Leadership is a key component to the advancement and completion of the Great Commission. Workers are still obediently going among those who desperately need to hear and respond to the Gospel. With the limited resources of the sending church, whether from the West or Global South, the importance of caring for these workers 1 and teams, 2 both full time and in the marketplace, largely falls under the role of the appointed team leader, 3 ideally in close proximity.
Having served in missions for some thirty years, spanning different continents, countries, people groups, languages, and roles, this chapter, focusing on qualities of a good team leader, draws mainly from my personal experiences and observations. While a plethora of books on leadership exists, my discourse here will highlight the practical side of leadership, which promotes healthy and thriving team dynamics proven to transcend time, geography, variances in vision, purposes, and a leader’s particular management style.
Over many decades of observation, certain elements have surfaced. Current leaders must pay closer attention to the increasingly volatile and harsh global environments, coupled with limited resources and access. Thus, effective team leaders must also factor in the workers’ needs, including the sense of belonging to a community, concrete affirmation, and a trustworthy member care program. In short, the sending church or organization needs to operate from the premise that “people (the worker) are our greatest resource.” Therefore, the receiving team and team leaders must be good stewards of these workers and effectively create a culture wherein these women and men thrive.
The following leadership qualities are central to creating, maintaining, and growing healthy workers and teams in the cross-cultural mission context. My comments and illustrations are offered to give context and suggested application.
Pastoral Heart: Shepherd
In order to complete the task of the Great Commission, workers must be sent to increasingly complex places and to people more hostile to the message and messenger. This can lead to a volatile, unstable life for workers. Pandemics, coups d’états, Arab Springs, economic shifts, displaced peoples, moral and ethical testings testify to the global ruptures and groaning. Into this arena enters the “sent one,” whether full-time or as a marketplace worker, 4 bringing their own personal baggage potentially filled with issues such as abuse, broken marriages, estranged family members, hurts, and fears.
In actuality, this is the same procedure from when Jesus sent out and commissioned His initial workers. The biblical formula was “broken men and women for a broken world.” Those first apostles, flawed and yet faithful, were launched into a similar hostile scenario.
One never forgets the lessons during their initial years in the cross-cultural context. Throughout our years in ministry, my wife and I have witnessed the consequences of team leaders whose focus was primarily on reaching the locals with little attention to the workers. Our colleagues faced huge family, health, and spiritual issues, but they had no place, no ear to hear, and no shoulder to lean into. Visits by our leaders were seldom. The unspoken value was that you had to be tough and push through alone or go home. Sadly, the toll began to show as avoidable attrition set in among the workers. Had leaders stepped in and demonstrated appropriate care and concern, perhaps these hurting workers could have survived and stayed. During these initial years, we knew leaders, including us, needed to shift their leadership approach. And so began our thirty-year journey of making sure our leadership approach promoted a culture of healthy and thriving workers.
Topping the list of essential team leader qualities is the need for a pastoral heart. John’s record of the life of Jesus concludes with His last encounter with Peter. Jesus was about to leave His earthly ministry and needed His workers, like Peter, to not miss the basics of what it meant to be an apostle. Jesus’ final advice was to “Feed my lambs … take care of my sheep … feed my sheep” (John 21:15-17). Workers, just like any other sheep, require shepherding. Cross-cultural front-line workers of the Gospel need battlefront care.
I recall many times attempting to promote the value of caring for team members and peers. Often the conversation started with, “…I am not here to care or serve my teammates. I am here only for the locals. My purpose is to fulfill the vision, which does not include caring for my colleagues.” Team leaders must incorporate the biblical value of what it means to shepherd those within their care. The leader needs to assume this role and actively seek ways to minister to those under their care. Granted, some organizations have designated member care personnel and resources, but it is the front-line leader who can be the first to respond and make sure the sheep are fed and taken care of. Nothing replaces those onsite and in proximity.
Personally, we have served as team leaders and regional leaders. Sometimes the direct oversight was only a handful of family units. Other times, our circle included dozens of units spread over two continents and many countries. Yet, our approach has always been to care for the whole person, no matter their position or line of authority. For example, whenever we are with one of our team members, we purposefully address the various aspects of their lives, not just their ministry. “How is the family? Children? Extended family? Are you able to get away as a couple or single? What has God been saying to you during your quiet times with Him? Are you able to exercise? What do you do to relax?”
When face to face is not possible, one of the best tools we have used is a two-page fillable document called a “monthly check-in.” Before our contact, the worker responds to a set of open-ended questions, which help direct the later call. Divided into two sections, the first section addresses “How are you feeling?” with an image of a coffee cup and four markers: “Physically I’m feeling __; Spiritually I’m feeling __; Emotionally I’m feeling ___; Relationally I’m feeling ___.” They grade themselves by answering either “I feel like my cup is: 1. full and hot; 2. over 1/2 full and good; 3. 1/2 full and maintaining; 4. less than 1/2 full and cooling; or 5. to the dregs and cold.”
