The Risks and Rewards of Leading From Your Strengths

Of all places, the Christian church can be a refuge from the relational battles that rage in our culture. But harmony and reconciliation are not flourishing in the body. Rather, today’s ministries and churches are routinely characterized by division – or at best, the status quo.

Such was the scenario after today’s staff meeting when Pastor Kevin closed the door to his office, leaned against it, and sighed. Bickering among his team had turned into more than a debate. There was actual division. The lack of oneness and unity in his church staff grieved Kevin, the senior pastor of a large church. Until recently, he had concluded the only way out was to resign.

But you may recall from our previous three articles that Kevin had experienced conflict and isolation in his marriage and home, too. He had approached his wife, Karen, and together they resolved to value each other’s strengths, a principle they were now applying to both their marriage and to relationships with their children.

So on this night, as Kevin talks with his wife about the division in his staff, it is Karen who suggests that the concepts the couple learned are foundational to all relationships. Couldn’t Kevin apply those strengths principles in the church staff to bring about unity?

The Risk of Personal Exposure

Kevin pondered how best to approach his staff with the idea of learning to lead from their strengths. Karen suggested honesty. “Tell them how you and I struggled to resolve our differences,” she said. “Explain how learning to value each other’s strengths – rather than trying to change each other – made the difference.”

It was a risk, but in his heart Kevin knew she was right. Romans 14:19 says, “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” Kevin yearned for his staff to be at peace, working together creatively and productively. As a leader he needed to be willing to make every effort to create that kind of environment … even when it meant personal exposure.

The Risk of Vulnerability

If Kevin’s staff sought only to promote their private ends, to follow their own passions and prejudices, they would continue to be filled with strife and contention. They could not edify one another while quarreling. But if the team was able to see each other’s strengths and value them, the entire dynamic could shift.

Kevin needed to risk vulnerability to his team, be willing to acknowledge others’ strengths, and affirm what they contributed –  just as much as the team needed him to lead. The process required Kevin to step down from his leadership pedestal and be authentic. An effective leader does not possess all the skills and abilities necessary for ministry. If Kevin could show staff members that he valued their individual uniqueness and admit how much every person contributed, they would be able to embrace what each other brought to the team, too.

The Rewards

After much prayer with Karen, Kevin approached his team and explained the Leading From Your Strengths team-building – a positive experience that emphasizes each individual’s unique strengths and helps them understand why God strategically placed them together in the ministry. Each staff member completed the strengths profile. Then Kevin took the lead in sharing and listening as each team member articulated openly about how God had uniquely wired them. As team members learned to identify and understand their God-given abilities in solving problems, processing information, managing change, and facing risk, a new attitude emerged. The group soon realized how God had brought them together to complement each other’s strengths in an amazing way.

Now, six months later Kevin left a church staff meeting, closed his office door, and dropped to his knees – thanking God for the transformation that had taken place in both him and his team. Kevin smiled. He was no longer alone, marooned on a ministry island. He has hope.

God intends for His Kingdom to exhibit a spirit of oneness, a principle that Kevin and Karen were willing to cultivate first in their marriage and then transfer to other areas of their lives. Kevin had learned that leading from your strengths is not only possible. It is God’s design … for marriages, for families, for churches, and for teams.

Read the rest of our Marriage and Ministry series

Marriage and Ministry, Part 1: Island of Exile or Island of Escape?

Marriage and Ministry, Part 2: Healing Begins with Humility

Marriage and Ministry, Part 3: Your Spouse’s Strengths May Surprise You

Marriage and Ministry, Part 3:

How Your Spouse’s Strengths May Surprise You

Today, families everywhere are torn apart and are in crisis, filled with conflict, isolation, or brokenness. Four out of ten children grow up without a father. One in three homes is led by a single mother.

Just a short while ago, Pastor Kevin would have been among the despairing, afraid that his family would add to the statistics. But today, as he looks at the photograph of his wife Karen on his desk, Kevin smiles. He thinks about how far they have come as a couple in just a short time … and that perhaps now they even have the chance to build healthier relationships with their two teenagers.

