Clinic opening
Photo by Jérôme Ndayisenga for UM News
Leading Ideas | September 23, 2025
Shortly after my election as a bishop in the United Methodist Church, I learned a new concept in a class that is part of my church leadership Doctor of Ministry program at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. The concept is “outside to inside thinking.” Most church leaders practice the opposite, “inside to outside thinking.” That means that a leader develops a program, constructs a program, or prepares a sermon and then presents their work with the invitation and hope that the people will accept what they are presenting.
Effective leaders listen deeply to the stories, fears, and hopes of the people they serve.
“Outside to inside thinking” is just the opposite. A leader’s beginning point is always the people you envision participating or that you hope will participate. Or it may be the people you most hope will affirm your idea or accept what you are saying. You begin not by saying “What do I want to do?” or “What do I want to say?” but rather with asking yourself about those for whom the program or message is aimed. You ask yourself what questions they will bring, reservations they may have, hopes or fears that may be engendered, and other things to help you see what you are proposing from this outside perspective. Then, you are in a positive position to frame what you do from their perspective instead of your own.
This theme has become key for my leadership. After learning this concept, I soon applied it. First, I used it with a health center that was due to be opened soon. We immediately spent two weeks conducting a survey of the community to find out what kind of health services the people would like to have in this health center. We could have built it and included services we thought the community wanted. After collecting data from the community, the health board team reorganized the different health services in accordance with the requests of the community. Today, the health center is operational, and the community is happy about it because it responds to their daily health needs.
After my election and assignment as the resident bishop of the Burundi-Rwanda episcopal area, I planned to visit all the districts with a purpose of meeting key district leaders. I made two of these visits before I learned the “outside to inside thinking” concept. During those early visits, my focus was on what I expected the gathered church leaders to do in the various areas of ministry. However, my approach changed after learning the new leadership concept. In my next two district visits, I could tell the people were expecting a long speech of all the things I wanted them to do. To their surprise, I told them that I have come to listen and learn from them about what we can do together to serve better the communities in which our local churches are located.
I took notes while they shared ideas of what can be done in their various communities. Instead of telling them what to plan, my attention shifted to planning according to what their stories told me about their communities. I had discovered I needed to start where the people are. I needed to show curiosity because if I did not begin with them, they could never feel a bond with me. Listening does indeed precede leading. Effective leaders listen deeply to the stories, fears, and hopes of the people they serve. In other words, great leaders are great listeners. Usually, people do not resist change; they resist loss. Leadership is about the group, the community. It is about helping God’s people taking the next faithful steps. Leadership does not start with the leader but with the people. You lead on behalf of your community. A leader must develop the necessary listening skills. Listening is essential for cultivating empathy. It’s not enough simply to observe—we must engage in meaningful conversations, actively hearing others to truly understand their emotions, needs, and experiences.
Related Resources
- Outside-in Thinking Improves Church Communication by Ann A. Michel
- Leadership is Always about Others by Lovett H. Weems Jr.
- Staying Attuned to Your Community by Lovett H. Weems Jr.
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Bishop Emmanuel Sinzohagera
Bishop Emmanuel Sinzohagera was elected to the United Methodist episcopacy in 2025 and a assigned to the Burundi-Rwanda Episcopal Area. “This article is reprinted by permission from Leading Ideas, a free e-newsletter from the Lewis Center for Church Leadership of Wesley Theological Seminary and available at churchleadership.com.”