Leadership Summit Session 3

Floyd Flake is senior pastor of the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathredal of New York in Queens, NY. He is also the president of Wilberforce University in Wilberforce, Ohio (That's about 15 miles from where I grew up!) Dr. Flake was a US Congressman for 1986 - 1997.

I think Dr. Flake had much good to say, but he struggled with his presentation. He obviously had too much content for his alloted time. I found him difficult to follow. The notes below are from Scot McKnight, posted at the Summit blog.

Floyd Flake’s talk deals with five models of leadership.

#1: Transitional Leadership:

No matter what kind of leader you are, there is always a need for transition and transformation to achieve our goals and make the needed changes. But it is difficult to “sell” new ideas, to get folks to leave their comfort zone. Getting people involved in this change, getting them to see their own essence needs the change, is the secret of leadership. Leaders need to be selfless and know where they are going. This means they need to have a design for change, identifying needs and expecting opposition.

Identifying needs is crucial: whatever needs one finds in the community is for the “ecclesia.” Flake saw home ownership in trouble, education in decline, and the need for solid institutional support systems to sustain a community and pave the way for the future. They saw a future in Acts 2:1-4, 42-47: they built community by staying where the community was!

Opposition may occur. They built a school, and some didn’t think was a good idea. Elaine, an educator, took the responsibility and the congregation raised $1.5 million to build a $4 million school. Leadership doesn’t mean everyone will agree with you. They’ve continued to develop in the community. They’ve developed equity in people and empowered them.

#2: Transactional Leadership:

Committee work, persuasion, listen to the voices. Flake has worked as a pastor, as a politician, and as a college president; each involves transactional leadership. Delegation matters.

#3: Transparent Leadership:

Moral leadership and integrity. Information to the people and back to the leaders, communication. Get your finances in order and let the folks know what’s going on. Have competent co-leaders.

#4: Transcendent Leadership

Pastor Floyd cut back on this due to time constraints. He returned to this idea to emphasize that leaders prepare for leaders beyond the current leader’s lifetime. He’s developed a “transcendency plan” for the next 20 years. He wants to leave something for the next generation.

#5: Transformational Leadership
Is aggressive and confident. Sometimes the people bring a vision to the leadership, asking “What are we going to do next?” You may never have unanimous support, but you do need a majority. Transforming leaders are not intimidated. Pastor Flake expects opposition in NYC; he’s under the microscope. His life was threatened once; had he buckled, then the rest may not have happened. The senior citizen building is testimony of courage. Evangelism is about changing people, not denominations and buildings.