The rest of the check-in asks about activities, struggles, and issues to be discussed. As team leaders, just knowing their “cup” levels sets the tone and direction of the conversation. Often, I would have ministry or administration issues requiring attention, but having heard their hearts set the tone and pace of the call.
As leaders, we immerse ourselves as much into the lives of those under our care and authority as possible. Leaders need to devote significant amounts of time to developing a relationship with their colleagues. One of the most enjoyable aspects of our role as leaders is the opportunity to visit the workers. We would be amiss if the bulk of the time was business only. Our visits were primarily focused on deepening relationships. This would include times with the whole family, visiting in their homes, talking and playing with their kids, enjoying meals together, and allowing our hearts to be knit together. I have witnessed leaders attempting to deal with complex issues with little foundational relationship. Some of the most critical conversations are not had in the official debriefs, but in the evenings sitting in their homes, coffee in hand, hearing their hearts.
Trustworthy
Flowing directly from the shepherd quality is the byproduct of deep cultivated relationships between leader and worker. Perhaps the greatest test of leaders is when they utter, “just trust me.” So often, I have had to make unpopular decisions and could not explain or defend my reasons for doing so. I needed the worker to trust me and accept the decision with open hands.
Trust is in short supply in the current climate, especially towards leaders. The present flavour of our Western culture is a call for greater transparency, especially among the authorities. Perhaps social media has fueled this desire, but it is a poor platform for true relationships. Leaders need to understand that being transparent and authentic are the foundations of trust. And trust is earned and built over time.
Early on in my career, a regional leader paid his first visit. Among the many topics of orientation, one piece of advice stands out. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of coins. “These coins add up to one dollar. At the start of your leadership position, you have been given one dollar worth of trust. Soon you will need to spend some trust coins as you make decisions that may not be popular. Some of these decisions will cost you a quarter, others a dime. Unless you intentionally replenish your trust currency, one day, you will need to make a nickel decision, something minor, but you may run out of trust coins. Leaders can’t make decisions without earned trust. So be smart and keep earning trust.”
I have witnessed many good team leaders who failed to build trust and then faced a rebellion in their ranks while scratching their heads. On the other side, there are those leaders who make poor decisions but are quickly forgiven and afforded more grace, all because they sowed and reaped trust among their team members.
Crisis Manager
While notable team leaders are good shepherds for the daily rhythms of a cross-cultural worker, there will come those moments when they need to deal with a crisis. It may be personal, family, relational, team-related, political, health issues, evacuation, or death. After years of cross-cultural ministry, I can attest to dealing with these examples of crisis multiple times, often in succession. There will be those moments when a team leader will receive “the call” in the middle of the night or may sense a growing issue has now turned into a crisis demanding immediate action.
It is in these crisis moments that leaders are tested the most. This is when we must “carry each other’s burden” (Galatians 6:2). A good team leader will seize the crisis, dissect the main causes, discern the course of action, and lead the charge others will follow. For several years, I taught a course for mission leaders on crisis management and have made several observations.
First, those who performed best in a crisis were able to take charge, mindful of the shepherding needs. Decisions, often challenging ones, need to be made in quick succession, no matter one’s leadership style in a crisis. Policies and contingency plans make sense on paper, but implementing them without causing further emotional and relational harm requires team leaders to consider the pastoral care elements. Often this is where trust coins are quickly used up, so make sure your bank account is topped up!
Second, those leaders who are most successful in leading through a crisis were prepared. Prior to any crisis event, they prepared their teams for possibilities. Discussions, possible scenarios, and eventual guidelines and plans were recorded and agreed upon by all. The moment a crisis hits, the team leader will be able to reference these guidelines and enact the actionable items but now have the space to inject the member care elements that are most often unwritten.
Finally, those leaders who faired the best in a crisis knew their limits, were able to deal with pressure, and had a deep dependency on the Spirit’s guidance. These attributes are not suddenly acquired in a crisis but are developed before the storm. If leaders self-identify they may lack knowledge or ability regarding a potential crisis issue, they will seek resources and people to fill that gap. Minor crisis issues will afford telltale indications of how leaders fare in their decision-making process, their ability to deal with the weight and the depth of a relationship with God.
Builder
Another quality team leaders must exhibit is being a builder. In most cases, team leaders inherit the members of their team. Drafting and vetting team members before they arrive in-country is most often not an option. The challenge of a team leader is knowing how to come alongside a collection of workers and create a vibrant, healthy, synchronizing team that has a Kingdom impact.
