A book critique team leadership in christian ministry using multiple gifts to build a unified vision bY kENNETH o. gANGEL free essay sample

â€Å"Team leadership is the exercise of one’s spiritual gifts under the call of God to serve a certain group of people in achieving the goals God has given them toward the end of glorifying Christ.† Author Kenneth O. Gangel states this in no uncertain terms in his book, Team Leadership in Christian Ministry: Using Multiple Gifts to Build a Unified Vision. This helps serve as foundational posts from which he tackles his points in the book. All else anchors on this definition of team leadership. It is the same in terms of the secular viewpoint where people are able to exercise their talents and abilities to the maximum, except of course, this one has the end goal of glorifying Christ. This paper delves into the different elements of team leadership and how one can move beyond his comfort zone into a most fulfilling exercise of leading with and through others. Gangel’s idea of team leadership Gangel’s idea of a â€Å"home team† best illustrates what he means and if done in a church set-up can be a very effective kind of leadership. Of course, essential in all these are committed men and women who fulfill the impulse to improve themselves and who determine the direction a mission will take, possessing a strong commitment to values. This is the factor that ultimately motivates people to stay despite various pressures. In the church set-up, for example, it is one thing to have a vision of touching the lives of young people. Such goal is noble and grand. But it is another thing to stay on course despite the tediousness of tasks, or to remain cool, calm and collected when people behave differently from what one had expected. As the complexity of the church ministry increases, coordination relies increasingly on the use of direct supervision with team leaders tasked to provide feedback and communication at all times. So, with increased organizational complexity comes an increased need to manage human activities. The leaders are challenged to meld the demands of the church and the needs of the individual workers into a functioning whole. What Gangle is saying is that real motivation catches internally, after the mission is clear. Peak performers draw productivity from deeper reserves that are inexhaustible – from the sources of motivation. One can tell people to value excellence. He can insist that they increase their productivity. He can emphasize the need for changing their behavior. He can attempt to train people and motivate them to upgrade their job skills and increase their effectiveness. But until an individual in the church ministry sees that leadership is one of servanthood, there is no real team leadership. Gangle maintains that efficient means of keeping people associated with the values and goals of an organization is by developing a culture that encourages people to focus on a higher purpose for their work. Values that support this kind of consistent operation include the idea that people are basically, good, rational and interested in achievement. Leaders that unify members believe that the individual has something to contribute to the church. The bottom line for church leaders who want to create a culture of success is to start with creating a positive environment. They need to bring in people whose values are in line with the organization’s culture, and continue to acknowledge success and involve the whole organization in maintaining an environment that allows people to enjoy working hard to meet the church’s goals (Newstrom Davis 2002). Functions of Team Leadership Gangel not only makes a sweeping statement about team leadership and its features, for it is all too easy to say that one leaves one’s comfort zone and work things out with others. He also provides a biblical foundation for this team leadership model that he elucidates in his book. He emphasizes that it is not dogmatic control or personality worship because that can easily crumble in the light of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, which is one of humility. It has also no room for political power play for the entire team shares leadership even as there is a leader at the helm of it all. To solidify his statements, he gives examples of Biblical characters whose kind of leadership provide exemplary examples of deeds worth noting in his team leadership model. An example is Paul who gently encourages Christians in his writings. Another example is Barnabas who provides venues so that people are able to develop and enhance their own gifts. And the ultimate example of this team leadership is Jesus Christ who chooses not one or two disciples, but twelve willing and humble people with the spirit of servitude and humility. Shift in Leadership Philosophy Gangel emphasizes a shift in leadership philosophy citing George Weber’s observation that â€Å"historic-command-structure organization is dead.† (Gangel, p. 15). He further emphasizes that the leader of tomorrow according to Weber must be a tireless, inventive, observant, risk taking and ever-hopeful builder and enabler of management and leadership teams within and among the organization’s constituent parts.† Gangel shares this observation of Weber stating that he sees team leadership in a church set-up as one with a Biblical mandate to it. He then supports his ideas by reflecting on the importance of clear-cut ministry philosophy with specific objectives firmly anchored on the Word of God. Yet, he observes that there are a lot of churches where these elements are already absent and so he brings us back to the time when early church scholars analyzed the church. (p. 16). Gangel’s posits on the different kinds of leadership from the earliest times and he prepares the readers to grasp what he will elucidate in the next pages on the true role of a team leader. Gangel’s kind of leadership involves influencing others to act toward the attainment of a goal. It harnesses the collective energy of a group of people and directs that energy towards the completion of a common goal. Common experience teaches that there is no formula to ensure success in leadership. Many leadership theories have been developed over the years to prove common experience wrong. The leader’s function is to motivate subordinates and help them reach their highly valued objectives. This theory is a highly participatory process, where all members are encouraged to join in every phase of any endeavor. As mentioned, when people participate, they feel and are actually empowered in the process. Their confidence in themselves, as well as in the project, is increased by a participative leadership style. Moreover, with more participants, diversity of ideas abounds, and the undertaking tends to become more fruitful, creative and different. Empowerment becomes a positive end result as well. Leaders must be able to facilitate the motivation of others by providing them an inspiring example. Also, in team leadership, all members and leaders must know that they have to start from themselves, and from their conditions. Self-analysis, and self-critique, accompanied action,   yield better collaboration, relationships and results. Indeed, a leader is also a follower and sometimes it is important, even necessary, for the leader to listen to others, and follow them. What makes Gangel’s book unique is that it starts logically from the overall picture of the kind of leadership of churches today and in Part 2, provides the qualities of a Team Leader and the many roles he assumes in the process such as a group facilitator, a conflict manager, a motivator, a mentor and many more.