Appreciating Strengths Leads to Surprises

When we last saw Kevin, the senior pastor at a large church, he and Karen had reached a turning point. Isolation had threatened to bring an end to their marriage. But Kevin had humbled himself and asked Karen’s opinion about their many conflicts. Together, the couple resolved to learn about their differences and appreciate each other’s individual uniqueness.

Over a series of weeks Kevin and Karen explored their differences through the Different By Design material and had discovered their differences are a good thing given by God.  In the process Kevin experienced a series of surprises.

A New Way to Lead: Showing Honor

Romans 12:10 says, “Honor one another above yourselves.” As Kevin studied that scripture, he saw how his previous attempts to get Karen to change to his ways were not only ineffectual, but even dishonorable. For many years, he had falsely assumed that being the leader in his marriage, home, and work meant that he needed to bring others around to doing things his way. Now, God called him to confer respect on his wife and her strengths rather than seek to put himself and his abilities forward in the marriage. The principle caught him by surprise. Could Kevin learn a new way to lead by showing honor to his wife?

By nature, human beings continually seek to elevate themselves, even over their spouses. Conferring honor, rather seeking to obtain it, is a shift contrary to human nature. Kevin had to set aside his familiarity with being in the spotlight and seek to show Karen honor instead. But once he began adopting the new mindset, Kevin began to feel pleasure not in receiving honor from his wife but in giving it.

As he and Karen talked through each others’ strengths, he took the time to tell her which ones he appreciated in her. Throughout the day he looked for things Karen did well and then told her what he saw. The more Kevin verbalized what made Karen unique – both to himself and to her – the more valuable her strengths became to him. He was leading by showing honor.

The Surprise of Mutual Respect

It came as a further surprise to Kevin that his growing appreciation for Karen’s uniqueness did not diminish him in the least. Ironically, the more Kevin learned to value his wife’s strengths, the more she showed him respect, too.

Where Karen previously had been irritated with Kevin’s analytical approach to handling conflict, now she thanked him. One evening their oldest daughter spoke disrespectfully at the dinner table. Kevin excused her and told her to rejoin them when she was ready to apologize. “I really appreciate your ability to stay calm and take charge of the situation,” Karen told Kevin later, not disguising her admiration. “It’s one of your strengths. I used to see it as a need to control but now I see how you are able to diffuse a situation.” Her words strengthened Kevin and encouraged him even more.

The Surprise of Transference

Both Kevin and Karen had taken an active stance, rather than a passive one, in valuing each other’s strengths. As they grew together, the couple concluded that their children were different by design as well. By learning to understand their teens, they could more effectively build relationships with them.

Together, Kevin and Karen made a decision to engage their teens in a whole new light. With humility they sat down with their teens and explained how they wanted to proceed – by discovering and appreciating the strengths God had placed in each of them.

In leading from his strengths Kevin not only regained hope for his marriage, but also for his family. What happened in learning to value his spouse’s strengths surprised him in a wonderful way.

And when you undertake that process, it will surprise you, too.

Read the rest of our Marriage and Ministry series

Marriage and Ministry, Part 1: Island of Exile or Island of Escape?

Marriage and Ministry, Part 2: Healing Begins with Humility

Marriage and Ministry, Part 4: Risks and Rewards of Leading From Your Strengths

Jesus sought time alone prior to significant events: choosing His disciples, being tempted by the Enemy, walking on water, and preparing for trial and crucifixion. Paul took an extended wilderness retreat after his conversion before launching his ministry. God regularly speaks to leaders when we draw close to Him and listen to that small still voice.

Yet leading from a permanent position of isolation is not a good place to be, nor a biblical one. It is God’s intention for a leader’s isolation to be temporary solitude, not long-term seclusion.

Remember Kevin from our previous article?  He has grown increasingly isolated from his wife. It has even become easier to set himself apart from Karen than to face her. Soon, conflict with his wife bleeds to other areas of his life, including with his children and his staff. Kevin feels completely alone.

Now Kevin sits isolated in his office trying to figure out where things went wrong. Maybe the best thing to do is to break ties with his wife and start over in a new life and a new job. Kevin has reached a turning point. Will his temporary isolation from his wife become a statistic … or will he chart a course off the island of isolation?

What’s Your Approach to Differences?

