In early 1993, my pastor all but fired me … and I deserved it. He had planted a church in 1989. I interned with him in 1990, then joined the staff in 1991, while also attending seminary. Like many church … Continue reading Saving Your Church From Itself | Book Review
“What separates the truly great teams from the mediocre ones?” asks Tony Dungy in The Soul of a Team. His answer is “four simple yet highly effective principles — selflessness, ownership, unity, and larger purpose.” The principles form a memorable acronym: S.O.U.L. Here’s how Dungy defines the principles: Selflessness: Putting individual needs aside for the good of the team. Ownership: Fulfilling your role by learning it thoroughly and by consistently giving 100 percent. Unity: Understanding and rallying around your team’s mission, philosophy, and culture through open communication and positive conflict resolution. Larger Purpose: Contributing to the wider community in a … Continue reading The Soul of a Team | Book Review
It’s been said that teamwork makes the dream work. That’s true for any organization, but it’s especially true for churches. After all, the business of Church isrelationship — with God and with others. Unfortunately, many churches experience relational dysfunction in the leadership team, the congregation as a whole, or both. They also often fail to realize the vision for the Church laid out by Christ in the Great Commission. In High Impact Teams, Lance Witt explains why churches don’t have to choose between relationships and results. He then shows how to bring those two things together for greater effectiveness in … Continue reading Leading Healthy, High-Performance Teams | Influence Podcast
Today, over at InfluenceMagazine.com: Heath Adamson and I talk about three outcomes for youth ministry: gospel-centeredness, Spirit-empowerment, and personal responsibility. This is episode 92 of the Influence Podcast. If you haven’t checked us out yet, make sure to listen to, … Continue reading Monday’s Influence Online Articles
Patrick Lencioni, The Ideal Team Player: How to Recognize and Cultivate the Three Essential Virtues: A Leadership Fable (Hoboken, NJ: Jossey-Bass, 2016). Effective organizations—whether they’re multinational corporations, professional sports franchises, or local churches—practice teamwork. When people work together on a common goal, they achieve more than they could do individually and experience a measure of personal satisfaction. When people work against one another, however, the result is organizational ineffectiveness and personal frustration. In his 2002 bestseller, The Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni outlined five ways teamwork goes awry: absence of trust, fear of conflict, lack of commitment, avoidance … Continue reading Review of ‘The Ideal Team Player’ by Patrick Lencioni
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