I have a voice and I have power, if I don’t let others speak into decisions before they’re made or if I don’t regularly give away good-size chunks of my power to those who feel powerless. I definitely could be misreading our church’s culture, but it really does seem and feel to me that there is very little politicking going on these days.
Hi Ken! I do believe this is your first comment on our blog, and I certainly hope it’s not the last!:)
Based on your comment, it sounds to me like a church or institution with minimal politics IS achievable, and that in order to establish such an environment, those in top leadership need to have an understanding of power dynamics (meaning, they have to own and acknowledge the power they have, as well as understand their responsibility to empower those with less power and less voice).
I’m curious as to how you survived those 18 years of being an associate pastor with all those times when you felt voiceless and powerless. Any tips for those of us who may feel like we’re in similar positions?
Thanks, Ken, for your response to Joy’s question! As a former board member of our church, I can honestly say it was one of the healthiest board/leadership experiences I’ve ever encountered. I really felt heard and empowered to speak, even if it meant that my words would not completely align with those of the pastoral staff. And I always felt that my input and contributions mattered to the pastoral staff and to the effective functioning of the church.
I would consider, however, whether my view of our church’s positive health stems from the fact that I’m experiencing our church as one of the privileged (i.e., one of the leaders). Perhaps this perspective of health (or feeling that there’s less politics game-playing than at other churches) would be different if I were NOT one of the leaders and felt I had little voice at our church. I’m sure our church has many who feel voiceless or invisible: I wonder how they see it……
Greetings from Kenya! Speaking of power game and politics, I have been taking notes endlessly in the last several days at the African regional INDABA process. All the dynamics of inequality, power, a new form of colonization and the colonized resorting back at times to their subordinate status before the authority figures!!! Power and politics are unavoidable as it plays out when more than one person is in the room as in the family setting. When the goal of playing politics is for delivering common good beyond one’s own self serving interest, you can find joy of dealing with politics. After all, leadership is all about navigating the varieties of toxic terrains. Once again, one of the healthiest ways of dealing with politics is like a dance. Here are some helpful tips: 1)Discerning when to engage and when to retreat from it all comes from within you; 2)Defining joy internally regardless of external circumstances that are beyond your control; 3) protecting your heart from toxins without regularly. I am eye-witnessing pros and cons of women’s ordination issues while African women clergy are in the room with bishops who are against and for women’s ordinations and other heated issues. So ready to head home tomorrow!!!
Keep on raising questions.
Young, thanks for replying during your travels in Kenya!
I’m pleasantly surprised that it’s possible for politics to be a “joy” when most people (and particularly Asians) think of politics as a negative thing, or something to be avoided. I also have some trepidation when I think of politics — I tend to think of it as shady and slimy. But I understand that when the term is broadened to include the power dynamics that exist in every group, then navigating those relationships is simply a given, and I’m sure that there’s satisfaction that comes with being able to navigate power dynamics with success and skill.
Thanks also for your tips — I know they come from years of tried experience, so I take them that much more to heart!