So, they’ve asked you to be a Team Leader. And you’re anxious.
(Or, if you’re not… you will be.)
Let me tell you that a lot of your leadership actually prays for difficulty, brokenness, messiness & failure for you – because those are the teaching moments. And rest assured, God will create that space for brokenness & failure.
I’m still 2 months away from the end of my Race, but I’ve had the opportunity to Team Lead for the past 5 months… and I’d like to assuage your fears by sharing what bits of wisdom I’ve gathered about you & your team, you & AIM, and you & God in this role.
Most of all, I want to tell you to not be afraid.
Because if there’s anything you learn on the World Race, it’s this:
“God will give you what you need, when you need it.”
[Northern Ireland]
You & Your Team
Every team is different, but most team leaders experience similar frustrations and have similar questions. These are the 3 things I’ve learned to keep in mind…
Be what you want to see. You might face times where your team is checked out, bickering, or spouting complaints left and right. If you have a vision for your team, or see an area where they need to grow, Step 1 is for you to embody that vision yourself. You want the team to spend more time with God? Start by making more time for Him yourself. You want teammates to serve with joy? First lead by example, and put that spring in your step. You can’t ask others to participate in something you’re not doing yourself.
“Making everyone happy isn’t responsible.” You cannot please everyone and lead well. Just drop that notion right now (and stomp on it a few times for good measure). In fact, you will quite often make a decision you believe is correct, and teammates will react by taking offense or getting frustrated.
Good.
Whatever the root cause of their resentment is can now be brought to the surface and dealt with. Often that’s exactly what’s needed.
Work yourself out of a job. Your whole goal is to empower your teammates to lead – each one of them has something to offer that the team needs. Instead of storming through every situation with your title & control, use your influence to challenge them where they need challenge, and encourage them where they need encouragement. At the end of the day, if any one of them could take your place in leadership, you’ve succeeded.
You & AIM
“Why did they pick me – I have no idea how to lead!”
When the folks at Adventures in Missions look for new leadership, they don’t pay much attention to experience. Leadership skills can be taught. They picked you because of your posture towards God. That’s what they saw in you – a heart that seeks Jesus.
If you’re pursuing Jesus, and you’re faithful to what He’s telling you, everything else will fall into place.
For me, Month 7 was one of my roughest. I spent most of the time avoiding asking for help. I thought that if I had to ask, it meant I couldn’t do the job I was entrusted with… I thought it meant I let both AIM & my team down, and I wasn’t actually as awesome and capable as they thought I was.
But you don’t need to present yourself as more put together than you actually are. There’ll be pressure to pretend you’re not tired, or to seem like you’ve totally got some difficult situation handled. But Jesus says if I keep pretending, and I gain people’s respect because of it… their respect is the only reward I’m going to receive. That’s it. I’ve actually hurt, not helped, myself. Because now my weaknesses can’t actually be addressed, and I can’t actually grow.
AIM doesn’t expect you to already be able to do things perfectly. Be vulnerable and honest with them – they’re here to help you.
[Thailand]
You & God
He called you. You as YOU. He didn’t want someone who was more eloquent or extroverted or patient. He wanted you.
1 Timothy 1:12 says
“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.”
God’s set you in this position of leadership because He considers you faithful. He trusts you with this. He’s proud already and says wholeheartedly that you’re the right one.
And doing hard things with God is incredible fun. You get so much momentum in growing and learning and changing, because underlying issues don’t last long in this environment. You’ll very quickly see the consequences if you’re not trusting Him with something. And He’ll help you in spite of it, but He’ll also help you confront it.
Because in Isaiah 41 He said He’d help you. He didn’t say “I’ll help you… except with those 2 million micro decisions you have to make today.”
When you accept this Team Leading challenge, He’ll teach you the most exhilarating & freeing things.
And He will give you everything you need, when you need it.
Get excited and rest in the knowledge that God already approves of your leadership.
