Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Why Can’t I Hold This Together”

If you are struggling to simply hold your team together, stop.  When you’re in a hole stop digging.  Go back to the basics.  Reevaluate your value proposition and go back to the basics of leadership.

Leadership – Bringing out the best in others

Your first position of leadership is with your home.  Make sure your struggles and frustrations aren’t misplaced.  You are the spiritual head of your home and your family is counting on you.  Go out for coffee or dinner with your wife and evaluate where you are and where you need to be.  Be clear on your why’s.

Gather the faithful.  Gather you core leadership team and meet away from Royal Rangers.  We sometimes get frustrated with the list of tasks and don’t always recognize the abilities to get them accomplished.  God’s promise is that He will make them able.  Ask open ended questions of your team and see where their heart is.  You might be surprised.

Create an atmosphere of gratitude.  It’s easy for all of us to feel a sense of gratitude to our fellow commanders but it hard, deliberate work to express that gratitude.  A team that celebrates their victories together and feels a mutual appreciation sticks together.  You value what you esteem.

Delegation – The seeds of passion and position

Delegation will water the seeds of passion and position and create a team solidly committed to the goal.

You might survive a calendar year doing all on you own, but it’s only a matter of time before you team dissolves and your Royal Ranger Boys show up in the absentee column.  If everyone does a little no one has to do a lot.  It’s not about lightening your load although that is a benefit.  It’s about giving you Commanders a stake in the team’s success and giving them a sense of belonging.  If you don’t use them, you will lose them.   Give up your hold on perfection.  If it’s worth doing it’s worth doing badly, (C.J. Chesterton), or if you prefer, doing is better than not doing perfectly.

Release their inner creator (Commander John J.).  It has been so fun to watch the creativity emerge from a commander that has found his seat on the bus.

Camaraderie – The table that gathers the family

We’re all in this together.  Camaraderie take time to develop and only a well-planned year will bring you to this level of fellowship.  Here are a few tips:

Learn their story.  Behind every set of eyes is a story and knowing the story goes a long way toward deep meaningful friendship that can serve in this frontline ministry.  Take time to break bread

Take time to break bread.  Plan a few meals.  Pot lucks keep the bugget manageable.  A few games will break the ice.  And, a shot, sweet devotion at the end will keep Christ at the center.

Keep a record of birthdays and anniversaries.  Take note of surgeries, kids graduations.

Accountability

Accountability gets a bad rap.  It should never be used to create “gotcha moments”.  Accountability is all about measuring the right things to secure success of your goals.  Here are a few key areas to maintain a cadence of accountability:

• Date night
• Weekly email communication
• Attendance and follow up
• Ranger weekly meeting debriefs