When I was growing up, a famous cigarette company featured a cowboy sitting alone on a horse in the middle of the vast American west. He was called, “The Marlboro Man.” He personified the myth of the great American hero, alone against nature, unencumbered by any social restraints or relationships. He lived his life by his own rules, his way. To prove it, he smoked Marlboro cigarettes.
OK, he was addicted to nicotine and we always wondered where he bought his cigarettes in the middle of nowhere, but that’s beside the point. He was alone, a solitary hero. One man living his own way against the world.
The Marlboro man became an American legend. He became the role model for men across America. Men wanted to be rugged and solitary, depending on no one by themselves. John Wayne wouldn’t ask for help, he was the guy everyone asked for help.
We wanted to live just like John Wayne and we wanted to lead like him too. We carefully crafted the image of the Marlboro man leader; one who would walk into boardrooms and bend the corporation to his solitary will that was always good, right, and true. These solitary leaders kept their thoughts to themselves and shared their immense wisdom in quick, tight, one liners. Everyone wanted to be his friend, but no one actually was. He was a man alone against the world. (Ladies, I don’t mean to be sexist in my remarks, but the Marlboro man myth was reserved for men. Such were the times).
Yet, when we study history, we find out the exact opposite was true. Few historical figures acted alone, they were always part of a team. The apostle Paul had Barnabas, Silas, Timothy and Titus. Martin Luther had Philip Melanchthon. Steve Jobs worked with Steve Worzinak and Bill Gates worked with Paul Allen. Even Jesus Himself wasn’t a solitary leader. Jesus called the twelve to work with him. Within the twelve, Jesus spent a lot of His time focused on three – Peter, James and John.
There are obvious reasons for this. One has all the gifts and talents required to be a complete and effective leader. While one may be gifted in vision, they probably lack the ability to manage the details. Being creative usually means you come up with a hundred ideas a minute, this is a lot of fun for you but it drives the people working for you up the wall. If one is good with people, they may lack the ability to build a structure within an organization.
For some reason, this is a difficult lesson for pastors to learn and then fully employ in their daily ministries. Many pastors are slow to trust their staff and other church leaders with important aspects of their ministry. They may have good reason for believing this, the stories of betrayal and disappointment are too numerous to count. For better or worse, pastors learn to keep their thoughts and plans close to their vest. Most pastors are reluctant to reach out to those people around them whose engagement and support would be critical to the pastor’s success in their ministry.
So, how do you build a team around you?
First, let’s remember that this concept of team leadership works for every size and type of church. A church doesn’t need a large staff to implement this process. The only thing that is needed is a small group of people who are committed to Christ and His church. Brothers and sisters who are willing to lay their talents before the Lord and love each other. Obviously, these kinds of people aren’t easy to find.
That’s why the first step of building a team like this is prayer. There are things only known to God that we have no way of knowing unless the Spirit reveals them to us. We don’t know in whom God is already working, we don’t know those whom God is already calling to be part of this work. Whenever we choose a leader, we always get it wrong. Remember, Israel chose Saul, not David. God looks on the inside of a person. He has different standards and expectations for His service, this is why leadership begins in prayer.
Second, remember no one is born full grown. Everyone has to grow and learn. Think about how Jesus taught His disciples. He taught them in private, sent them out on short mission journeys, and then brought them back to download and learn from their work. He did this over and over. In the same way, test your leaders by giving them small works of ministry. Their success will not only build your confidence in them, but it will also build their confidence. Slow and steady – building authentic leaders can’t be rushed.
Lastly, once they’ve proven their abilities and commitment, release them to do what God has called them to do. No pastor can do it all so don’t try. If you find a leader who can do something 80% as well as you can, then let them do it. If you find a leader who can do something you can’t, let them do it. We were never called to be Lone Rangers or the Marlboro Men. Stop trying.
Develop leaders. Develop a team. Grow the church. We were never called to do this alone. We were called to do the work within a community. It’s the only way it works. It’s the only way it’s ever worked.
