Sharing a Recent Coaching Session with a Struggling Executive Pastor

Most executive pastors don’t struggle with motivation. They struggle with margin.

Their calendars are full. Their days are stacked. Meetings follow meetings. Decisions pile up. And yet, despite being constantly “on,” there’s a lingering sense that the important work keeps getting crowded out.

This tension showed up clearly in a recent coaching conversation with a growing-church executive pastor. His schedule was packed with one-on-ones, staff meetings, sermon prep, administrative tasks, and ministry responsibilities. On paper, it all made sense. In practice, something still felt off.

He was present—but not accessible. Busy—but not proactive. Faithful—but stretched.

That experience isn’t unique. It’s the quiet reality for many executive pastors.

The Real Issue Isn’t Time. It’s Structure.

Time management problems are almost never about time. They’re about how leadership time is structured.

One of the biggest breakthroughs for executive pastors comes when they stop asking, “How do I fit more in?” and start asking, “What role am I playing right now?”

In the coaching conversation, two distinct categories of leadership time emerged:

1. Individual Contributor Time

This is work that only the executive pastor can do:

• Strategic thinking

• Writing

• Planning

• Preparation

• Analysis

It’s quiet, focused, and often requires extended blocks of uninterrupted time. Many executive pastors do this best early in the morning or outside the office, before the day’s relational demands take over.

2. Leadership and Accessibility Time

This is time spent leading people:

• One-on-ones

• Meetings

• Coaching

• Problem-solving

• Being interruptible

This kind of leadership requires availability more than efficiency. It’s where trust is built and alignment is maintained.

Problems arise when these two types of time compete instead of being intentionally separated. Executive pastors either protect deep work so tightly that they become unavailable—or they stay so accessible that strategic work never happens.

The Discipline of Roles Before Tasks

One of the most helpful frameworks discussed in the session came from Stephen Covey’s First Things First: aligning the clock with the compass.

The idea is simple but powerful. Before deciding what to do with time, leaders must clarify who they’re responsible to be.

Executive pastors don’t have just one role. They’re:

• Christ followers

• Spouses and parents

• Leaders and managers

• Coaches and shepherds

• Strategic partners to the lead pastor

When everything is treated as one giant to-do list, priorities blur. But when time is viewed through the lens of roles, clarity emerges.

Instead of asking, “What do I need to get done this week?” the better question becomes:

“What’s the one thing I could do this week in each role that would matter most?”

That shift alone changes how calendars are built.

Why Accessibility Requires Intentional Space

One of the executive pastor’s frustrations was feeling unavailable—even while being physically present at the church. Meetings were stacked back-to-back, leaving no margin for spontaneous conversations or emerging needs.

That’s a common trap.

Accessibility doesn’t happen accidentally. It must be designed into the week.

Many executive pastors benefit from reclaiming some form of what’s called MBWA (management by walking around) time—unstructured time where doors are open, interruptions are welcomed, and conversations happen spontaneously.

MBWA time can prevent the need for future meetings. Issues get surfaced earlier. Clarity improves. Problems don’t fester.

But it can only happen if space exists for it.

Delegation That Actually Frees Time

Delegation came up repeatedly in the coaching session, especially around working effectively with an executive assistant.

The key insight was this: delegation isn’t about dumping tasks—it’s about sharing systems.

An executive pastor working with an assistant must:

• Integrate assistants into their workflow

• Share access to files, calendars, and context

• Give permission to act, not just observe

• Value progress over perfection

When assistants are forced to wait for direction on everything, leaders remain bottlenecks. When assistants are trusted and equipped, capacity multiplies.

Delegation, done well, doesn’t just remove tasks from a plate—it restores leadership focus.

Weekly Planning as a Leadership Rhythm

Finally, the conversation reinforced the value of weekly planning, not as a productivity hack, but as a leadership discipline.

A short, consistent review—often at the start of the week—helps executive pastors:

• Re-engage with priorities

• Review open loops

• Decide what truly belongs on the calendar

• Protect space for both deep work and people

This isn’t about squeezing more into the week. It’s about deciding what deserves attention.

Sustainable Leadership Requires Margin

Executive pastors don’t burn out because they don’t care. They burn out because they try to carry everything personally.

Healthy leadership rhythms recognize that:

• Not every task belongs to the executive pastor

• Not every meeting needs to be attended

• Not every hour should be optimized

Margin isn’t laziness. It’s leadership stewardship.

When time is structured around roles, accessibility is intentional, and delegation is practiced wisely, executive pastors don’t just get more done—they lead better.

And that’s the point.