As a
Leader...
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I go above and beyond to build momentum and tend to take on roles and tasks that others shy away from.
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I seek to inspire others to try new things, mentor through relationships, and put ideas into practice.
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I excel in seeing in others what they can’t see themselves and helping them develop their potential.
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I work best in building relationships and working together to help clarify vision/mission of my team.
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I am driven to design life-changing experiences that create an impact.
LEADERSHIP STYLE
When thinking of my style of leadership, I would classify myself as a 3CV Leader. But what does that mean exactly? I know we as Presbyterians use a lot of acronyms, so let me further explain.
A 3CV Leader stands for a Creative, Collaborative, Compassionate, and Visionary Leader. When I think of this type of leader in a church, the easiest visual that comes to mind is a conductor leading an orchestra, helping each of the individual instrumentalists create the song of the whole. The conductor’s role is to guide and direct the instrumentalists to create the music, but without them, there would be no song. Similarly, if the instrumentalists didn’t have the conductor to follow, the music aspect would fall apart. No one would be able to stay on beat, play together and create incredible melodies and songs that transport the audience forward. Together, working as a whole, is where the beautiful symmetry and real magic happens.
This is exactly how a church runs efficiently. The church wouldn’t survive without its members and the talents that each member brings. But without an effective leader who has vision to help direct and work collaboratively on where the members and church should go, the church becomes stagnant and fails to grow. Just like a conductor of a large orchestra can help transport his audience to new landscapes with his CREATIVE energy through his instrumentalists, a successful ministry in today’s world requires the same type of creativity. Similar to a conductor, I am compelled to use my own creativity to nurture an environment of innovation and ingenuity that helps the church utilize every tool at our disposal. The goal to this is reaching our communities for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In an orchestra, the conductor plays one role that works in concert with various other roles and instruments, but always together for a larger purpose. COLLABORATION is key in an orchestra, and I firmly believe it is essential in a thriving church. I enjoy a great deal of collaboration at every level of leadership. I learned early in ministry that I am not a “lone wolf” but work best as a part of a collaborative team that brings the best out of each of its members. Much like conductors, pastors often have an understated quality of empathy and understanding. COMPASSION helps us better understand not only the value of the whole but the instrumental roles of the individual. Each instrumentalist has their role, but behind each instrument is a person who has a life, struggles, joys, questions, and hurts. A strong leader helps to develop and coach the individual so that they can grow and thrive. This compassion and empathy are not only helpful in the pastoral care of the church but also help to develop a congregation of disciples who follow Jesus as they grow and multiply. Finally, much like a conductor must have a vision of where the music will ultimately lead the listener, as a leader, it is important to be several steps ahead of your congregation and staff. According to the StrengthsFinder 2.0 inventory, FUTURISTIC is listed as one of my top five strengths. This simply means that I am inspired by the future and unrecognized potential. For me, this captures our Christian virtue of hope. Nothing gets me more excited than considering what could be and how God might move in new ways as we look forward. I believe that a strong leader must have a sense of the possibilities that exist just beyond the horizon as we look to follow Christ’s call with hope.
DIG DEEPER WITH ASSESSMENTS
How I operate: The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) is a self-help assessment test which helps people gain insights about how they work and learn. It is a framework for relationship-building, developing positivism, and achieving excellence. Patrick is classified as an ENFJ: Extraversion Intuition Feeling Judging ENFJs tend to be sociable, diplomatic, empathetic, responsive, and responsible. They feel concern for what others think or want and try to handle things with due regard for the other person’s feelings. They enjoy being in groups and enjoy helping others develop their potential. As an ENFJ, I feel called to serve a greater purpose in life. Thoughtful and idealistic, I often strive to have a positive impact on other people and the world around them. I rarely shy away from an opportunity to do the right thing, even when doing so is far from easy.
