{magical} teams

over the weekend, during dinner one night, my husband asked if i'd ever led a really special, super magical team. he, of course, knows the answer to this -- but, he also knows that almost more than anything, i love, love, love talking about leading teams. 

over the years, i've had the privilege of leading two really magical teams. in both instances, we were a team trying to build something new while overcoming grand challenges. our tasks weren't easy, but we were committed to each other and exercising our very best talents. 

for me, a magical team = the right people using their right gifts at the right time, united in purpose, and working towards the same goal. in addition, there's always something just a bit unexplainable about a truly special team, right? it's like they've got an underlying, quiet power that's hard to capture and oftentimes difficult to recreate. a unique mojo, a hidden talent, a divine help. because, god, too, does his magic. empowering each with the spirit.

it's always sometime in the middle of leading a team when you look up and realize something special is happening. you notice tasks being accomplished well, and the group enjoying working together, and creative ideas emerging, and the end-goal being pushed even further so that it's better. 

let's be clear, leading magical teams aren't all joy & ease. usually, assembling the right people at the right time isn't all there is to it. most days, leading a magical team is hard work, the hardest of work, with tasks that are challenging, and teammates who need another reminder or encouragement, and unending emails explaining once again what the end-goal actually is. 

it's worth it, always. because, for the sake of children's faith, there is nothing greater than a team who's worked hard together, pushed through challenges, dreamed bigger, and accomplished a greater goal than they ever could have done on their own, as a non-team. 

keep fighting. keep working. keep assembling. keep leading. keep believing. because the next magical team you lead could be the one who creates a new environment, a new curriculum, a new song, a new website, a new conference all for the growth of children's faith. 

have you led a truly special, magical team? what made the team special? 

PS: my husband recommended this book during our conversation. it's next up on my reading list. 

Comments

[Dr. G.]

This is really good...definitely think the "quiet power" you made reference to is the presence of the Holy Spirit.

I've also led two "magical teams"...one work-related and one ministry-related. Keeping a magical team together is a much greater challenge than assembling the team. In ministry world, there's this little thing called spiritual warfare...there IS another team on the field...and they hit back. Two other challenges you touched upon were "right time" and "right purpose"...team members go through phases of life in which the shared goals become less important. When you get lots of gifted people together, others (almost) inevitably will be drawn to other goals and other purposes.

How have you maintained the "magic" when one or more key players have been drawn to new challenges?