Kevin and Karen’s differences are driving them further apart each day. Yet as Kevin mulls over his wife’s characteristics, he realizes she isn’t a difficult person to get along with. Nor is he.

Kevin thinks back to what he had first found attractive about her. The qualities he had admired about Karen were so different than his own. Those qualities have not changed in her.

What has changed is the way that both Kevin and Karen have looked at their qualities. Personal traits that attracted them to each other were qualities that now pushed them apart.

Paul wrote, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves … your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:3, 5).

Jesus did not discount His own abilities. But neither did He use His giftedness to measure others. Instead, the driving force in His earthly relationships was the humility he exercised to value others and their abilities.

As Kevin pondered Jesus’ approach to valuing others and his own approach to his marriage, he admitted that he did not always imitate his Savior. During that time alone in his office, Kevin at last understood the first step in resolving his differences with Karen. He needed to humble himself not only before God … but also before his wife.

A Problem to Be Resolved – or a Strength to Be Celebrated?

Kevin humbled himself and approached Karen with a simple question. “Why do you think God created you and me so differently and placed us together in this marriage?”

He was surprised with Karen’s quick response. “Well, I don’t think it was to frustrate us,” she answered.

Karen had hit upon a powerful point. God brings two people together to complete each other, not to frustrate each other. Differences are not a problem to be resolved but rather strengths to be embraced and celebrated.

Kevin’s next questions were full of sincerity and humility: Why are we so frustrated and alone? Why do our differences seem to divide instead of unite us? What are some ways I can affirm the strengths you bring to our relationship? As Kevin and Karen talked long into the evening, they resolved to discover how they could learn to appreciate their individual uniqueness, stop living as two, and start living as one.

Your Next Step Is One of Humility

While leading in both his home and his ministry, Kevin had made the all-too-common misstep of believing his way was the only way and the best for everyone. Judging others who approaching things different than him, especially his wife, led to isolation and loneliness. Kevin discovered he was the chief cause of his exile to that lonely ministry island.

It was at that point of brokenness when God showed Kevin a way off the island: he could approach his wife in humility, embrace God’s plan for their differences, and seek to understand her instead of judge her.

Will you let Him do the same for you?

Read other articles in our Marriage and Ministry series

Marriage and Ministry, Part 1: Exile or Escape?

Marriage and Ministry, Part 3: Your Spouse’s Strengths May Surprise You

Marriage and Ministry, Part 4: Risks and Rewards of Leading From Your Strengths

Marriage and Ministry, Part 1:

Island of Exile or Island of Escape?

Kevin’s desk lamp burns late into the night. But he is not working on this week’s sermon. He is studying scriptures about marriage. Kevin is beginning to wonder if he should ever been married in the first place.

Most difficult of all is the increasing isolation he feels between himself and his wife. Kevin cannot help reflect on how he seems to see things so differently from Karen. Now, those conflicts seem to have multiplied to disagreements with his children and bickering with his staff, to the point where Kevin is considering starting a whole new life altogether.

Marooned on a Ministry Island

Unfortunately, Kevin is not alone.  Differences divide people today as never before. More than three out of five pastors admit they “have few close friends.” What started as a call to serve God and people somehow morphs to seemingly inevitable conflicts. Christian couples in ministry are not immune. 84% Christians get married, but they are just as likely to get divorced (33%) as those who are not Christ-followers (34%). It is not unusual for pastors and wives to feel as if they are on an island, fighting for survival … whether exiled there by a staff, a congregation, a spouse, a family, or themselves.

In their isolation, pastors find it easy to identify with the character portrayed by Tom Hanks in the 2000 film, Cast Away: a lonely, hardworking executive with a high-stress, high-visibility job who washes up on a deserted island after an airplane crash. At first stranded and in distress, he soon learns to cope, and then resolves to change his circumstances.

In the same way, pastors often find themselves marooned in ministry. Fortunately, there is a way off the island.

Is It Exile … or Escape?

Is conflict with Karen truly inevitable? Kevin sighs. He has tried bringing around his wife to see and do things his way. But it seems as all his efforts in trying to change her or getting her to adapt have reached an impasse. Kevin is discouraged and not sure there is any hope for his marriage, let alone his family or his current work situation.

