Team Model Leadership

One of the things that Ridgepoint Church taught me was the importance of a team. In our structure we had a senior pastor team (call it what you want) of five: lead pastor, creative pastor, strategics pastor, family pastor and executive pastor. I model that I was never able to see in action. I still believe it is a healthy way to lead a church and would love to see the model play out in my life. Craig posted a great post on this very subject over at Swerve:

Many leaders have a right-hand-man (or woman). To maximize your leadership effectiveness, I would suggest a right-hand-team.

For years, many churches that grew large enough had a senior pastor and his right-hand-man, the executive pastor. In my opinion, this is a dated and limited model of church leadership.

I suggest breaking the traditional “second spot” into two to four roles. I can’t tell you what those roles will be for you, but I’ll offer some broad suggestions.

Serving alongside the leader, you’ll probably want two to four team members that cover these roles:

• An administrative player. You’ll want to ensure someone is capable of building systems, structures, and accountability.
• A relational player. Hopefully you’ll have someone who is very good with people. This person could be an expert in recruiting, team building, pastoring, relational problem solving, or some combination of the above.
• An innovative player. In the best environment, you’ll have someone who is an idea-person. This team member is often young (but not necessarily). You’ll want to make sure this innovative mind isn’t rebellious and is a team player. When you find a person like this, she’ll be a great asset to your team.
• A stabilizing player. Most good teams have a person who can rise above the details and see the big picture. This person may not be the most visible, but is often one of the most important. He is someone who can bring objectivity and stability in the middle of challenges.

Jump into the discussion!