Sticky Teams: Keeping Your Leadership Team And Staff On The Same Page (2010) - Plot & Excerpts
A very good book at what it sets out to accomplish. Osborne is sharing practical insights and opinions based on his own experience. Osborne is an experienced pastor who has made some cutting-edge decisions over the years as his church has grown from small to medium to mega.Refreshingly, this is neither a "how to grow your church" book, nor is it pretentiously littered with Bible verses as if to demonstrate that his word is law, and his methods divinely inspired.While not neglecting the Bible and faith, Osborne insists that MANY problems in the church are practical, psychological, sociological, etc. We err in over-spiritualizing some matters of opinion - like ministry strategy, building use, leadership structure, etc. Time and time again, he encourages his reader to be tactful, wise, and skilled as a communicator and leader - rather than over moralizing certain decisions and making enemies out of opponents.The best thing about this book is that, rather than presenting WHAT changes and steps to make, he explains HOW to implement change in a way that keeps everyone on board and united. From Matt Chandler's Foreword to Larry Osborne's recent book Sticky Teams: "I'd been trained for ministry by a group of brilliant, godly men who taught me hermeneutics, Christan history, how to decline and parse Greek words, Hebrew, systematic theology, courses in Pauline literature, the Old Testament prophets, and preaching. I devoured every bit of it and learned quickly that I had a knack for theology and preaching. . . . When I graduated, I felt I had all the information I would need to accomplish all that God would demand of me as a pastor. I had a verse for everything. . . . But my perception changed when I became lead pastor of the Village. It didn't take me long (about a month and a half) as a twenty-eight-year-old pastor to figure out that I had more to learn than I had time to learn. The gaps in my training weren't biblical, theological, or even philosophical. My gaps were it the areas of leadership and people. In five years of theological training, we never talked about how to hire the right people or remove people who need to be removed. There was never a class on how to build a board or work with an existing board. There wasn't one seminar offered on how to set salaries, conduct performance reviews, or create clear job descriptions. Although the Scriptures taught me the spirit by which I was to interact with people and grace I was to show even my enemies, I was at a loss regrading the practical aspects of leading a team--and a team of leaders at that."Osborne tackles a pile of practical issues regarding the unity of the board, staff and congregation, each of these in relation to themselves and the others. Part of his slant is the constant desire for church growth which of course, all things being faithful, is a good thing. But a lot of things are neutralized (such as worship styles) in order to promote it. Sadly those who despise this sort of thing also tragically neglect good administration, vision and leadership, leaving themselves susceptible to church splits, divisive leaders and stagnant congregations. Osborne has a particularly good chapter on developing young leaders, and another on training current elders. The principles throughout apply to leadership in all types of organizations.You'll also want to know that the cover has a picture with bees on the honeycomb. My five-year-old son was pleased and smilingly commented "You are reading a book about bees, dad!" "Yes I am, son."
What do You think about Sticky Teams: Keeping Your Leadership Team And Staff On The Same Page (2010)?
Excellent book on team building in the local church. So many misunderstood problem addressed.
—Leave
As always Osborne is helpful and an easy fast read...
—aisaka