That is why he picks up the phone and says to Karen, “I have to stay at work until late.” To himself, Kevin admits what he knows is true: tonight, his isolation is an escape. He simply cannot continue to deal with all the conflict.

What Kevin doesn’t know yet is that his unique way of looking at things is by God’s design. Romans 12:6 tells us, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.” Kevin is about to undertake an exciting journey of discovering how his differences with his wife are actually strengths in disguise. As he and his wife unlock those differences, they will find a oneness that leads to an intimacy they have never experienced.

Will You Venture Off the Island?

Right now, although stranded and in distress, Kevin has taken an important step by admitting his isolation. Over the next three articles, I will share parts of Kevin’s journey from isolation to connectedness with his wife – a journey that ultimately impacts relationships with his family, team, and congregation in powerful ways.

As you walk with him, you may find yourself asking the same question he asks himself as he sits alone in his darkening office:

Will you stay exiled on the island of ministry – or will your isolation inspire you to chart a path off the island to lead from your strengths?

Read other articles in our Marriage and Ministry series

Marriage and Ministry, Part 2: Healing Begins With Humility

Marriage and Ministry, Part 3: Your Spouse’s Strengths May Surprise You

Marriage and Ministry, Part 4: Risks and Rewards of Leading From Your Strengths

Every ministry adopts rules that are unique to its culture. Members of your team follow those procedures differently. Some embrace risk and break rules to press forward. Others naturally follow established procedures. Facing risk – along with processing information, solving problems, and managing change – is a key transition facing any ministry team.

As a team conducts ministry, it passes through four inescapable transitions – movements or changes that take the team from one “place” to another. In this part 5 of 5 in our Transition Series, we examine how God provides specific ways your team can thrive through the transition of facing risk.

• Some team members take an pioneering approach to facing risk with a willingness to think “outside the box” and bend procedures in order to find a better way of doing things.
• Some embrace a structured approach to facing risk. Conscientious and analytical, they maintain high standards, pay attention to detail, and yearn to do things “the right way.”

Alex had been senior pastor at a large church only a few weeks when he saw the need to add a Saturday night service to the worship schedule.

Although Pioneering when it came to taking risk, Alex had learned the importance of working alongside Structured risk-takers in ministry.  Before making a quick decision, Alex reined in his pioneering tendencies long enough to invite Joe out for coffee.

Two Different Ways to Face Risk

Joe was a long-time elder and retired attorney. Alex wanted to pick Joe’s brain about the best way to present his new idea – one with considerable risk – to the congregation. The new pastor respected Joe’s spiritual maturity and attention to detail. Yet if he was completely honest, Alex expected resistance when he met with Joe. Wouldn’t stretching the envelope of the established ways set up a battleground?

Fortunately, Joe understood the different approaches to face risk. His bent as a cautious fact-finder meant that he made decisions slowly and deliberately, but he also appreciated the bold energy and willingness that Pioneering risk-takers like Alex brought to a team. “It’s one of the reasons I urged our elder board to hire you,” he told the young pastor.

Alex presented the tremendous opportunity before his congregation: young families and single professionals were moving into their community in droves. The congregation had maxed out its facilities during two Sunday worship services. Adding another worship service was a natural next step. Alex was ready to press forward right away. But that step also meant risk of added expense, recruiting more volunteers for children’s ministries, and additional stress on the worship team. And what if attendance on Sunday dropped off?

Both Strengths Work Together

If Alex had surged ahead impatiently ignoring the need for elder board approval, he may have been labeled as reckless. His plan for expansion would have likely fizzled during the first leadership meeting. And what if Joe had dismissed Alex’s idea simply because it presented a new approach?

But Alex and Joe were both willing to face risk in a way that was different than their usual tactics. Though convinced that an additional worship service was necessary to reach more people in their community, Alex willingly submitted to the proper rules procedure to obtain board approval to add it. Joe, on the other hand, recognized the need for the church to take a calculated risk. In order to reach more people, it needed to be willing to get beyond the status quo. Rather than drag his heels, Joe worked tirelessly to review the church’s procedures and gather data.

