How to Find the Best Leadership Team
I often hear group leaders and counselors say, “Where are all that have graduated from the Leadership School or Training Route? Why aren’t they serving? What are all the supposed trained leaders doing that they do not get involved in the vision? As pastors we tend to have some frustration because we would like to see many, if not all, the people involved in the small group ministry and to build a great leadership team. But in many cases, this does not happen. What can we do?
I asked myself this question many times, and in some occasions, I encouraged the discouraged, and in the worst case, I scolded the idlers. The problem is that those who do not collaborate do not reach the meetings and the ones who are working end up receiving the exhortation. However, I discovered something that helped me a lot. I found that Nehemiah was a man of prayer and goals, and he organized, motivated, planned and provided a climate of trust and teamwork. Achieving goals, winning people for Christ and involving people in a vision always require certain skills.
In chapter three of the book of Nehemiah, we read about essential principles for leadership. Nehemiah tried to involve all the inhabitants of the city in the reconstruction of the wall. The religious leaders set the example. Among those who got involved were men and women, artisans, intellectuals, perfumers, goldsmiths, government leaders and business people. Everyone was mixing mud and carrying bricks. Well, not all, because, “The people of Tekoa reconstructed the next section of the wall, although the nobles did not want to collaborate with the leaders” (Nehemiah 3: 5). It seems that the “nobles” thought that they were too good to do this kind of work. Getting to move bricks was inferior to their position.
In every visionary project we will find people like that. People who are selfish, vain, critical or simply think that they are too good to get involved. In the small group vision, we will always find two kinds of people: those who work and those who avoid it. What Nehemiah did when he confronted apathy? He focused on those who wanted to work. This is a good lesson. Instead of trying to spend effort with the apathetic, focus on those who want to work. As you work with those who are willing, you will grow in your own enthusiasm.
Sometimes we spend our time trying to involve the lazy, apathetic and those who do not want to work. The solution is to focus our energies with those who are willing to work. If you want to achieve the goals for this year, worry about those who want to get involved; work with those who want to work. However, this does not mean that you should not love those who do not want to get involved…but do not let them knock you down.
Here is another principle: Leaders love everyone, but they move with those who move. I realized that when we persist with those who work, two things happen: First, we find the ideal team to carry out the vision, and, second, the apathetic ones end up getting involved because the enthusiasm is contagious. Do not be discouraged, work with the best team–those involved.
This article originally appeared here.
