Leading a Team

The leadership journey begins with leading self, followed by leading others on the basis of trust, and then assembling those individuals into a team that can accomplish a shared mission.

A team is a group of accountable individuals who leverage and discipline their unique strengths to fulfill a common mission by accomplishing specific goals. Leading a team is all about building trust and community among these individuals so they can work together to achieve more than if they worked alone.

In Luke 6:12-16 Jesus chose his disciples from various backgrounds and careers to inaugurate his kingdom and accomplish his Father's will. He had fishermen, a tax collector, and even a former terrorist on his team. Imagine the tax collector—one who collaborated with Rome—laying his sleeping bag down beside the zealot (modern-day terrorist) who had dedicated his life to overthrowing Rome. Jesus certainly had his work cut out getting this motley crew together and equipping them to unite around a common goal.

In John 13:1-17 we get a key insight into how Jesus built them into a strong team. He took off his outer clothing, wrapped a towel around his waist, poured water in a basin, and then commenced to wash their dirty feet. Typically a slave or servant would wash the feet of guests. But in this case, Jesus modeled the attitude he desired of leaders and team members in his kingdom. Humility and service were to characterize and embody their perspectives and actions. As he had served them they were to serve one another. In a most graphic and symbolic act relevant to that culture, Jesus took his team to a higher level of intimacy by modeling serving leadership.

Question: How might you serve your team–with those you work, worship, or do life–in practical ways akin to Jesus washing his disciples' feet? A pastor's wife once told me that for her it meant going over to the house of a lady "great with child" and cleaning her toilets. Now that is practical modern-day foot washing! What might it look like for you?

[My next post will look briefly at organizational leadership, the fourth phase in the serving leadership journey.]