Therefore, a team leader should be able to discern and parse out the various personalities, determine what gifts need to be utilized and affirmed, and identify what ingredients and talents are lacking. Early on, a team leader should implement a training session whereby the members are put on a trajectory of self-discovery while gaining a measure of understanding and appreciation for their teammates. There are various tools on personality and gifting available, but knowing when to implement them in the team’s development is key.
In one team scenario, their growth numerically outpaced their growth relationally. Personality clashes abounded, and misunderstandings mounted. As the regional leader, I was called in as an outsider to help “fix” the issue. I quickly identified the team leaders never led them in any exercise to help them to self-identify their own personalities, never mind helping them appreciate the uniqueness of their teammates. Conflicts were a mixture and overlap of issues, including generational and educational differences, cultural and mother tongue gaps, and families and singles perspectives. I needed to begin slowly, working through the various layers. This was not a quick fix, but it did require establishing foundational truth. During one of the sessions where I decided to utilize a simple personality test, I saw lights turn on. It was as if at the moment many team members were finally able to claim publicly how God had made them; members began their journey of expressing their appreciation for their uniqueness.
Team leaders are often tasked with vision casting and building. Yet no vision can be realized without an adequately built team. The more solid a foundation is laid, the more the team can sustain and have capacity.
Equipper
Part of the builder concept is also being an equipper. A team leader desires to build a team that then allows ongoing equipping. Perhaps the word of a house construction is apropos. The team is a house. It has a structure, materials, organization, and function. The building of a team is the initial cement foundation and roughing in the walls and roof. Equipping is like furnishings, chairs, beds, and appliances. A team leader will be actively seeking out and offering their team more effective and efficient. There is no place to house the equipment without a minimal structural building.
One of the signs of a quality worker I look for is their pursuit of excellence and an attitude of lifelong learning. Leaders will then be able to equip them as there is an established track and posture. At least once a year, team leaders should sit down with each team member and plan their learning pursuits. The conversation should include an honest look into both where they are presently equipped and functioning, as well as areas they lack and need to sharpen. For example, I have sat in these equipping moments and found many workers will simply gravitate towards affirming what they already know and are adept at. A teacher will look to a course about teaching, or a medical worker will often only look for another course in a medical procedure. Yet, what they truly need is a seminar on conflict management or how to communicate with supporters. These are critical inputs team leaders need to have with each worker so they “equip his people for works of service” (Ephesians 4:10-12).
Identifier
It is in this vein of being a builder and equipper where the issue of preparing the next generation of leadership emerges. Unfortunately, over the last number of decades, there seems to be a decline in those who desire or aspire to any leadership level. There are many reasons for this shyness, but perhaps one tried and true solution is current team leaders intentionally building and equipping those who are potential leaders.
Survey any leader today, and they will testify about someone in their life who purposefully influenced and mentored them. For the mission leader, we have a natural training ground and relational opportunity within our teams to identify and equip emerging leaders. Team leaders should be praying and seeking out those on their teams who are potential and natural leaders. There should be an intentional plan and purpose to allow these individuals to explore, experience, and be affirmed in leadership.
During our first year, barely speaking the local language, I was cast into a cross-cultural setting way beyond my Western experience and education. Yet, the saving grace was being paired with a local pastor. I travelled extensively with him and saw him minister. I was often clueless as to why he acted or spoke as he did, but he modelled for me what it means to be a leader in his culture. And then he allowed me, a young worker, to get my hands dirty, stand up before the crowds, stumble around, and falter often. He saw something in me I did not see. Team leaders need to do this for their team members.
Visionary
In most teams, there is a shared ministry vision. Goals, action steps, and measurements cascade from these visions. This preferred future drives these men and women to leave their home nations and immerse themselves in their host cultures. The power of the vision initially captures the worker’s heart, but it is the nurturing of the vision that propels them forward. Team leaders need to be keepers of the vision.
The complexity of cross-cultural engagement often clouds the vision. Life takes over. Housing, visas, schooling, and maintaining health may take precedence over the ministry’s vision. Eventually, if the vision is not adequately attended to, the worker may throw up their hands and cry, “what am I doing here? I am just wasting my time!” Team leaders, this is where you are the vision keeper for the team.
A vision keeper is one who not only understands the vision statement and can articulate it but intentionally and continually reiterates, restates, and reframes it. In addition, team leaders should emphasize why the team is here and how the team’s actions contribute towards the preferred future.
One of the challenges facing teams and team leaders is when workers either never accept the vision or lose sight of the vision. If team leaders neglect the common vision, workers will naturally insert their own agendas. If left unchecked, team members will often drift, exhibiting disinterest in the team and favouring their side projects. Teams often face high attrition rates due to the trend towards shorter ministry commitment. With each new team member, the vision needs to be revisited and reaffirmed often. Historical vision needs to be a present reality. Team leaders need to be vision keepers.
