Introverts, Extroverts, and Church Leaders
You get a call that the church social planned for tonight is cancelled due to bad weather. Your reaction of either relief or disappointment may indicate whether you are an introvert or an extrovert.
Pastors and church leaders come in all shapes and sizes, including introverts and extroverts. But which one is better?
I was in a leadership program and was told by one of the staff that I had low leadership potential because I was an introvert. Only extroverts could be effective leaders. I went on to argue that Jesus was an introvert, a point he strongly disagreed with.
Whether or not Jesus was an introvert, Christian leaders can be either introverted or extroverted and neither one is better than the other.
How you fit on this spectrum is not about how effective you are working with people. Rather it is about how you recharge your emotional batteries. Do you recharge by having alone time or having social time? How you answer does not not determine your leadership effectiveness.
I am not suggesting that leadership is not affected by our experience as an introvert or an extrovert. We should tailor our leadership according to who we are rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.
The truth is that the church needs both introverted and extroverted leaders and that different people respond to different styles. This aspect of our personality is an important part of the diversity of the church.
