Push-Pull.
About a week or so ago, while driving around town with my family, I pulled up to a railroad crossing just as the barriers began to drop to indicate that a train was coming. As the lights began to flash, I quickly realized that we were the only car around, which seemed kind of eerie.
It was as if a lesson was about to take place.
The train, perhaps one of the longest I have ever seen, was moving along quite slowly. So much so that I was able to see the actual driver’s face in the front train engine or locomotive. But that’s not all I saw.
About eight minutes later, I saw a second locomotive (or train engine) which appeared to be oddly placed in the middle of the train. And then after another ten minutes, I saw a third locomotive (or train engine) at the very end of the train, where one would expect to see a caboose or guard van holding up the rear.
*As you can see, I know very little about trains.
As you can see here, cabooses went away in the mid ’80’s.
After the train finally passed, and the railroad crossing barriers were lifted, I hurried home as fast I could to do a little research. I just couldn’t get that image out of my head.
One train. Three locomotives.
Separated and placed at the front, middle, and rear of the train.
After a rather intimate evening with Wikipedia, I discovered that what I saw was called a ‘push-pull’ train operation. In cases where a train consists of several cars or is responsible for transporting unusually heavy cargo, a locomotive is placed at both the front and rear of a train; the front locomotive for pulling, and the rear locomotive for pushing.
Whenever a ‘push-pull’ train operation is needed, extreme caution must be applied. To insure that the cars in between the locomotives are not placed under too much stress or pressure, the pushing power of the rear locomotive is often restricted while on even terrain. It is during those times that the pulling power of the front locomotive takes precedence.
However, when crossing over hills and inclines, the pushing power of the rear locomotive is often released, while the pulling power of the front locomotive is restricted in order to reserve energy.
So what about the locomotive in the middle? What is its purpose, you ask? Well, that one took a little time to figure out. Had to call a friend I know who serves as a conductor over at Amtrak to get the answer.
He told me that there are times when a locomotive is placed in the middle when there is concern that either of the end locomotives may falter during long commutes.
The middle locomotive is strategically placed that if additional pushing is needed, it can assist. If it is additional pulling that is needed, it can assist with that as well. However, it is restricted from doing either until one of the two ends proves it needs assistance. It serves only as a backup.
Can you imagine what our churches and organizations would look like if this model of ‘distributed power’ was put into practice? If every church could implement a ‘push-pull’ strategy when it comes to its leadership structure, there would be no limit to how far our ‘cargo’ of faith and hope could travel.
Perhaps one of the greatest challenges facing the church today is locating leaders who can embrace their role as a middle locomotive. It is very rare to discover a leader today who knows he or she has the ability to push or pull an organization into greatness…
…yet has the integrity to reserve that desire until it is needed.
Or better yet, called for.
Take it from me, as one who has had the opportunity to serve (and fail)
as a middle locomotive leader, the train wrecks that can occur
from impatient servitude can be catastrophic.
