If you are in ministry then you lead some kind of team and how you lead that team is a great indicator of how effective you will be. I am a leadership junkie because I am always trying to get better at leading. One of my favorite speakers I have ever heard at the Orange Conference is Nancy Ortberg. Two years ago Nancy talked about the power of team. There is nothing more important than leading our team. There is also nothing that frustrates all of us more than leading our team. Why…because we want to make it work and what we find when we lead is HUMANITY which leads to STRUGGLE because none of us are PERFECT! That is the beauty of teamwork. Working with a team leads us to serve, to be vulnerable, to be real if we want progress to happen. Here are some some of the thoughts Nancy had about what people on teams need…
People on a team have to be given opportunities.
- We have to empower team members opportunities that center around their gifts and strengths not on ONLY what has to be done.
People on a team need challenges
- Every team will move toward stagnation.
- Healthy conflict is a needed for the health and vibrancy of the team.
- In order to do conflict well you have to give people the chance to get messy with conflict. Conflict management is learned!
People on a team need an environment of relationships
- People want and need to be known by their leaders!
- People have to know us…we have to be open and vulnerable.
- Relationships lead our churches to be the unstoppable force in the community!