Leading in the Margins

I found this blog this morning with some wise advice for leaders. I have experienced similar dynamics. When people ask me "How is your church doing?" I have often responded, "It depends on who you ask." Often times a person's perception is shaped by whom they are listening to rather than factual analysis.
The quote below is addressed to pastors, but I believe it applies to anybody who leads a group of people.

I do not pastor or lead to the margins. About 85% of the people who attend our church would identify 3-5 basic reasons they attend. These are our strengths and we build upon them. On each side we have people who attend in the margins. What I mean is this. About 5% of people who attend our church are happy with whatever we do. Short of having a shirts and skins Sunday these people attend everything and love it. On the other side is a group of about 10% that don’t like anything we do. We could have 1000 people come to know Jesus on a Sunday and they are going to complain. Volume, appearance, lighting, temperature, length of sermon, parking you name it. If you pastor or have pastored a church, right now you can see the faces of these people in the margins. I simply do not believe the good press or the bad press from the margins. I know I am not as good as the people who praise me say I am and I am not as bad as the people who criticize me say I am.
I focus about 85% on the middle 85%. To pastor in the margins is to build your church focusing on your weaknesses and in doing so lessen your strengths or even worse to believe the good press and build a church on an ego. I am not saying marginalize people or treat people poorly who do not “go along to get along.” I am simply saying there comes a time when I must focus on what I am supposed to do.

Source: MMI Weblog