A pastor may search for a church to lead, but the process is not really in his control. One of the great traits search committees should look for is an openness and willingness to serve, a servant's heart. In fact I shy away from choosing people who are overly aggressive, maneuvering, and politicking for positions of leadership. The best leaders are those who are willing, if asked, to rise to the next level. Search committees have learned through the years that their best candidates will often be those people who are not themselves searching.
Reluctant leaders are often the best leaders.
As we gathered with that group of leaders from around the world, it became apparent that they were all willing but reluctant to serve in leadership. We can't provide extra financial incentives for higher positions of leadership. These responses were just what we, the trainers of the leaders, needed to hear. In fact, based on the input we received from these field personnel, we embarked on a process of defining the role of leadership in our organization and then developing a program that would equip them to move toward that profile. These reluctant leaders are now well on their way to being more effective in the ministries in which God has placed them.