Communicator
Another timeless quality of effective workers and team leaders is good communication skills. As team leaders are tasked with the qualities mentioned above, each is inherently tied to being a good communicator. Transmitting vision, promoting and executing change, building and equipping workers, migrating through a crisis, and shoulder tapping potential leaders all require leaders to develop good listening skills and the ability of “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15).
One of the differences between a leader and a good leader is the ability to “hear” what is not spoken. Some workers are excellent and forthright in speaking their hearts, but many are unable or unwilling to express their concerns aloud. As a team leader, I receive countless communications via emails, texts, and other social media platforms. Each medium and electronic message demands greater care than an oral conversation. I am learning to interpret not only the issue but what are the unspoken motives. Equally as critical is my response and interaction. The rule of thumb is the higher the intensity of the issue, the greater the care in which words are chosen. Many times, emails are edited repeatedly before being sent and many only responded to with a covering of prayer.
Team leaders should be able to draw out the issue behind the issue from workers. There are many occasions when a worker’s response is un-Christlike. Perhaps a word or phrase is misspoken. A negative feeling is expressed out of context, like a bubble floating in the air which drifts away and pops afar. A good quality of a team leader is to not only see those “bubbles” but capture them and explore the source. Many conflicts could have been dealt with before they escalated if only team leaders had addressed them when the early signs were noted.
Able to Manage Diversity
Team leading has always been about managing diversity. The collaboration of just two individuals, for example, in marriage, requires understanding and appreciating personality differences, celebrating cultural upbringings, and allowances in perspectives being equally valid. Teams inherently are comprised of a mixture of ages, experiences, and education. Ministry teams add cultural backgrounds, mother tongues, and world-views to the list. Thus, team dynamics, beyond the building and equipping, requires team leaders to navigate diversity.
Team leaders should be cultural interpreters of their host culture and their teams. Most of the teams I have been part of or have led have included diverse cultures. The error has been the majority culture often ignoring minority cultures within their teams. This has been one of the breeding grounds for conflict. Thus, team leaders need to be proactive in acknowledging the diversity and allowing it to shape the team.
Fellowship and authority are likely two of the most apparent differences on most teams. How team members fellowship creates unity. A worker may not come from a culture where playing board games is practiced. If the only fellowship time is around game night, the team member may never be integrated. Common fellowship practices need to be discovered and encouraged by team leaders. The same for authority structures. Age versus majority votes is antithesis. Western workers may feel comfortable with an appointed young woman to be their team leader, but someone from the Global South may favour age and experience. Team leaders need to navigate these waters in order to build, equip, and lead a healthy and thriving diverse team.
A final point regarding diversity, and likely the most critical in my years of team ministry, is the prominence of couple leaders. I have been incredibly blessed in most of my leadership scenarios, for I have co-led with my wife. Granted, many cultures are still male-dominated, and I had to take the lead. Yet, co-leading with my spouse has allowed me to lean into my male perspective while my wife offers a woman’s heart and passion. As a habit, we debrief after each meeting with a team or a member. “What did you hear? What did you sense? I missed that!” As regional leaders, we travelled and ministered together in many countries, depending on each other’s unique abilities. On the rare chance we needed to make a solo trip, we were definitely handicapped and missed “reading the signs” our spouse would have naturally picked up on. Considering the majority of cross-cultural workers are female should provoke organizations and sending agencies in embracing a couple leader model.
Conclusion
Obviously, this topic needs more attention than a single chapter. Yet it is with humbleness I offer my observations and suggestions to the reader. My attempt is not to set an unattainable bar, but to call leaders to pay attention to the care dimension of the team dynamic. All of these qualities are ones I am growing in and constantly addressing. The offer is to reflect on some of these qualities and press into the ones relevant to you. Finally, I urge you to seek out mentors and peer team leaders who will “spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24).
“Now may the God of peace— who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood— may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen” (Hebrews 13:20-22 NLT). 5
This is an excerpt from the book, On Mission Volume 4. Download your free copy today.
- worker = those sent or commissioned by a church or organization to advance the Gospel in another cross-cultural context. This can span from those who are fully supported by donations to those who are self-supported in the marketplace.
- team = those who work together in a cross-cultural context toward a common ministry goal. They may or may not be sent by the same organization, but have a collective tie necessitating collaboration.
- team leader = someone who has a formal, recognized leadership role over other workers or a team of workers.
- marketplace worker = a professional employed globally and living as salt and light in that global context (e.g. baker, teacher, consultant, restaurant owner, etc.)
- Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.