On Team Leadership

One of my greatest joys in life is being involved in Team ministry. Linking arms with others to accomplish some far greater than any of us could ever do on our own and have a lot fun while at it. In Amplify, Teams are foundational in everything we do and Team leadership is therefore essential to every leader, positional or non-positional.

There are many qualities of a Team leaders. But I just want to share three qualities that I feel are essential to successful team leadership.


Clear Vision
The first quality that is essential to Team leadership is having a clear Vision. Bill Hybels describes vision as ‘the leader’s most potent weapon’. The Bible says that “Without vision, the people cast off restraint”. Without the leader having a clear end in mind and communicating it effectively, there will be frustration and confusion.

When people do not have a clear idea of what they are working towards, there is little motivation and efforts will be diffused. However, like a magnifying glass that focuses the sun’s beam, vision acts as a point of focus, increases energy and drives people into action. A clearly articulated vision also increases ownership and ‘gives people the freedom to strive for maximum quality – true excellence”.

In addition, a clear vision helps a leader in occasions of uncertainty to make explicit and precise direction in spite of limited information and unpredictable outcomes. Effective team leaders understand that vision leaks and they stand ready to recast the vision before the team whenever necessary.


Character counts
A good team leader understands that not only must he have a clear vision, he must possess the second quality which is good character. Character is defined as the ‘will to do what’s right even when it is hard’.

Character produces trust and makes you a leader worth following. Leaders who lack character cannot be counted on to perform consistently. When there is inconsistency, it damages a leader’s influence and hampers his ability to lead the team. But when a leader’s character is strong, people trust him to lead and help them release their potential. This arouses hope in the future and promotes a confidence in themselves and the team.

John Maxwell is right when he says that people buy into the leader before buying into the vision. In a Christian context where most teams are made up of volunteers, it is on the basis of the leader’s moral authority that makes people buy into the vision. When they do, the team will follow their leader no matter how bad the conditions are because they know they can trust him.


Empowerment
The last essential quality of a leader is the ability to empower his team members. A team’s capacity to achieve is determined by their leader’s ability to empower. Team leaders must dedicate themselves to setting up their team for victory. This is not possible if he takes the best opportunities, assignments, and credit for himself. When a leader doesn’t empower others, he creates barriers within the team and limits the growth of the members.

A good team leader however, gives his people the permission to take up responsibility and allowing their gifts and talents to flourish. He provides the resources, the encouragement and direction to help his team members reach their potential. Jesus sent out his disciples to practice what he taught them and when they came back, encouraged, corrected and remaindered them of the big picture. (Luke 10) He leads by lifting his disciples up and doing whatever it takes to set them up for victory. Likewise, an empowering leader creates an environment of opportunity, responsibility, accountability and trust.


These are what I think are the 3 basic qualities of Team Leaders. My prayer is that I continually grow in them and become a better leader for the people God has entrusted me.

Leo