part 2: Values on the Leadership Team
Your leadership team is a microcosm of the organization, or the church body. Whatever you want to grow among the larger group must first be sown into the smaller group. If you want greater vision in the church, pour more vision into your team. If you want a more truthful and honest organization, develop a more truthful and honest team. If you regularly enrich the minds of the shepherds with values, understanding and vision, you’ll change the culture of the whole flock.
The Apostle Paul similarly exhibited a commitment to consistent collaboration with his many partners in ministry. This was revealed by the terms he used when referring to them:
“Fellow laborers” (Phil. 4:3; 1 Thess. 3:2)
“Fellow helpers” (2 Cor. 8:23; 3 John 8)
“Fellow servants” (Col. 1:7; 4:7)
“Fellow soldiers” (Phil 2:25)
“Fellow workers” (Col. 4:11)
Intentional and regular investment in your team is crucial to keep them in step with you. Not only for yourself, but because your team is following your lead, periodically review your decisions and actions to ensure that they are consistent with your values. Some leaders have found that they had drifted farther from True North than they realized. Does your communication on the work floor inspire and enhance trust? Do your methods of persuasion honor teammates and customers and reflect high integrity? Is revenue a higher goal than quality service? Measure your actions against your values. The first should flow naturally out of the latter.
If you make a mistake, focus on your role rather than looking at what others did or didn’t do. Avoid the temptation to blame others. In his book Good to Great, Jim Collins explains that great leaders “look out the window” and give credit to those responsible for positive outcomes, and “look in the mirror” to take ownership for negative outcomes. These are powerful habits for leaders to produce a thriving culture. Regularly examine what you did or failed to do so that you can learn from your actions to create more success in the future. We all know that to err is human; it takes a humble and strong person, however, to admit it and grow from it. Consider sharing your mistakes with others. When you openly share your mistakes with others, they will become more comfortable sharing their mistakes with you. This promotes a garden of learning and growth, both personally and professionally.
Judge Sanders of the South Carolina Court of Appeals shared a thought-provoking statement. He stated: “As responsibility is passed to your hands, it will not do to assume that someone else will bear the major burdens…You must never forget that what you do not value will not be valued, that what you do not remember will not be remembered, that what you do not change will not be changed, that what you do not do will not be done.”
Flip the statements around: What you value will be valued by others. What you remember will be remembered. What you change will be changed. What you do will be done by others. We lead by example, both positively and negatively. One of the most powerful lessons we can learn is the power of our actions and the gravity of responsibility we have as leaders.
While you steer the ship and affect change from a macro level, your crew is aboard with a wide diversity of backgrounds, thoughts, personalities, and perspectives. As leaders, we must look for ways to value and utilize those differences as the very talents and strengths that combine to make us a fully functioning and capable team and family. Wise leaders also remain aware of the myriad of issues and concerns facing our team members that influence them.
Consider the word, “University.” It is a familiar word to us and is formed from two root words—unity and diversity. That is what a university endeavors to do: create a “unity” of knowledge and skill among a “diversity” of students and staff. As you and I work at developing people, what we are working with involves leaders and diversity. These differences can yield wonderful results! What the local church is called to do is to build a team of “leaders” with a “diversity” of gifts, temperaments, and backgrounds around a great unifying vision. We’re building a diversity-friendly university, a “LeaderVersity.” This could be said of companies as well. Achieving it depends on how well the leader embraces differences and effectively points to a higher vision.
When a leader creates a diversity-friendly culture, you will find:
· Respect for differences and an expanded ability to relate to different groups
· Acceptance of new ideas
· Work enthusiasm
· Flexibility and teamwork
· Inclusion
· Higher individual satisfaction & performance
· Richer community relationships
How can you more strategically invest your values into your team?