My Strengths: StrengthFinders 2.0 Assessment The Strengthsfinder 2.0 assessment and methodology argues that we should forget about fixing our weaknesses, and go all in on our strengths instead, by showing you ways to figure out which 5 key strengths are an innate part of you and giving you advice on how to use them in your life and work. Patrick's Top 5 Strenghts Results: CONNECTEDNESS® 01 People exceptionally talented in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links among all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has meaning. EMPATHY® 02 People who are especially talented in the Empathy theme can sense the feelings of other people by imagining themselves in others’ lives or others’ situations. DEVELOPER® 03 People exceptionally talented in the Developer theme recognize and cultivate the potential in others. They spot the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from evidence of progress. CONSISTENCY® 04 People exceptionally talented in the Consistency theme are keenly aware of the need to treat people the same. They try to treat everyone with equality by setting up clear rules and adhering to them. FUTURISTIC® 05 People exceptionally talented in the Futuristic theme are inspired by the future and what could be. They energize others with their visions of the future.
My Motivations: TRUMOTIVATE Assessment The TRUMOTIVATE experience is an assessment tool that is designed to bring the insight of motivation to individuals. Using their own stories, TRUMOTIVATE helps individuals understand their God-given motivations and what God has purposed them to pursue in life and in their careers. Patrick's 5 Core Motivations: BE CENTRAL Motivated to be a key person who holds things together which gives meaning and direction - Reliable: desires to be the “go-to” person - Trustworthy: feels a sense of satisfaction when needed or called upon at critical times - Hub of the Wheel: gravitates toward positions near or at the working core of the organization - Key: likes to be key for people, especially by helping them navigate through difficulties DEMONSTRATE LEARNING Motivated to learn how to do something new and to show that you can do it - Show and tell: enjoys developing knowledge or skill to the point of proficiency, then demonstrating that proficiency - On to the next level: motivated to learn or develop basic skills as quickly as possible - Being the example: energy comes in teaching, showing, modeling and living out what has been learned - New is always good: always learning new things, trying new things, and doing new things. ACHIEVE POTENTIAL Motivated to identify and bring to fruition undeveloped resources and possibilities - Don’t judge by the cover: can see beyond the surface qualities to one’s underlying potential - Searching for value: motivated when he finds value in places others have overlooked - Bring out the best: energy is focused around drawing out and realizing possibilities - Shed light: enjoys bringing discoveries to light and seeing them used by others COLLABORATE Enjoy being closely involved with others in contributing to common goals and vision - Moving forward: has a desire to further the interest of the group and help realize its objectives - Satisfaction: experiences satisfaction in knowing that the group appreciates contribution - Values: deeply values fellowship, camaraderie, and teamwork - Importance: prefers working together versus alone MAKE AN IMPACT Seek to shape and make an impact in the world around Characteristics - Make a difference : wants to see that you’ve made a distinct impression or real difference - Seek creative freedom: desires freedom and control to shape things as he sees fit - Woo people: motivated to influence people’s behavior - World changer: an agent of change
PHILOSOPHY OF MINISTRY
There is great power in a story. Stories shape the identity of generations and serve as reminders. We are drawn to them; from the smallest child sitting in a parent’s lap for a bedtime tale to the oldest adult nestling in a comfy chair with the latest novel. This fascination is a link to our God. A large part of my call as a pastor is to be a chief storyteller to all seeking meaning in their story. Stephen Shoemaker says, “Our lives must find their place in some greater story or they will find their place in a lesser story.” There exists a great narrative that began in Genesis, reached a climax on the cross upon Golgotha, and is still being written today.
Before Jesus left his disciples to return to the Father, He commissioned them to “make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Our chief purpose is found when we discover our place in this larger story. Christ draws us toward Him and toward each other. The better we come to understand THE story, the better we understand our place as all of our stories weave a beautiful cruciform tapestry that shows the grace of our God. My life’s work is to beckon others from the hopelessness of a “lesser story” by telling and retelling the “greater story” that provides us hope in our God-given purpose.