“For we are both God’s workers. And you are God’s field. You are God’s building.”

I was watching a Golden State Warriors basketball game a couple of weeks ago and the analyst said that to win in the NBA you have to have “unexpected contributions from the bench”.  The phrase stuck with me and recognized that we need the same phenomena in business in order to succeed.  We have to have broad and deep teams who can bring unexpected contributions to our work.  How do we do that?  We can start with making sure that we appreciate and encourage others to take the initiative to go the extra mile.  It doesn’t take much per person when everyone is doing a little something extra. Who on your team want to make the extra contribution, but just don’t think it will be accepted or recognized?  No player can make an expected contribution if the coach keeps them on the bench.

I look across the Bible and there are many amazing leaders who brought out the best in people.  I marvel that the Apostle Paul, who was not in his previous life as Saul considered an “easy” or “soft” person, in his new life as Paul the Jesus follower, spent a great amount of time encouraging, coaching, motivating and challenging many church leaders to be better. And, he celebrated those who made these unexpected and many times unrecognized contributions that expanded God’s Kingdom.  What can we do, like Paul, to raise up others?

Reference: 1 Corinthians 3:9 (New Living Translation)