In my book "Survival Skills," I suggest seven skills pastors must master on the new millennial church. In my articles for Church Central this year, I will cover five of the seven. For more information on "Survival Skills," contact your local bookstore. This month: a quick look at leadership skills.

Leadership could be defined as attracting people to a cause greater than themselves, and motivating them to reach their potential in support of that cause. "Attracting people" speaks to the issue of a leader's ability to draw people along. "Attracting people to a cause" indicates the leader's knowledge of where he is going, communicating a sense of direction to those following. "Attracting people to a cause greater than they are" implies that the leader has a sense of urgency concerning the mission's completion.

Modern ministers must not only understand the meaning of leadership, they must also understand leadership methods. What are the dynamics of effective leadership?

They may be seen in the following seven principles:

1. Give people freedom to create. The people you lead must have the freedom to try new things, to be innovative in their ministry roles. As a leader, you must release them to explore those innovations. "This way or else" is not in the vocabulary of the effective leader.

"But what if they fail?" you may ask. That goes with the freedom. Your followers need to understand that failure is a possibility. But they also need to understand they will not be rejected if they encounter failure.

2. Give people authority, not just responsibility! Effective leaders are not micro-managers. They don't need all the details. They know how to give their associates the authority to make decisions in their area of responsibility. Giving that authority validates their worth, as well as your trust in them.

3. Show appreciation. Verbalize your gratitude for a job well done! All of us are motivated by others' gratefulness. Thank-you notes and e-mails are great sources of encouragement. Use them generously. One large church gives quarterly awards to staff and leadership during the services or leadership functions. They obviously have some fun with these awards as demonstrated by their titles: The "Beef Jerky" award goes to the person who bites off the toughest of jobs; The "Goliath Killer" award goes to the one who has been victorious in completing a major undertaking; The "Wizard of Oz" award goes to the leader who always works behind the scenes to get the job done; and the "Barney" award is always presented to the person who has gone above and beyond the call of encouragement. Can you imagine the appreciation these leaders feel?

4. Recognize success. Public recognition is a great impetus for quality ministry. It not only affirms the worker's effort, it helps ministry bystanders decide to volunteer their time and talents as well. The bottom line: People work harder when they know they're being both watched and appreciated! For example, Pastor Jim Williams gives a Five Star Ministry Award each month to laypersons at Lake View Park Church of the Nazarene. As a result of this type of encouragement, Jim's church family responds in greater numbers to serve the Lord.

5. Involve people in the journey. The old model of leadership was top-down. Mandates are shoved downward like paper pills. The new model of leadership is more participation-oriented. It allows people to contribute to the ministry process in program planning and implementation. When workers feel they are truly involved, they "buy into" the project or ministry, and are more apt to volunteer their creativity.

6. Challenge people. Encourage them to stretch. Help them to understand the old philosophy that some pain accompanies the gain. But you must also let them know they are making an eternal difference. The rigor has its rewards.

7. Show compassion. Romans 12:15 says, "Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep." Stay connected. Pray for your workers' needs. Let them know you really care about them, and let them know you care about their families as well. Compassion is one of the more important leadership skills.