After 7 months of team leading, I have officially been released from leadership to rest and experience the Race without the added responsibility. It’s been a great life season and now, it’s time for a new season where I can focus even more of my energy on my personal walk. I’m actually really excited to be sharing this post with all of you now because it feels less self-serving given that I am no longer in leadership. While I may have handed over the cell phone, charger, first-aid kit, emergency cash, credit card, and water filter, I also want to hand over far more than the physical evidence of being a team leader (TL) on the Race.
Leadership is a funny thing in life, especially when it comes to World Race life. Our rocking squad mentor, Hope, as is the rest of AIM, is a firm believer in a fluid leadership system. After this month, 22 out of 43 people on the squad will have been TLs, alone. Granted, it helps when we have had 3 married couples in leadership, but still. It’s listed as a gifting in 1 Corinthians 12:27-28. Depending on the translation it can be called administration or the gift of guidance:
“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues.”
There you have it. Leadership is biblical, it is part of the design of the Lord’s creation. Let me encourage your mind to be a touch more detail-oriented: notice, that of the 8 gifts listed, administrating is listed as second to last. I do not believe that was by accident. Many great leaders have stumbled and fallen because they have been put on a pedestal for too long. When leaders forget to give the credit to the Lord that they are in the position at all, trouble sets in. At the end of this blog, I’m going to outline each of the different leadership roles within the Race but first, I want to talk about my experience. I’ve learned countless things during my time as a team leader of two incredible teams. In true World Race style, I wanted to share 11 big lessons I learned. Hopefully they will be helpful, although everyone’s experience is different:
1) Be the kind of leader you would want to follow. This is huge and helps keep your focus on the people you are leading and less on yourself.
2) The best leaders can also be led. While this can be a tough pill to swallow when you are the one technically with the title, being open to being led by the people you are on a team with is such a great way to show humility. Being a team leader on the Race is so different because you live and work with the people you lead 24/7. There are going to be times when someone else will and should step up to lead.
3) It is not always glamorous…and really never is for that matter. You constantly are called to be a servant by preferring others above yourself. It will require you to be flexible and adapt even when it’s frustrating. That is fine because it keeps those in leadership humble.
4) Be a safe place. Create space for others to share with you and make it obvious through your actions that what is brought to you, stays with you.
5) Seek advice. Be open to correction. If those who you are leading feel like they can come to you with their concerns, your leadership style will be that much more effective. Within that, make sure you remain true to you. Sometimes the concerns of another may be coming from a place of jealousy and it is your job to know when to listen and when to make a decision. Asking for the insight of the staff can go a long way in making your leadership experience more pleasant because they serve as a support system.
6) Your opinion is not the first that matters. You will be a much more respected leader if you not only listen to other opinions but make decisions in such a way that they feel their voice is being heard. That said, there will be times when unpopular decisions need to be made for the good of the group. If you have been leading from a place of hearing the voices of others, there will be less push-back when you make a decision that not all will like. With that, if you have a team that is indecisive, create options. The same answer is true for an opinionated team. In both circumstances, take a vote to keep things moving and fair.
7) Delegate. You should not be doing everything. It will cause you to get burnt out. It is impossible to lead well when you feel burdened with too much responsibility whether it be tasks or listening to the problems of others. Recognizing what can be passed off to another and what is on you to take care of helps set good boundaries.
8) Empower. You do not need and should not be the best at everything. What would be the point in the body of Christ if the leaders were the most talented in all areas? There will be occasions when teammates will need to be pushed out of their comfort zones. Do not be afraid to call them to greatness.
9) Let actions speak for you. Rather than explaining you are the type of leader that does x, y, or z, just do it and let your team give you feedback on those qualities. This allows you to come across as much more humble and does not leave your team holding you to expectations of behavior when you are bound to make mistakes.
10) Set the tone for vulnerability. It is not fun and you won’t always want to share your struggles with everyone on your team, but you will be rewarded for you willingness because it opens the door for others to be vulnerable as well.
11) You will fail on occasion and it will be glorious. One of the trainers at training camp said that very statement to me: “You will fail.” You know what? I did. I’m sure more times than I’m aware, but I’m comfortable with that. You cannot always please everyone. That’s something I had to learn over and over again.
Leading on the World Race, especially as a Team Leader is so different from any other leadership role I’ve had. It is rewarding, humbling, stretching, challenging, delightful, and incredible all in one. If you are called into leadership, REMEMBER TO HAVE FUN IN THE PROCESS.
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The World Race, like any organization, has a hierarchy to help things move along smoothly. There are far too many travel days and pieces of information that need to be passed along without some kind of leadership system. For those that don’t know, each squad has a leadership staff that consists of a squad mentor, coaches, alumni squad leaders, raised-up squad leaders (eventually), team leaders, treasurers, a finance coordinator, unsung heroes leaders, safety coordinator, support coach, and logistics coordinators. Let’s break it down:
Squad mentor (SQM): Our awesome mentor’s name is Hope and she is based at the AIM Office in the States. Her position is the one that serves as a link from the States to the squad on the field. She regularly communicates with the coaches and squad leaders through Skype calls, with the staff and Racers through emails, with Racers through Skype calls, and does far more than many of us realize. She has been out on the field with us for our Month 1 debrief in Peru, Month 3 debrief in Ecuador, and she will be joining us for our Month 8 debrief in Cambodia and our Final Debrief in South Africa. What I love about Hope is that she does things differently. She is a strong believer in leadership changes and has each individual Racer fill out C&Cs (to be discussed later) rather than just having the Team Leaders do it. She is so intentional about making each individual on her squads feel heard and important. This description does not do her role justice but just know that without Hope (ha, our mentor and the noun), F Squad could not function.
