Worship Arts July August September 2022

humility, hunger, or smarts will hold the entire team back.

interaction, rely on intuition, and use good judgment in their words and actions. The key to being an ideal team player is the combination of all three virtues. Significantly lacking in humility, hunger, or smarts will hold the entire team back. Without humility, the team will become all about “them.” Without hunger, the team will be hamstrung by someone who is not self-motivated and is only invested in the bare minimum to get by. And with out smarts, the team can become derailed by members who have limited social awareness and are clueless about how the insensitivity of their words and actions affects others. Teams that display all three virtues are better able to identify and address dysfunctional behavior. Church teams Local churches are filled with teams. Whether we call them committees, commissions, or task forces, churches are most effec tive in their ministry and outreach when the members of each team demonstrate humility, hunger, and smarts. Of course, there is an added dimension for any faith based team. That is a deep desire to

of an ideal team player are humil ity, hunger, and smarts. Why call them virtues rather than charac teristics? Because virtues imply integrity and principles. In addi tion, virtues are not necessarily innate and can be learned if one is motivated. The three virtues T he first and most important virtue is humility. A humble employee is more concerned with the success of the team than being singled out for individual achieve ment. At the same time, humble team players are not afraid to honestly acknowledge the skills and talents that they bring to the team, though never in a proud or boastful fashion. People who lack humility in a significant way and demand a disproportionate amount of attention are dangerous for a team. The second virtue is hunger. Ideal team players are single mindedly committed to their work and do whatever it takes. They are self-motivated, disciplined, desire to work hard, and know how to get things done. At the same time, they keep balance in their lives and know when to “give it a rest” in order to preserve their mental and physical health. The third virtue is smarts. This virtue may seem deceptive at first because the smarts necessary to be an ideal team player are not necessarily professional, technical, or intellectual smarts. Smart team players are emotionally intelligent and know how to relate well to all people. They are self-aware, un derstand the dynamics of human

be open to the movement of God in their own lives and a commit ment to the mission, vision, and core values of the congregation of which they are a part. Lencioni’s “Final Thought” at the end of his book says it all. He claims that humility is the greatest of the virtues and writes, “The most compelling example of humility in the history of humankind can be found in Christ, who humbled himself to share in our humanity. He attracted people of all kinds when he walked the earth, and continues to do so today, providing an example of humility that is as powerful as it is countercultural.” The ideal team player. From “Leading from the Heart, Weekly Essay and Blog from Bishop Laurie Haller,” Iowa Conference, The United Methodist Church, at http://wp.me/p2WZbG-Yd. Reprinted by permission. Reprinted from WorshipArts March-April 2017 Fellowship member LAURIE HALLER is bishop of the Iowa and Dako tas conferences of The United Methodist Church.

How can you build better teams in your church? • Look for leaders who have a deep commitment to Christ, demonstrate humility, hunger, and smarts, and believe that there is no “I” in team. • Praise team members who contribute effectively, and gently but firmly call out those who demonstrate bad behavior. • Assess current staff and lay leaders and develop/coach those who are lacking in one of the virtues. • Hire new staff with an eye for humility, hunger, and smarts.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________ July-August-September 2022 • WorshipArts • umfellowship.org 23