Leadership and Playing Guitar
By Dan Reiland

The first time I heard Dennis Agajenian play guitar I was blown away. He opened for a Billy Graham Crusade, as he often did. There he stood, one big, tall cowboy who is arguably the fastest flat-picker in the world. He captivated the 50,000 people in that stadium. Years ago, we invited Dennis to play for the Living Christmas Tree at Skyline Church (then in Lemon Grove, California). He was amazing. When he played the William Tell Overture, yes, on a guitar, the crowd was spell-bound. I thought his guitar would light on fire.

There is something magical about a beautiful guitar being played by someone who is a gifted musician. There is also something special for people like me who aren't so good, but we love playing guitar because it's fun. I got my first guitar when I was 12 years old. It was a Sears Silvertone, six string, made to look like a Fender Jaguar. That was a great Christmas. I've progressed to beautiful guitars made by Taylor, Gibson, Gretch, Fender, Godin, Heritage, and . . . well, as my wife would say, "Stop Hun, they don't want to know!"

This is the last in a series of three creative approaches to leadership. I started with leadership and skim-boarding, then leadership and gardening, (see previous editions) and now finish with leadership and playing guitar. For those who prefer a more straight-forward no nonsense approach, rejoice. This is the last one for now.

Following are four leadership insights drawn from a creative connection to playing guitar.

·         Your desire to be good must outweigh the consistent temptation to throw in the towel.

I can't tell you how many times I have wanted to quit playing the guitar. Lack of talent, lack of time, lack of . . . you name it I can give reasons to stop playing. I took a short "break" at about age 25, and at age 40 I picked it back up again. When I go to a concert and hear someone play like Doyle Dykes, it makes sense to go home and burn all my guitars. I know I will never play like that. The flaw in that thinking is that while I will never have Doyle's talent, I can get better.

So many leaders I meet are tempted to throw in the towel. Pastors everywhere are tempted to quit, particularly on Monday morning. Pastor friends of mine go to great church conferences and listen to the pastors who lead mega-churches and think "I can never do that; I can barely survive with my church of 200." So the next time a member delivers a shot below the belt they think "That's it, I'm done. I'm outta here."

If you've ever felt that way, and I think we all have, you know the truth is that you are not done. You're only done if you don't continue to get better. When I take guitar lessons and get even just a little better it motivates me to keep playing. When leaders learn something new and make small amounts of progress they remember why they are leading in the first place and stay in the game.

I play the guitar for fun. All my guitar teachers have told me in one way or another, "don't quit your day job." I lead in the local church because I am called and I believe with all my heart the stakes are high. It's not an option for me to remain flat-lined in my growth as a leader. This past week I attended a leadership conference. I attended for one reason; my desire to be a better leader is higher than my temptation to toss in the towel on the days that are really tough.

·         Each leader must acquire a unique style that works for them.

Andres Segovia was a master classical guitarist. He is considered the father of modern classical guitar. He doesn't play bluegrass, rock 'n roll, or rhythm and blues. He found and focused on his unique style. A guitarist as good as Segovia can play anything, but he chooses to focus on a style that he can excel in.

It's important for leaders to discover the style that works best for them. What is your leadership strength? How do you lead to gain the greatest results? Are you strongest as an organizational leader? Are you more of a charismatic (pied- piper) leader? Or are you a leader who influences primarily through relationships? Like Segovia, a good leader can do more than one style. But a wise leader knows to play to his or her strength or "sweet spot." What is yours?

Bill Hybels wrote a great book titled Courageous Leadership, describing ten different styles of leadership in chapter seven. They are The Visionary Leader, The Directional Leader, The Strategic Leader, The Managing Leader, The Motivational Leader, The Shepherding Leader, The Team-Building Leader, The Entrepreneurial Leader, The Reengineering Leader and The Bridge-Building Leader. I encourage you to get this book if you desire more insight into your unique style.

·         Don't overlook the significance of distinctive partnerships.

Many well known and talented guitarists have a certain guitar that they love and have played for years. No amount of money would cause them to sell. Even a substantially better guitar won't do it, because there is something special about the one they have. BB King plays his famous "Lucille" a smooth-sounding Gibson. Willie Nelson plays "Trigger", a 1969 Martin Classical with a hole in it! Not the sound hole, but a large rugged hole that isn't supposed to be there! Doyle Dykes plays his own signature model Taylor Guitar - one sweet instrument. The late Jerry Garcia had a few favorites but none quite like "Wolf", a custom Doug Irvin six string. Then there is of course the famous John Lennon "Revolution Guitar." This 1965 Epiphone Casino, stripped down and refinished with a dull coat of lacquer - is often recognized as the "white guitar." Yoko will never give that one up! Each one of these players could play any guitar they want, but they chose one. They chose a special one that amongst all their other guitars produced a kind of musical magic.

When it comes to leadership, distinctive partnerships are no less important and powerful. Whether you are the senior or executive pastor responsible for staff, or you are the staff member, you know what I'm talking about. You know the difference between leadership partnerships that work and those that are a nightmare. You know the kinds of people you enjoy leading with and those from whom you want to escape. I'm a firm believer that who you lead with is as important as what you lead.

Take time to reflect on the partnerships you are invested in. Are they enjoyable and productive? Are you growing? Do you feel like your skills are appreciated and used to their fullest? If so, you are blessed and I trust that you show your gratitude often. If not, first ask what you can do to make things better. Invest yourself as a key person for the solution. If in time the partnership doesn't improve, you may need to pray about making a change. Life is too short and the stakes for the local church are too high for you to be on the wrong team.

·         Occasionally, even the best get out of tune.

Custom guitars that cost well into the thousands of dollars will slip out of tune. The finest instrument ever made by a master luthier with the rarest woods and the most perfect of hand-made care will still slip out of tune and need to be re-tuned to function at their best.

The same is true with leaders, even the best will slip out of perfect tune. We know what it means as a leader to be in tune. We say it with different words such as "at the top of our game" or "in my sweet spot" but however you say it you know when you are in tune and when you're not.

Pastor Kevin Myers is an excellent leader at Crossroads Church, located in a suburb of Atlanta. A couple of weeks ago he told a recent "out of tune" story during a Sunday morning message. The short version is that he and his family are adjusting to a late addition. Kevin and Marcia had 3 kids aged 8-16. Then God delivered a surprise package who is now a delightful 1 year old, nevertheless, a 1 year old. So this was the family's first vacation with the addition of little Jadon. Needless to say some of the cherished freedoms were gone and crying in the middle of the night . . . OK, all night, put a damper on the joys of the Myers time away. Kevin, though a great leader, shared openly about what was clearly an "out of tune" time this summer.

The important thing for a leader, who gets out of tune for whatever reason, small or large, is to correct it as quickly as possible. Kevin was indeed "re-tuned" by the Master Himself, the only way to do it right. How about you? Would your followers describe you as "in tune" these days or are there are a couple sharps and flats in your life? Take time with the Father and a close friend or two who love you to seek wisdom and restoration, so that you may lead at your best.

Whether or not you skim-board, garden, or play guitar; I hope you have been encouraged and sharpened as you assess your own life as a leader.

This article is used by permission from Dr. Dan Reiland's free monthly e-newsletter 'The Pastor's Coach' available at www.INJOY.com.