If you’re a football fan like I am, you’ve probably noticed one of the biggest changes in the last 10 years is the prolific use of instant replay. There’s a call on the field, a challenge made, and the officials go in for a closer look. They come back and say, “After further review ... .”

As leaders, we sometimes need to take a closer look at what really happened in our organization, or what’s really going on that’s preventing us from getting the results we desire. Looking a little closer either confirms our suspicions or reveals something we didn’t see before that will change our course of action. When we take a closer look at what makes leaders and organizations successful and others struggle, it often comes down to the strength of the team.

If you feel stuck in your leadership, if your goals seem constantly out of reach, or if your organization is struggling to move forward, there’s a high likelihood the issue is you don’t have a strong enough team around you. Whether you’re trying to get in shape, grow your church, raise more money, or just become a better spouse and parent, you need a good team around you.

“Teamwork makes the dream work” is a cheesy cliché, but it’s also true. And biblical. In Exodus 18, we have the classic leadership lesson from Jethro about his son-in-law Moses’ foolish attempt to do it all himself. He asks Moses, “Why do you sit alone ... ?” (verse 14, ESV). Jethro tells Moses what he’s doing is not good, that he’s going to wear himself out, and that he can’t do it alone.

Whether you’re trying to get in shape, grow your church, raise more money, or just become a better spouse and parent, you need a good team around you.

Let me remind you, then, no matter what you’ve set out to do or what you may be struggling with today: You cannot do it alone. Many of us know this intellectually, but we don’t put “team” into practice in how we lead. I’ve noticed in my own leadership that the less I carry ...

• the healthier I am;
• the more margin I have;
• the more creative I am;
• and the more effective I am.

Whether you’re in a large or small church or organization, it may be time to take a closer look at how you’re leading and who you have around you. Maybe you need to prioritize building and strengthening the team you have around you, personnel-wise and organizationally to get where God is calling you to go.

A closer look may confirm your suspicion, or it may show you something you didn’t see that could make all the difference in the outcome.

This article originally appeared in the September/October 2018 edition of Influence magazine.