Team leadership Leadership 1

The importance of team Teams help us compensate for weaknesses Teams involve leaders leading leaders, as well as leaders leading congregations/members Being a good follower is the key to creating a healthy team The responsibility of a healthy team is not just on the leader, but on the followers as well We need to create healthy team cultures

What makes a healthy team? 1. We need to do what we’re assigned 1 Chron 9:22 – 33 – tasks had different difficulties, some were every night, some were daily, some were weekly People were assigned different tasks The tasks were not divided evenly or fairly It was not about how much effort, time or energy it took Different roles will require an imbalance of effort and commitment However, every role is essential Not all roles will receive the same amount of attention or ‘glory’ Tasks have variety, different time requirements, different levels of skill, yet every person must play their part

What makes a healthy team? 1. We need to do what we’re assigned We cannot compare tasks with one another Each person is given tasks according to their abilities, strengths, and giftings We need to be responsible in the tasks given us We all have a voice and a place to explain our concerns to make sure that we’re in the right position that plays to our strengths Exceptions – seasons can place us in difficult and uncomfortable positions, short term projects, etc, where we do what needs to be done even if we’re not good at it

What makes a healthy team? 2. Be a player, not a spectator Being critical is easy Spectator’s are critical, opinionated, and always know ‘the right thing to do’ from the stands Spectators change their loyalty depending on how their team is going By being spectators, we can become overly critical of the decisions made around us Spectators place the blame on everyone else but refuse to actually participate Spectators have an attitude of superiority - “I’d make a better leader than you”; “I could do a better job than you could.” Even without spectators, we have an enemy and the world who already point their finger and judge and blame the church. The church doesn’t need more people from the inside doing the same thing

What makes a healthy team? 2. Be a player, not a spectator We should also not become cheerleaders Cheerleaders are overly positive, ignorant, and delusional – they will only say the good things and not address the negative things Cheerleaders don’t actually care about what’s really happening because they just want to see things as ‘perfect’ Become a player, a participator in your team The players are actively trying to accomplish the goal, to move forward, to make things happen Players make the best critics – they see exactly what’s happening and are aware of the situation, but they also know what they are capable of, what they’ve tried to do, and what has or hasn’t worked

What makes a healthy team? 2. Be a player, not a spectator Participators not only know what’s going on, but they’re also the most invested people who want to succeed Participators are loyal – they will be on the same team whether they win or lose. No question in loyalty Luke 14:1-6 – Jesus addressed the spectators The spectators were silent even though they had big opinions Jesus personalised the situation to draw them in, to try to get them to participate To become a participator, we need to make things subjective, not just objective The kingdom of God is personal in nature, church is about people encountering Jesus personally

What makes a healthy team? 3. Grow We need to make sure that we’re growing and getting better in every way possible Are we a better version of ourselves in five years time than we are today? “The best gift you can give someone is a healthy you” When you’re healthy in your emotions and in your mind, you become a greater gift to your team, those you lead, and your leaders. The goal is that when we go through tough times in our lives, we become more positive rather than less positive. Become a blessing and not a burden Rom 5:3; James 1:2 – Trials and temptations and difficult situations should bring us pure joy and we should glory in our sufferings Having God in our lives means that we can bear more and still maintain joy because of our hope and trust in God 2 Tim 3:16 – we grow by using the Word of God in our lives

Healthy teams What have you been assigned that you’re not doing? How can you make sure that you do it? How can you change from being a spectator to being a player? How can you grow?