July 25, 2022

I once read a story about Charles Plumb, who was a fighter pilot in the Vietnam War. He had flown 75 successful missions before he was shot down. On that fateful day, He ejected and unfortunately parachuted right into enemy territory. He was captured and spent 6 terrible years in a prison camp. Years later, he ran into a man who shouted upon seeing him, "Hey! I know you! You're Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam - You were shot down!" Plumb was taken back and asked the man how he knew his story. "I packed your parachute," the man replied. He then laughed and said with a grin, "I guess it worked!" Plumb answered, "If your chute hadn't worked, I wouldn’t be here today." When Charles Plumb tells this story about the importance of teamwork, he always concludes by asking, "Who's packing your parachute?"

For our business to be truly great and for our endeavors to be successful, it will take more than just us, it takes an outstanding team that knows how to work together. If we want to be leaders that want to leave a lasting legacy and build organizations that make the world better we must be fanatical about building, equipping, and leading teams. At our church we have a power phrase, "YOU ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON ON THE TEAM." At any one time, any one person might be the most important person on your team. Maybe it's a sales person who is putting together a deal that could monumentally change your company's future. Maybe it's a security guard who makes sure the doors are locked each night, or a graphic designer whose designs on your website catch the customer's eyes. The point is, your organization's success could rely on one person at any one time. That's why it's important we do all we can, to prepare, develop, and support our team in every way possible.

"Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships." ― Michael Jordan

"The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team." ― Phil Jackson

Here's a great acrostic to answer the question, "What makes a team work?"

T — TRUST // This is produced by loyalty and consistency.

E — ECONOMY OF ENERGY // Learn to focus your energy on things that really count.

A — AFFIRMATION AND APPRECIATION // Let your people know they are valued.

M — MANAGEMENT OF MISTAKES // Always fail forward and let your mistakes educate you.

W — WEEKLY TRAINING // Make sure you stay sharp on the basics and keep aware of changes.

O — OPEN COMMUNICATION // Be humble and patient with people. Avoid assumptions. Ask questions and give clarity.

R — RECOGNITION // Acknowledge people publicly and specifically for their accomplishments.

K — KEEP ON LEARNING // Leaders are learners. Stay fresh by continually looking for ways to improve.

Question for Growth: Which one of the points in the acrostic do you need to work on to help make your team stronger?

Book Recommendation:
The One Minute Manager Builds High Performing Teams - Blanchard

God is for you,
Pastor Blunt