Herding cats is easier

Anybody remember the Super Bowl commercial about herding cats? I’ve used that video and/or the cat-herding metaphor many times when it comes to leadership—especially with volunteers.

Any church or organization that operates with a largely volunteer workforce understands (or SHOULD understand) that it is a whole different ballgame than the hierarchy of leadership that exists in an all paid employee scenario.

Since much of my life is spent in coach-sulting with churches and non-profit organizations, I am familiar with the idea of figuring out how to get buy-in from the volunteers and how to motivate and empower them to give their very best efforts.

However, there is one scenario that makes cat-herding look easy by comparison: leading a volunteer organization comprised of leaders of organizations.

It’s one thing to herd cats. It’s another thing to herd 150 alpha dogs!

This is another in my series of posts expressing my admiration and affection for someone who is still around to hear it.

Today I want to talk about my friend and mentor, Don.

I had actually heard of Don, who served as the director of the Singing Men of North Central Texas, a few years before I met him in 2008. I had been invited to sing in the Christmas musical at the First Baptist of Bridgeport where my friend, John, was the minister of music.

John invited Don to come and do a guest clinic with the choir. In our brief conversation that day, Don encouraged me to “budget some time” to join SMONCT. A few months later—March 2009, to be precise—I did just that when the Singing Men did a concert at FBC Bridgeport.

I’ve been singing with them ever since. SMONCT is comprised primarily of music ministers and retired music ministers who are gifted leaders of their own choirs. Each one has his own good ideas about how a piece of music should be performed and how the director should direct.

Add to that mix that there are about 200 members, many of whom are excellent soloists, and the leader has the challenge of getting all these guys to blend their voices into something that translates words and music into something transcendently beautiful.

I’ve had the opportunity to sing under the leadership of some wonderful choral directors in my life—some of whom gained worldwide fame—but I have probably learned more about leadership from Don than any of them.

Here are three quick broadly applicable leadership lessons that I have caught from observing Don.

Great leaders are not motivated by building their own reputation. Don’s focus is never on making Don look good, but leading the group to fulfill its mission of presenting the good news of Jesus through excellent musicianship.

Great leaders are not threatened by the talents of those they lead. Their goal is to empower those they lead to fulfill the mission. And they do it with humble confidence and love for those they lead. Don consistently shows his love with words of encouragement when the group is together, checks in individually with those who may be having personal struggles, and assures them of his love and prayers. One reason I have been happy to follow Don’s leadership is that I know he loves me.

Great leaders know when it is time to pass the baton. After more than a quarter century leading SMONCT, Don stepped down two years ago so that the next generation of leaders could take their place. But in classic Don fashion, he simply stepped into a support role singing in the baritone section and being an encouragement to the new leader.

Whose leadership has taught you how to herd the cats in your life?

Be amazing today, my friend.

​