In college I was a sociology major. One of the first
distinctions we learned was between assigned and ascribed leadership. Strictly
speaking they are distinct, at times they intertwine. Assigned leadership is
often first experienced as a child when you are put in the position of line
leader to guide the rest of the students out for recess. Ascribed leadership may
happen because all the other classmates have seen you excel in a skill and
choose you as team captain.
Assigned leadership may depend on one’s status. Bill
inherited the position of president of the company. Because of his status in
the family hierarchy Bill is assigned his position. Assigned leadership does
not require any particular knowledge, skills or experience. How many times have
we heard derisive comments about people in assigned leadership positions?
Ascribed leadership depends on one’s knowledge, skills, experience,
and achievements. Sue began working in the sales department of the company. She
frequently took classes to improve her knowledge. On a regular basis she achieved
top ranking in sales. She took on tough sales regions and gained a wealth of
experience. It was not long before she was promoted to a regional sales
manager. Her next step was to be appointed a vice-president for sales, based on
the success of her regional sales team. After a few years as VP, the board of
directors of the company elected Sue as the new Chief Executive Officer.
As Sue moved up in the company she was in both an assigned
and ascribed leadership position. As regional sales manager, as VP and as CEO
she had positional/assigned leadership authority and responsibility. Her
increased knowledge, skills, experiences and achievements gave her ascribed
leadership authority and responsibility. Sue proved she had what it would take
to move into greater positions of authority and responsibility.
When a crisis hit the company, as CEO, Sue was in the
assigned leadership position to lead through the crisis. More importantly, Sue
had “earned her stripes” to be trusted by the board of directors and employees
to follow her lead. Within a couple of years, the company was again
flourishing. Imagine what might have happened if Sue had only been in the
assigned leadership position without the knowledge, skills, experience and
achievement to lead through the crisis with the trust of the board and
employees.
When one is elected as a pastor, immediately out of
seminary, about all one has to offer is a passable academic career, and maybe
some commendations from field work in a congregation. Yet, being pastor carries
with it a level of assigned, or positional, leadership. In the assigned leadership
role of pastor there are, and will be, expectations among the members of the
congregation, among the regional denominational leaders, the community at large
and from future congregations. What are the lessons from Sue’s story which
apply to being a pastor, and leading through a crisis?
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