Skills to Grow Other Leaders

Congregational Meeting at the UU Church of Kent, OH.

By Renee Ruchotzke, Central East Region of the UUA

Skills to Grow Other Leaders

Skills to Grow Other Leaders—one of the recommended leadership development competencies—include:

  • A generosity of spirit and collegiality in identifying and mentoring potential leaders.
  • A commitment to shared ministry.
  • Identifying and developing training experiences.
  • Supporting the development and participation of new leaders.

Core Values

We are committed to in the "priesthood" and "prophethood" of all believers. We have covenanted to encourage one another to spiritual growth.

Practices

  • Create a clear path to leadership in your congregation.
  • Identify potential leaders and inviting them into discernment about their skills, gifts and passions in service of the congregation's mission.
  • Provide opportunities for new and seasoned leaders to learn and develop.
  • Foster a culture of vulnerability-based trust.
  • Help match people to service opportunities based on their passions.
  • Provide opportunities for ongoing discernment and assessment of:
    • Their personal growth and development.
    • How well the mission of the congregation is being served.

Resources

Videos

Web Articles

On-Demand Webinars

  • Passing the Baton: Transitions and Continuity in Leadership (1:14:22) with Mark Bernstein, Bill Clontz and Connie Goodbread. (GA 2015) Congregational leaders often feel as though their institutions operate not on the basis of ”20 years of institutional experience,” but on the basis of “1 year of experience, 20 times over.” Congregations can take two paths to break this cycle: long-term, multidiscipline planning for leader development and effective leadership transitions.
  • Habits of Humility: Congregational Teams as Learning Communities by Patricia Infante, Lori Stone Sirtosky and Renee Ruchotzke. Our faith communities need to develop habits of humility to be able to engage with a changing world. Religious professionals and lay leaders who both learn and serve together can create agile congregations. Learn how your church can share ministry by creating learning opportunities that include both established leaders and those at the margins.
  • From New Member to Committed Leader (YouTube) by Renee Ruchotzke How might you provide paths to leadership in your congregation? How do you identify potential leaders and equip them for service in your congregation? This webinar will address these questions and others related to best practices in leadership development.
  • Beyond Contentment: Motivating Members to Do More by Mark Bernstein The commitment of members to be active and contributing partners in congregational life is one of the characteristics of a strong, vital and growing congregation. Yet many congregations find this commitment lacking. This webinar draws on various motivational theories to discuss the factors that merely eliminate dissatisfaction (but don't provide motivation) and to uncover the factors that compel members to get and stay involved.
  • The Teachable Heart: Lay Leadership Formation by Renee Ruchotzke To fulfill its mission, a congregation needs skilled and well-grounded lay leaders to partner with clergy and staff. We'll share two different models of lay leadership development and credentialing being used in the Central East Region (CERG). These frameworks both emphasize learning, serving and covenantal accountability.
  • From New Member to Committed Leader by Renee Ruchotzke How might you provide paths to leadership in your congregation? How do you identify potential leaders and equip them for service in your congregation? 
  • Conversations in Leadership Featuring Liz Wiseman discussing her book, Multipliers. Multipliersextract people's full capabilities, getting twice the performance from their teams. You'll get practical techniques you can put into action.

Websites

Books