Leaders help people. It is the role of the leader to create environments where people can grow both personally and professionally. One of the best ways to do this is by creating shared experiences for your team to grow.
In Developing the Leaders Around You, John Maxwell shared three approaches he uses to grow team members. Every church leader should adapt these different environments to insure that everyone on their team has an opportunity to grow.
Monthly Leadership Development
The first environment should be a time of leadership development that occurs once a month. This can easily be implemented by designating one staff meeting a month for leadership development. There are a variety of possibilities that you can utilize for this meeting: book studies, teaching leadership lessons, analyzing case studies, watching and discussing videos. I believe this will soon become the most anticipated meeting you team has each month. The key to success of this monthly environment is applying what is learned.
Periodic Projects
The second environment for growth occurs when you have three or four team members cooperate on a project that requires them to learn. This can take on different shapes and sizes. You may pull together people from different departments to work together on anything from creating a system for connecting new guests to designing your Easter services. The key is to stretch your team and build relational bonds across departments.
Annual Conferences
The third environment for your team to grow is accomplished by sending them to conferences, workshops, seminars, and other development opportunities. Strive to send your team to a conference once a year. If budget is a concern, there are plenty of free/inexpensive conferences that your team can attend online. When they return, have them teach the rest of the team what they’ve learned.
No matter how you do it, remember that it is every leaders responsibility to orchestrate the team’s growth.
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