Success is messy. Most people don't tend to think about this, but the more successful an entity is, the bigger it grows, and you add complexity and a bit of chaos.
This is true for most organizations, groups, churches, and even families. If you're a parent, you'll know - life was a lot easier when it was just the two of you. And when you add an additional kid, the work and chaos doesn't double, it goes up exponentially.
One of the sayings we have in youth ministry is, "Ministry is messy." Often literally. That's why youth leaders should always be extra nice to the church custodian, because the more "successful" your group is, the messier it is, no matter how much you try to keep things clean.
That's something to remember if you are in leadership and are developing organizational guidelines. You can either structure for growth or for control, but not for both. Most organizations tend to structure for control because it's cleaner. Thus are birthed multitudinous levels of bylaws and rules which end up stifling growth.
I think that's why a lot of organizations stay small. It's easier to manage. It's less messy.
[Thanks to Patrick Lencioni and the Table Group Podcast last week for inspiring this post.]
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