Issue #396, April 16, 2025
Great leaders build teams around them to help accomplish the vision. They understand that there is no such thing as a well-rounded leader, but there are well-rounded teams. Build on Strength™ is the fourth action in the Serving Leader Model® (*see note). It means leveraging the strengths of each individual to build a high-performing team. Faith leaders acknowledge the need for teams and their power as something God put into the DNA of the universe. Paul was a great leader and relied heavily on his team. Consider these verses:
5 What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow….10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. (1 Corinthians 3:5-6, 10, NIV).
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us (Romans 12:3-6a).
Paul built teams based on strengths that greatly expanded his work.
Paul was aware of his team member’s strengths.
Paul was aware that he was not good at everything, his work was to lay “a foundation” and allow others to build on what he established. He also recognized the gifts of those on his team. He taught them about the different parts of the body and how each part is needed to accomplish all that needs to be done.
Some leaders think they should be great at everything, but serving leaders humbly acknowledge that they need others. They look at themselves “with sober judgment” to assess their own strengths and to see areas in which they need others. They have conversations with their team to understand where each one is strong.
Paul aligned each person’s work to their strengths.
Paul carefully aligned his team members to their own individual strengths. He allowed Luke to use his strengths as a doctor and historian. When a church needed strong leadership to straighten out problems Paul sent Titus to Crete. When the need was for nurturing and strengthening relationships he sent Timothy to Ephesus. (See references below).
Some leaders focus on the task that needs to be done and assign a worker to do the task. But serving leaders focus on the person and align the task to their strengths.
Paul used strengths to develop high functioning teams.
As Paul aligned the assignments of his team members to their strengths, the team performance increased. The individuals thrived and were fully engaged in their work and loved what they were doing. They were able to acknowledge the strengths of the others and affirm them in their roles. They could share responsibilities with others on the team based on strengths.
Some leaders assign teams to accomplish a goal with little thought or communication about the strengths needed for the assignment. But serving leaders openly talk with their teams about individual strengths and affirm what each one brings to the team.
Serving leaders know the only way to build strong teams is to build teams on strengths. They acknowledge that their strength lies in recognizing the strengths of others.
For further reflection and discussion:
What are my top three strengths as a leader? In what areas do I need others around me to complement my strengths?
How well do I understand the strengths of my team? Do I assume that because someone is doing a job well that they enjoy doing it? When will I meet with them to ask what activities really bring them joy?
When I understand the strengths of my team members, what adjustments can I make to bring greater alignment between individual strengths and assignments?
How well do my team members understand the strengths of others on the team? If we have not already done so, when can we meet as a team to talk about strengths?
In addition to the scriptures used in this issue, read and reflect on how the following passages also illustrate how Paul acted to Build on Strength™: Romans 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 3:5-10; 12:1-31; Ephesians 4:7, 11-16.
Also consider how Paul referred to Timothy and Titus in these passages and the different roles to which he assigned them. (Timothy: 1 Corinthians 4:17, Philippians 2:19-23; 1 Timothy 4:12-16. Titus: 2 Corinthians 8:16, 23; Titus 1:5)
Until next time, yours on the journey,
Jon Byler
In the next issue, we’ll examine how Paul grew others and prepared his team for succession.
*Note: The Five Actions of Serving Leadership™ were recognized by Dr. John Stahl-Wert and illustrated in the book The Serving Leader. These actions have been applied by many organizations to integrate serving leadership into everyday leadership practices. See www.CenterforServingLeadership.com for more information.