todd rubin thomas

Brad Lomenick, director of Catalyst and leadership enthusiast, recently posted a helpful article on his blog about things that can poison any team or organization. I found it to be pretty accurate and revealing of team issues I’ve experienced in the past. It also made me look long and hard about the teams I currently lead and serve on and the importance of safeguarding them.

Here’s a repost of his article which you can also read on Brad’s website:

I’ve been reminded recently of the constant tension on a team. And…. the Tension is Good. We talked about this and leaned into this phrase at our Catalyst event earlier this fall in Atlanta. The right kind of tension is important for teams, as well as for individuals. It stretches and shapes and allows for growth.

But there are other things that can creep into a team and poison it quickly. Things that sneak up fast and before you know it, start to define the team and take everyone off course. In the wrong direction. Headed the wrong way.

Here are a few of the poisons to make sure and avoid:
1. Arrogance- Pride comes before the fall, and for teams, the same holds true. Jim Collins talks about this at length in his book How the Mighty Fall. Humble confidence is the ticket.

2. No communication- this one is the most common poison for all teams to have some form of. The remedy? Overcommunicate. Be intentional and make sure folks are in the know. For team leaders, this one is tough. I struggle at this.

3. Me first, vs. We first- see this alot on high profile sports teams. Or with celebrities. As they say, there’s no “I” in team. A WE first mentality starts at the top with the leader who has to set the tone in word AND deed. If you are hearing “it’s not my job,” then it’s time for a gut check.

4. Jealousy and Cynicism- many times these go hand in hand and one follows the other. The remedy? Confronting it head on. Don’t allow jealousy or cynicism or cliques to form. Stomp it out immediately.

Hopefully this is as helpful to you as it was to me. I wholeheartedly agree with Lomenick. We need to fight off these poisons at all costs.

A few months ago a firehouse in Hawaii responded to a call and rushed to the scene of an accident. The problem was, they forgot something important back at their own station… Read on:

Oahu firefighters have been issued a reminder to be sure to turn off cooking equipment when responding to emergencies. The advice comes in the wake of a May 22 blaze at the Waipahu fire station that caused about $25,000 damage.

Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Capt. Terry Seelig said food was inadvertently left cooking on a stove when the firefighters responded to an emergency call involving a traffic accident.

He said after finishing the call, the firefighters responded to a call at their own station house. Seelig said like everyone else, firefighters need to be careful and attentive when cooking.

According to Seelig, the fire caused smoke and heat damage, primarily to kitchen areas that had been scheduled for renovation. He said the damage has been repaired. (Associated Press)

I looked over this story the other night, and at first glance, I saw it as just another interesting news read. For whatever reason, I decided to skim through it again. As I read, God gripped my heart and reminded me of something that so many pastors/ministers forget – myself included.

We are called as pastors to serve people and minister to the world we live in. We are called to help others in spiritual need, mediate in difficult conflict situations, and challenge people to walk closely with Christ. But herein lies the problem: we are often so concerned with others that we neglect our own spiritual growth and well-being.

I have heard it said that “the mechanic has the worst car in the shop.” As I hear stories from around the country about pastors and ministers that have had significant moral failures and burnouts, I fear that this is true in our context. Pastors work so hard “fixing” everyone else’s spiritual problems that they forsake their own spiritual health. It may seem like the natural thing to do in ministry, but all it leads to is an atrophy of the soul.

Reading this story brought to light a passage of scripture I’ve been meditating on recently. Paul instructed Timothy in many things, and one of those things makes more sense now:

Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

1 Timothy 4:15-16

While we’re called to shepherd the flock of God (1 Peter 5:2), we must remember to be sheep ourselves as well as tend to the lives of those around us. We need our Shepherd as much as anyone else in our churches.

There are a few introspective questions that this story and this verse made me ask myself. Be careful if you read this – conviction ensues:

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First: Am I walking closely with my Shepherd and growing in my walk with Him?

Second: Is there any sin in my life (or the temptation of any such sin) that will, if not addressed and repented of, lead to destruction?

Third: Am I honest/accountable with Christian brothers so as to avoid disaster?

Fourth: Am I busy attending to the needs of others while neglecting my own soul?
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Here’s the moral of the story: if we aren’t careful and intentional about this, our “firehouse” will burn down while we’re out on call.