Leadership
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© Copyright 2017 Tomo Hillbo
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Lay Leadership
In my first staff position within a congregation (director of faith development at Second Unitarian Church of Chicago), my supervisor taught me the importance of observation and relationship in congregational positions, recommending a full church year before attempting to make any changes. From my own experience as a sales and branch manager, I advised my new hires similarly, encouraging them to learn our systems before recommending improvements. It is important that we understand something order to make improvements.
As a leader, I rely on deep personal work, strong accountability relationships, a style combining collaboration and empowerment, an embrace of imperfection, and mutual ministry between myself, staff, and congregants. Like my beloved mentors, I seek to lead with the confidence and humility to learn with and from my congregants—power with as opposed to power over. Amen.
For an example of how I lead, please see my section on Earth-Centered Spirituality Circle (Worship page).
As a leader, I rely on deep personal work, strong accountability relationships, a style combining collaboration and empowerment, an embrace of imperfection, and mutual ministry between myself, staff, and congregants. Like my beloved mentors, I seek to lead with the confidence and humility to learn with and from my congregants—power with as opposed to power over. Amen.
For an example of how I lead, please see my section on Earth-Centered Spirituality Circle (Worship page).
Ministry Team
I see our entire congregation as a large ministry team, with smaller ministry teams working on specific duties. We do not need to be ordained to do Love’s work. I welcome all to see the work they do for our congregation as life-changing ministry because it is.
As the congregation’s sole minister or senior minister, I expect to lead the large ministry team of our church and several smaller ministry teams, while creating a healthy environment for new leaders to develop and the remaining ministry teams to work, grow, and thrive. I am excited to learn with and from both our staff members and our congregants. Imagine what we can do together!
As the congregation’s sole minister or senior minister, I expect to lead the large ministry team of our church and several smaller ministry teams, while creating a healthy environment for new leaders to develop and the remaining ministry teams to work, grow, and thrive. I am excited to learn with and from both our staff members and our congregants. Imagine what we can do together!
Staff Team
As the chief of staff, my initial approach to managing the staff team will be very similar to my leadership with lay leaders. I first will seek to observe, understand, and build relationship with my individual staff members. With my business experience managing staff and advising clients on various human resources issues, I will seek to establish clear staff expectations with regular goal setting, reporting, and mutual evaluation. When difficulties arise, I seek to find solutions that will support the staff member’s success in achieving our shared goals.
I believe in the value of leading by example and modeling the behavior that I would like to see in our larger staff team. In her final moderator report (2013), Gini Von Courter explained my ideal of congregational leadership beautifully:
If we are to fulfill our promise, if we are to be the religion for our time and for all time, you will have to learn to love in
a way that you have not yet learned. You will have to vision in a way you have grown accustomed to, and you will
have to preach and demand accountability in a way that is uncomfortable. But if you can do all those things, my
friends, in addition to what you do today, there is no power between the atom and the stars that will slow us down.
For me, staff leadership begins and ends with collaboration-- strong relationships built on empowerment, accountability, and transformation. Sounding like a broken record (yes, I actually know what that means, hehe), my goal is mutual ministry between myself, our congregants, and our staff team.
I believe in the value of leading by example and modeling the behavior that I would like to see in our larger staff team. In her final moderator report (2013), Gini Von Courter explained my ideal of congregational leadership beautifully:
If we are to fulfill our promise, if we are to be the religion for our time and for all time, you will have to learn to love in
a way that you have not yet learned. You will have to vision in a way you have grown accustomed to, and you will
have to preach and demand accountability in a way that is uncomfortable. But if you can do all those things, my
friends, in addition to what you do today, there is no power between the atom and the stars that will slow us down.
For me, staff leadership begins and ends with collaboration-- strong relationships built on empowerment, accountability, and transformation. Sounding like a broken record (yes, I actually know what that means, hehe), my goal is mutual ministry between myself, our congregants, and our staff team.