Coaches: F Squad has gone through the interesting transition of having two sets of coaches. Their role is to serve as mentors to the squad from the perspective of a different generation. Deon and Rynette bring so much to the squad in terms of wisdom, being listening ears, and not letting anyone stay stagnate in their walk with the Lord. They are also included in the Skype calls between the squad mentor and squad leaders. Not only are they a support system for the staff but they also do Skype calls with Racers, read the blogs that are posted, read C&Cs, and respond to the C&Cs through emails or Skype calls. They really want us to grow and leave this journey as changed individuals because they, Deon and Rynette especially, believe in the power of investing in the next generation.
Alumni Squad leaders/Raised-Up Squad Leaders (SQL): Just like the previous two positions, F squad, or any squad for that matter, could not exist without these incredible people. The Squad Leaders are the experienced authority traveling with a squad on the field. Kelsey and Wesley were previous Racers who returned as Alumni Squad Leaders to help do life on the field with the squad. This position usually only lasts 5 months and then Raised-Up Squad Leaders are selected from within the squad to fill the role. Our squad is unique in that Wesley felt called from the beginning to be on the field for 11 months whereas Kelsey only felt called to 5. In Kelsey’s place, Molly and Esther are our wonderful Raised-Up Squad Leaders and together with Wesley they are a ballin’ crew. They cover the squad in prayer, help with training team leaders, read C&Cs (again, I’ll discuss this later), make decisions about where teams will be each month, make decisions about team changes, and spend time with different teams throughout the months. For example, Molly has been with Team Boxcar for the month in Cambodia, but she’ll be elsewhere next month.
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That line separates those who have done the Race or have worked with AIM before from all of us first-timers.
Team Leaders (TL): Each team has one individual who serves as the team leader. The role involves receiving ministry information early in order to communicate with the hosts for the upcoming month, serving as a bridge between the team and the staff, assisting with conflict resolution, filling out C&Cs, and relaying information from the hosts to the team. C&Cs (celebrations and challenges) are filled out each week by each team member and then the TL compiles the responses and answers several other questions about the team dynamic and how things went during the week. These forms serve as a way for the staff to get to the “heartbeat of the squad” as our mentor says. Each TL carries a team phone which serves as a way for the SQLs to get in touch with anyone on the squad at any time if need be.
Treasurer: Each team also has a treasurer. This role involves exactly what you would think: management of the team budget. They keep records and receipts in a spreadsheet format of everything that is spent on the World Race budget from lodging to food to transportation to supplies. At the beginning of each month, they receive the allotted team budget and it is their job to be a good steward of the team money to remain on budget. Additionally, they communicate with the host about the budget and send in receipts at the end of each month.
Finance Coordinator: The treasurers need a leader and that person is Sam on our squad. He compiles all of the individual team receipts at the end of each month and checks every receipt before sending them all to the office. He is one of several who verify all of the receipts. Additionally, he keeps track of the squad’s budget overall for each month. Many budget decisions are made and Sam is often involved.
Unsung Heroes Coordinators (UH): One cool aspect of the Race is that sometimes teams are not given a specific ministry to work with for a month. Instead, they are given a budget and stay in hostels while investigating possible future contacts for the Race. They do a lot of listening prayer and research to set up meetings and expand the number of ministry contacts for AIM. Sometimes a jewel of a ministry is discovered who would be a perfect partner for the Race but has yet to be connected. Bella and Adri help with this and have each led a team in an Unsung Heroes month.
Safety Coordinator: This role involves updating the squad about different safety aspects that are a part of Race life such as altitude sickness, presence of malaria, transportation challenges, and theft prevalence to name a few. Dillon holds this role on our squad.
Support Coach: The vast majority of Racers leave for the field with a lingering fundraising need. That is to say, very few are fully-funded by launch. The Support Coach, Whitney, helps with encouraging those who are struggling to raise funds, prays for the financial situation of the squad as a whole, communicates with the staff about who still has funds to raise, and helps think of creative ideas to bring the funds in.
Logistics Coordinators: Last but certainly not least, our Logistics people are the reason that Squad has been able to travel from point A to point B on the Race. Apart from booking flights, they arrange transportation between countries, book hostels for mini-debriefs/debriefs/travel days, organize meeting locations for debriefs, book hotels for the coaches and Hope when they come to the field, and help communicate everything they have done to the TLs and staff so that people are well informed. They answer all of the crazy travel day questions from how long the bus ride will be to what’s the answer to this question on the entrance form to this country? These are some of the hardest working members of the squad and they do it joyfully. F Squad owes a great deal to Zach and Courtney K for everything that have done with getting us to each country and finding us awesome yet cheap hostels to stay in. That is to say, they make bookings for 43 people for traveling. They are saints.
