The First Rule for a Team Leader

I was recently asked by a soon-to-be team leader for advice on how to lead a team.

My first rule is: keep your team happy.

Why is this the most important rule? Without a happy team you wont be able to do good ministry. If the team is in conflict - with each other or with you - they wont be able to put good energy into their ministry to students. Also, students they meet may end up loyal to the team member, but will have real problems with the whole ministry. That makes it impossible to develop student leaders for your ministry. And then you wont establish a multiplying movement, or recruit future workers.

How do you keep your team happy?
The most common approach is to avoid conflict. But this is ultimately self-defeating. Conflict that is avoided simply simmers beneath the surface preventing genuine intimacy and appreciation of each other's differences. Unresolved conflict causes team members to feel like their opinions/feelings are not valued.

A team will be really happy when each team member feels like they are known and making a unique contribution to an overall worthwhile goal.

To accomplish this goal, some team building exercises focussing on personality profiles and spiritual gift tests, life stories and passions can be helpful. These then need to be incoporated into the ministry strategic plan. The roles and functions assigned to each team member should allow them to spend significant time operating in areas of their strength. [Of course, every job has elements that you just don't want to do].

I have been blessed with an exceptionally easy team in which to apply this. I have been able to concentrate on the visionary leadership and networking. Other team members have been the outgoing "people-gatherers". Some are the reflective "teacher"-types. Some are administrative gurus, project managers or computer specialists. Each has contributed in unique ways. And because we know each other fairly well, we are able to allow each person to contribute in their unique areas of strength.

The danger of this approach is two-fold. Firstly, team members can get stale after a while if they are stuck doing the same thing over and over again. But they might also feel trapped because the whole team relies on them doing what they do.

Secondly, the team member may fail to develop in new areas outside of their existing strengths. For example, an administratively strong person may take on all the administrative roles but fail to keep engaging with students evangelistically. Over time, their spiritual life might fade as they get caught up in the pragmatic aspects of the ministry.

I have resolved this dilemma by encouraging each team member to have a part of their role which is like a "hobby". Although 80% of their time can be spent on the core business, the hobby is a bonus. It can contribute to the ministry in a non-essential way. It isn't an area of priority, but it is like a special or unique characteristic that adds flavour to the ministry. It might be organising a sport team, designing a website, preaching for another ministry/church or writing a book. As the team member experiences refreshment and success in their hobby it helps them stay happy and productive in their core business.

In conclusion, a campus coordinators first priority is to keep their team happy. It is only from this base that the rest of the ministry - the vision, strategy, win, build, train, send - can grow.