Leverage

Teams have potential leverage which far exceeds the sum of the individuals.  History is littered with examples of how people working together achieve far beyond anyone’s imagination.  From building sites to rescues and physical achievements, one can find examples of what can happen when people work, struggle, and leverage off of each other’s efforts, abilities, and sometimes just presence.  Given the living illustrations, one wonders why it is so difficult to trust in teams today.
 
From my experience I can testify to the magical mystery experienced within great teams.  I have been extremely lucky to have been part of some great teams.  This are two words I find linked to teams.  The first is trust, the second less well known, a feeling of trust and peace.  The former is of no surprise, or at least it shouldn’t be.  Leadership, in any circumstance, is always linked in some way to trust.  Trust is something that can be built, often requires nurturing, and even when it is strong, inherently vulnerable to certain types of events.
 
Peace is a word that is often misused.  People often believe that peace and tranquility go hand in hand; maybe but not required.  Some think peace and smooth sailing are tightly linked; can be but again not always.  There are a few assuming peace and comfort are correlated.  I have never found this to be true!  Peace in the context of teams is the sense of right, knowledge of purpose, and experiential confidence in the roles others will play in achieving the goal in which all will benefit.
 
I love teams, real teams that struggle together against the odds, work together in ways nobody expected including the team themselves, and who win.  These attributes always seem linked in a way I cannot explain which brings me to Divinity’s team.  Jesus commented about leadership in this way.  “I am the Good Shepherd.  I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me.”  (John 10.14)  The team potential is clearly here.  God is willing to be one with us.  The choice is always ours.