He was so tired.
I could see the exhaustion in his eyes.
And I knew I was to blame.
I had asked too much.
It was a horrible feeling.
This particular volunteer was one of our best: faithful, reliable, teachable, available. Always positive. Always giving. But on the edge of burnout.
Healthy volunteers are led by remarkable leaders who constantly develop that nourish their teams:
1. Anticipation
Great leaders sense peoples’ needs before they even have to say anything. Think of the long time waitress at the town diner: When regular customers walk in, she might ask: “Having the usual today?” Anticipation means knowing your team and honoring their preferences.
2. Generosity
Generosity means exceeding expectations. Generosity includes giving your time, energy, and resources. Invite others to go with you in your journey. Be selfless. Freely give to others and pass on what you’ve learned.
3. Troubleshooting
When something goes wrong, don’t be content to merely provide people with instructions for the solution. Work with your team — in most cases for them — to make sure the trouble is resolved. Troubleshooting means that you’ll be involved. You’ll be a solution provider.
4. Individuality
Understand that the volunteers who serve in your church aren’t just cogs in a machine. They are individuals. God has given every volunteer a unique gifting, personality, a suite of strengths according to His plan. Provide volunteers a sense of stability by affirming their individual gifts.
Really, these four skills boil down to one idea: love.
Here’s to leaders to genuinely love their teams.
Which – if you’ve read this far – probably includes you.
Thanks for all you do!
