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Why Is It Important?
Someone once said, "Th ose closest to the leader will determine the success level of that leader," (Maxwell, 1995) and I would add, "and the organization." Ultimately success hinges on the ability of the leader or leaders to develop a team that will work together to accomplish the mission of the organization.
Leadership development is indispensable for a successful church. We see numerous examples of leadership development throughout the Bible; from Nehemiah and his dream to rebuild the wall of Jerusalem to Jesus' intentional team building with his core group, the twelve disciples.
Why is leadership development so important? Because working as a team is the key to multiplied effectiveness. Remember the old Chinese proverb, "Many hands make light work?" I find that to be true, don't you? The yard work gets done much quicker when my daughters are helping. We have all benefited from the value of teamwork.
What is a team? Webster defines it as "a cooperative unit." I expand the definition to include, "A team is a group of people with often different, yet complementary abilities and talents, who are committed to the same mission or vision." Have you ever watched rowing? About the only time I do is during the Olympics. There's a real beauty to the slender boats on the water, the perfect cadence of the athletes. It's a sport that demands endurance, strength, and the drive to keep going even when your body screams to stop. But what's really fascinating is the teamwork. The crew, made up of individuals willing to sacrifice personal goals for the team, will be on the medal stand together. Winning teammates successfully match their desire, talent and blade work with one another.
How to Raise the Importance?
So, how does the leader move his followers toward the importance of team development? I remember hearing a story about Walt Disney's early days, before he created what today is the Disney Empire. Walt Disney would take his two daughters to a park on Sundays. The park had a carousel which the girls loved to ride. As he waited for the ride to be over, Walt says, he noticed two things: One, the horses looked beautiful at a distance, but up close...