Getting the Right People on your Team

In his book, Good to Great , Jim Collins popularized the idea that we must first get the right people on the bus (team), the wrong people off, and the right people in the right seats before figuring out where to drive it. Getting the right people on your team and properly assigning roles really is a big deal. Putting a passenger who has never driven a bus behind the wheel is not a good idea. For many teams and organizations, roles are assigned based on seniority rather than skillset or gifting. If a person has been around for a while, then obviously they deserve a leadership position. Not so. Placement according to gifting, capacity, and strengths should be the guiding principle.

More importantly, however, is first assessing potential team members and placing them in an environment where everyone succeeds and the team moves forward on its mission. This leads us to a discussion on the qualities of people needed on Kingdom Teams.

First and foremost is character defined by integrity. Paul used a dual metaphor of a runner and boxer in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 to highlight this essential (see also Hebrews 12:1). You need people of character on your team.

Second is competence. You don’t recruit golfers for your football squad. You need people on your team who can leverage their strengths for the sake of the mission. A skill set to achieve the required tasks is essential.

Third is chemistry. You need people on your team who have the ability to adjust or get along with other personalities. This means that sometimes people will agree to disagree, but they will do so agreeably.

Jesus built a team of very different individuals and personalities. Consider Matthew—collaborator with Rome as a tax collector—getting along with Simon the Zealot—one who hated Rome and wanted it overthrown. Jesus formed these men into a team that went out and “turned the world upside down” (Acts 17:6). And never forget that even Kingdom teams will still have problems (Jesus had Judas).

[Next week we will wrap up the KNOWING section with a look at disciplines of teams that thrive versus survive.]