Together, he and Alex created a presentation to the board that followed the church’s by-laws, addressed the risks, and offered solutions. The board voted to proceed. Today, the church’s three worship services are consistently full and the leadership team is considering adding a fourth.

Will your team operate by the book or outside the box? Innovation and stability balance each other. That’s why Pioneering risk-takers and Structured risk-takers who understand and value each others’ strengths – leaders like Alex and Joe – can balance each other to protect your ministry and allow it to progress.

Other articles in the Transitions series

Transitions, Part 1: Constructive or Destructive
Transitions, Part 2: Processing Information
Transitions, Part 3: Solving Problems
Transitions, Part 4: Managing Change

Christian life coach Deb Mertin

As Christian life coach Deb Mertin works with leaders she draws on a unique personal perspective, having herself transitioned to professional ministry leadership after 25+ years in the health care field.  ”Some clients are new to leadership and are seeking to clarify their vision for ministry,” Deb says. “Others have held leadership roles for decades, and are often tired or have lost the fire and drive they once had.” Deb focuses on helping leaders move from where they are to where God wants them to be, regardless of their circumstances.

One of her favorite tools is Ministry Insights’ Leading From Your Strengths profile. As leaders discover their strengths, Deb says, “They are without exception delighted and surprised, often invigorated with a new sense of self-understanding and purpose.” That’s what happened when Deb worked with Jerry.

Data Leads to Self-Discovery

Jerry had been a pastor for 30 years. When he first connected with Deb, his self-reported confidence level was 2 (on a scale of 1 to 10.) Jerry increasingly struggled in the pulpit and grappled with growing feelings of inadequacy as a pastor. The stress was taking its toll.

As a way to gather objective data, Deb asked Jerry to complete the Leading From Your Strengths profile assessment. This 10-minute online questionnaire produces a personalized, detailed 20-page report describing individual behavior patterns, specifically highlighting areas in which the individual exhibits strengths. Its perceived accuracy by users is 92.1%. Deb knew that Jerry needed unbiased, trustworthy information to discover his strengths for himself and chart a new strategy to use them.

Data Helps Connect the Dots

“Jerry’s report provided startling, yet concrete data about the way he naturally processed people and information,” said Deb. He scored nearly a 10 (out of 10) as an optimist (one who is friendly, outgoing, and trusting of others), excelled in communicating, and was an excellent teacher. Yet the numbers showed that Jerry had to make significant adaptions when he shared information in front of a group.

“Do you have any idea why there is such a large discrepancy between your obvious excellent communication skills – and the adaptation you make when speaking in public?” Deb asked him.

Jerry was silent for several minutes, but finally answered. “I can’t read properly,” he whispered.

Jerry went on to share with Deb that he had dyslexia, a learning disability that impacts how he recognizes and processes words. When speaking one-on-one or extemporaneously, Jerry thrived. When he needed to refer to his sermon notes, he struggled to read the words. For years, Jerry had kept his dyslexia private.  He was finally able to make the connection with his hesitancy in the pulpit and his energy drain. The weekly effort – and his privacy– required an overwhelming exertion for him, leaving him exhausted and frustrated.

Data Helps Chart a Purposeful Course

When Jerry decided to share his disability with his congregation, he was overwhelmed by their acceptance and empathy. Soon he identified skills he could acquire to become more fluent in public speaking.

“As Jerry set about directing his attention to cultivating his strengths he stepped out into a whole new kind of freedom,” said Deb.  Where he had once focused on his weakness (speaking from a text), Jerry now focused on his strength (his friendly, upbeat interactions with people.) His attitude moved from one of defeat to buoyancy. His ministry flourished. Just as importantly, Jerry was experiencing an overwhelming sense of purpose and satisfaction as a pastor.  When Deb last spoke with Jerry, his confidence level had moved to nearly 10 out of 10. Rather than let his weakness defeat him, Jerry was learning to lead from his strengths.

Self-Understanding: Priceless

Deb cites the overwhelming satisfaction she witnesses in being a part of a leader’s journey  and the privilege she enjoys in taking part in the process. “I have seen it over and over again with my clients,” said Deb. “As a leader discovers his unique strengths he also finds a new or renewed sense of purpose … and experiences the power of God working creatively through him.”

