Essay Example on American Methodist Church: Quality Leadership Key to Successful Tribes

Introduction

The success of any organization lies in the quality of its leadership. Every organization or group comprises of a group of people with a common interest or culture referred to as a "tribe" (Karz, 2009). The American Methodist Church is divided into different groups from the congregation to the church's management. Each group is imperative to the growth of the organization, and as such, the amount of skill set employed will determine whether or not the mission and the vision of the church will be met.

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Overview

The American Methodist church employs the skill model in each of its different levels of leadership, depending on what is required most. Technical and human skills are imperative for the supervisory level in the church, like group leaders who deal directly with members of the congregation. They need skill sets for problem-solving, social judgment, and innovation (Northouse, 2018). The middle-level leadership also requires technical and human skills as well as a little conceptual skill to allow them to manage church business better. Lastly, the top-level does not benefit much from technical skills since they do not directly interact with group members. They, however, would benefit from human and conceptual skills better in order to implement the church's mission and vision effectively.

Explanation

The manner in which the skill set model is arranged can greatly influence the performance and behavior of the tribes in an organization. The American Methodist Church is in the fourth stage of tribal leadership. The church functions as a unit, and the members of the congregation have a certain level of influence over one another. Right and wrong are universally defined, and as such, there is little room for controversy. The new members need to understand the way the church functions and what is required of them, in the event of a conflict, the supervisory leaders need to deal with it to avoid further misunderstanding effectively. As such, supervisory leaders must have high technical and human skills (Karz, 2009). They become better equipped to deal with the members of the congregation and day to day activities. The same applies to the church managers who are in middle-level leadership. They need to have the technical and human skills as well as a little conceptual skill to ensure they effectively manage the affairs of the church and implement the tenets that guide the church (Northouse, 2018). The top management in the church requires conceptual skills to aid them in planning for the growth of the church and in achieving the mission and vision.

Recommendation

The fourth stage of tribal leadership is predominantly fixated on "we" instead of "I" (Segars, 2019). That can be a great thing when it comes to an organization moving forward and achieving its goals. However, it is bound to prevent individuals from focusing on themselves, and their beliefs. As such, the human skills applied at the supervisory level must allow some individuality when it comes to planning and execution as long as it is in line with the beliefs of the church (Segars, 2019). Since the church is a highly social environment, leaders must develop social and interpersonal skills that will allow organizational success.

Action Plan

Considering the fact that the American Methodist Church is already in the fourth stage of tribal leadership, it is important to remind every member of the church that they are all unique, and they are free to explore that special gift or ability they have in service to God. The leaders can allow members of the congregation to participate more in decisions and plans set to improve the church. They can also plan for competitions and shows to showcase individual abilities.

References

Katz, R. L. (2009). Skills of an effective administrator. Harvard Business Review Press.

Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and practice. Sage publications.

Segars, A. H. (2019). Creating a tribal approach for innovation in organizations. Business Horizons, 62(3), 409-418.