People Development: Lessons from the Trenches

Yesterday, I had some work collaborators come to campus to tie up the loose ends we had on a project we finished this summer. Although the project -- particularly in the last week or two -- was incredibly stressful, in the end the client was very happy with the work that we did for them.  Their preliminary estimate is that the project will net more than a 2,500% ROI (nope, no typo or calculation error; the project results were a slam dunk).

Arriving at the finish line of the project was no easy task -- it just wasn't.  It involved all nighters (which I'm way too old for and never really did during school anyway).  It involved micromanaging someone who just wouldn't do his job without micromanaging.  It required us to go back and double and triple check everything because we couldn't trust that the work was correct.  It was sanctifying and helped me to build patience; no doubt about it.

But the thing is -- the parts of the project that caused me the most frustration and took so much of my time and were so hard to manage?  The client loved them.  They went on and on about how good they were, both during the project and again yesterday.  And secretly I thought to myself, "OMG if you only knew what went into getting you those results and the things you're praising, you would appraise this situation and cast of characters totally differently."

And yesterday, the Lord was quick to point out -- "This is your job.  It is people development.  It is to set people up to be successful.  It is not to use them to do something you can then take the credit for."

And regardless of what my next job is -- professor, discipleship pastor, or something else -- I think I will always be in the people development business.  This year the Lord is teaching me a bunch about developing people.  This isn't something I really expected to learn much about this year, but I am.

I am learning that I need to manage, coach, and reprimand in private.

I am learning that I need to praise, protect, and advocate for others in public.

I am learning that I need to not care about who gets credit.

I am learning that I need to care about the job getting done well, and people learning in the process -- and if they get the credit for something that I've done, that's ok.

I am learning that it's not a win if people need me to be successful.  That's another form of pride.

I am learning that I need to set people up to be successful and, in time, independent.

In short, I am learning Kingdom economics and management principles.  I am learning that my biggest successes will come if I become completely replaceable -- if I am able to raise up and help train leaders who can do what I do, with their own signature style.  I am learning that my best success will be training people who can take over my job -- over time hopefully better than and independently of me.   And when those people can raise up leaders to replace themselves?  That's the ultimate win because then the vision becomes scalable.

And in short, that's how Jesus told us to make disciples.  I am learning how to do that, and how to care most about just serving Jesus and working to love and develop others -- regardless of who gets the credit.