Change is a constant for your team. Like other transitions a team faces (such as processing information and solving problems), your team members manage change in radically different ways.

As a team conducts ministry, it passes through four inescapable transitions – movements or changes that take the team from one “place” to another. In this part 4 of 5 in our Transition Series, we examine how God provides specific ways your team can thrive through the transition of managing change.

• Some team members take a dynamic approach to change and adapt quickly, always alert for opportunities and ready to seize them with energy and enthusiasm.
• Some embrace a predictable approach. They want explanation for change, a clear sense of direction, and time to understand it before they move forward.

The children’s ministry team met to prepare for their fall launch. “Who will be in charge of registration?” Katie asked, looking around the room and acknowledging a volunteer. “OK, thank you, Mike.” Katie looked at the next item on the agenda. She was ready to move forward at a quick pace.

But Joyce raised her hand. “I’m concerned about numbers,” she said. “Last year, we had twice as many children as the year before. What if we double again this year?” Soon the room was peppered with questions. Would there be enough teachers and leaders? Where would the classes meet? Joyce’s question had changed the pace of the meeting.

Katie called the team to order. “I am sure God would not want us to turn anyone away,” she said briskly. “He will want us to figure a way to make it work. Let’s keep going.”

Joyce bristled. In her mind there were too many variables about the exploding children’s program. She desperately wanted to discuss potential scenarios, but Katie had already moved onto the next agenda item.

Two Different Ways to Manage Change

Katie and Joyce represent two opposite approaches to managing change. Both personality types bring strengths to a team.

Katie, a Dynamic, processed the change with energy. She was eager for what growth would bring, confident the team could adjust, and excited to make it happen. Dynamics like Katie bring enthusiasm to a team.

Joyce, however, preferred a more deliberate approach. As a Predictable, she needed reasons why the team would make extra efforts to accommodate more children and time to adjust before she could buy in to the changes. She brought stability to the team.

Each approach also represents a unique pace: multi-tasking, intense urgency from the Dynamic and the Predictable’s unhurried, methodical steadiness. These strengths can collide to create turbulence and conflict – or balance each other to navigate change in a healthy way.

Both Strengths Work Together

The situation might have created a deep rift in the team. Fortunately, Katie and Joyce both understood their personalities when it came to facing change. While Katie was the team leader, she knew that her Dynamic tendency was to sprint through issues quickly and keep the conversation moving, even discussing many things at once. But she recognized the need to address issues one by one for Predictables in the group like Joyce. Likewise, once Joyce realized there was the opportunity to reach more families if the ministry expanded, she was willing to consider different ways to conduct the program than the team had in the past.

The next meeting began this way: “Registrations are up considerably from last year,” Katie said. “Let’s take some time to think about how we can manage this. Joyce, do you have some input?”

Will your team race through change or take a slower pace? Speed and deliberation balance each other. That’s why Dynamics and Predictables who understand and value each others’ strengths – and intentionally work to blend together – can be a recipe for success.

Other articles in the Transitions series

Transitions, Part 1: Constructive or Destructive?
Transitions, Part 2: Processing Information
Transitions, Part 3: Solving Problems
Transitions, Part 5: Facing Risk

Every day your team is bombarded with new problems it must solve, both big and small. Problem-solving is an important transition (like processing information) that each member of your team approaches in a unique way.

As a team conducts ministry, it passes through four inescapable transitions – movements or changes that take the team from one “place” to another. In this part 3 of 5 in our Transition Series, we examine how God provides specific ways your team can thrive through the transition of solving problems.

• Some team members will approach problem-solving aggressively, charging forward with energy and determination.
• Some will approach problem-solving reflectively, tending to be cautious and conservative. They prefer to make decisions deliberately after carefully weighing the facts.

Both aggressive problem-solvers and reflective problem-solvers bring strengths to your team. Just ask the church building committee that included Keith and Jennifer.

Two Approaches to Problem-Solving

Keith, a local real estate agent, was chairman of the congregation’s building committee – a crucial role because the church had outgrown its rental space in a local school and desperately needed to build its own facility. As an Aggressive problem-solver, Keith was often impatient and acted quickly, pushing a team to a solution. Those same traits meant he regularly got results.

Imagine the scene when Keith was joined by committee co-chair, Jennifer, to look at a 25-acre lot offered to the church prior to being placed on the market. Jennifer, a Reflective problem-solver, was a CPA with a methodical approach and vigilant attention to detail. As the duo viewed the property, Keith grew increasingly excited. The location, land contour, and price were ideal. The church would need to act quickly to secure a deal. Keith was ready to sign a contract before even consulting with the committee. But Jennifer was more cautious and pulled back. She wanted to study finance options before presenting the option to the committee.

Fortunately, both Keith and Jennifer used their unique problem-solving skills to work together for a solution.

The Turbulence of Push and Pull

These two approaches to problem solving can be described as “pushing” and “pulling.” Aggressive problem-solvers like Keith are eager to push through to achieve a solution. Their drive motivates others and can propel a team to move forward. Reflective problem-solvers like Jennifer may insist on studying the problem thoroughly before even thinking about potential solutions, pulling back to take time to consider all options.

Yet these same strengths can spell turbulence when not kept in balance. If Aggressives are not careful, their strengths can lead them to clash with other Aggressives who are equally forceful – or intimidate Reflectives and lose out on their valuable input. Conversely, a team’s forward motion can grind to a halt as the reflective Jennifers of the world pull back. But when team members understand the need to both push and pull – and even find value in the opposite approach – the team can become stronger.

Push and Pull Balance Each Other

Neither Keith and Jennifer insisted on solving the problem their own way. Instead, they recognized that each had strengths that could contribute to a good solution for their church. Keith used his authoritative manner to persuade the seller to postpone listing the property. His push bought some extra time for Jennifer to check out details.  Meanwhile, Jennifer immersed herself in researching financing options and discovered a little-known source for funding. Her pullback ultimately saved the church thousands of dollars. The committee made an offer on the property which was immediately accepted.

When it comes to solving problems, both Aggressives and Reflectives are valuable. Pushing and pulling don’t need to compete with one another. Instead, they can balance one another – and complete your team.

Read more in our Transitions series

Transitions, Part 1: Constructive or Destructive?
Transitions, Part 2: Processing Information
Transitions, Part 4: Managing Change
Transitions, Part 5: Facing Risk

How do your team members trust others and the information they receive? Chances are good that people on your team process information in different ways.

As a team conducts ministry, it passes through four inescapable transitions – movements or changes that take the team from one “place” to another. In this part 2 of 5 in our Transition Series, we examine how God provides specific ways your team can thrive through the transition of processing information.

• Some members of your team will process information through the lens of optimism, always thinking the best and being ready to trust.
• Some members of your team will  process information with realism, waiting to trust until they can validate and analyze details.

Both approaches – the Optimist and the Realist – bring value to a team. Take the case of Jeff and Carl, leaders in a large missions organization.

Optimists and Realists Process Information Differently

CEO Jeff, an optimist, was a visionary type who excelled at sharing about the ministry’s work. His passion for missions spilled over into his presentations. He relied heavily on emotion and story to influence others, and did not let the ministry’s financial crisis stand in the way of his exciting vision-casting with donors.

Carl, the CFO, used an altogether different approach when sharing information. As a realist (and accountant), facts and data were important to him. Carl placed a high level of importance on organizing details meticulously and presenting them accurately. Carl could have let Jeff’s optimism frustrate him.

Fortunately, these two leaders came to understand and appreciate how they each processed information.

Turbulence and Trust

When it comes to processing information, a key issue on a team is trust. Optimists and Realists sort through trust differently.

Optimists like Jeff are trusting of the information they give and receive to others. They believe the best of everyone. Jeff, for instance, believed strongly that the ministry’s finances would work themselves out because 1. Its mission work impacted thousands of lives and 2. For decades, generous donors had stepped up to provide support.

Realists like Carl look for proof. They are skeptical in nature, and want verification so they know they’re making a good decision. Carl’s carefully-prepared graphs and his analysis of the current economic forecast left him unconvinced that the ministry could sit back and “do nothing.”

It’s Not Just About Processing Information. It’s About Processing People, Too.

Team turbulence can surge between Optimists and Realists as a result of how they process the information itself and how they digest the information about each other. Jeff may construe Carl’s weekly reports as an attack on his ability to lead or his ineffectiveness with donors. Carl may wrongly interpret Jeff’s emotional outbursts as mistrust – or even condemnation for a lack of faith. But if team members can trust how the others process information – and even find value in their approach –  the team can become stronger.

Understanding Leads to Unity

Fortunately Jeff and Carl have come to recognize that their differences in processing information are, in actual fact, strengths. They have learned to value each others’ approach and even rely on it, developing a sense of trust in the process. Jeff uses Carl’s financial charts and projects in major donor meetings to secure significant gifts. As Carl grows more familiar with Jeff’s stories, he creates customized reports for Jeff to use when presenting the vision about specific projects. Understanding has become a source of strength on this team.

Trust or verify: which is the best way for a team to process information? The answer is “Yes!” Both Optimists and Realists bring their strengths to a team – and complete it.

Read more in our Team Transitions series

Transitions, Part 1: Constructive or Destructive?
Transitions, Part 3: Solving Problems
Transitions, Part 4: Managing Change
Transitions, Part 5: Facing Risk

I know which kind of team I prefer. I’m sure you do, too. If you’ve worked or volunteered at any level in a church, ministry, or organization, you have experienced one, the other, or both firsthand.

This is part 1 of a 5-part series where we will examine the four inescapable transitions a team faces … and the specific ways God has provided for your team to thrive through them, rather than merely survive.

Why are some teams a hotbed of discord and strife? Or a place in which conflict is not articulated but seems to simmer beneath the surface in a status quo environment … one in which the team appears to be unable to accomplish much of anything.

Yet other teams work in sync together and achieve more than individual members do separately, truly modeling the principle “the whole is greater than sum of its parts.”

The exciting news is that a team dynamic can be realigned, moving from destructive to constructive. The answer lies in understanding some key elements at work in any transition.

What are Transitions?

Transitions are movements in ministry. They involve the passage from one “place” to another. And they involve both process and people. This is where things start to break down.

Transitions Create Turbulence

Each transition must pass through the following grid, no matter how big or small.

1. Processing information
2. Problem solving
3. Managing change
4. Facing risk

In this series, we will call these the “Four Inescapable Areas of Transitions.” Yet while this list may look like a simple four-step process, the reality is that each person on the team will approach these areas differently.

• Some people will look at the information through the lens of optimism,  think the problem is simple, and believe that a quick fix is in order. Their approach: “Let’s make the change now!”
• Some will want to validate and analyze the information more thoroughly, concluding that the problem might be more complicated than it appears. Their approach: “Let’s consider this carefully and create a well thought out plan before making a change.”

Teams face transition even when they don’t choose to do so. Consider a traditional congregation. Attendance has remained consistent over a couple of decades. So has its worship style and humanitarian work in the community.

No change, right? Wrong. The average parishioner age is now 15 years older than two decades ago. The congregation has aged. The needs for that population are different than they used to be. Further, some members are eager to reach out to younger people in the community, while other members want to continue their ministry as is saying, “It’s always worked this way – we don’t need to change anything.” This church is in the midst of transition – and cannot escape the need to face it.

Turbulence Creates Team Work

It is God’s design for each team member to approach the transition in a unique way. Naturally, a team is a combination of these individual approaches. Members can be most effective when they’re aware of the strengths they offer the group. But each member’s self-awareness is just the first step in building an effective team. What if each member clearly understood what strengths others brought to the team – and truly valued their contributions? This is where a team moves from destructive to constructive.

In 1 Corinthians 12 the Apostle Paul likens a team to the human body. He explains that each person plays a unique role in allowing the team to function well. “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12, NIV).

Together, the parts of the Body – and the members of your team – are stronger together than they are separately. The whole, in actual fact, becomes greater than the sum of its parts. And God has uniquely arranged them to work together to face any transition.

More articles in our Transitions series

Transitions, Part 2: Processing Information
Transitions, Part 3: Solving Problems
Transitions, Part 4: Managing Change
Transitions, Part 5: Facing Risk