6 Leadership Lessons from the Olympics

I have LOVED watching the Olympics over the last few weeks. Swimming and gymnastics are my favorite events to watch, and I’m always blown away by the level and skill of the athletes competing. The more we watched, the more I saw a few leadership lessons we as ministry leaders can learn from the Olympics. Here they are:

1. Child discipleship is a team sport. Did you see those handoffs in the relay races or how teams work together on the beach volleyball court? Child discipleship is a team sport that requires all of us to run our race and do our part with excellence. That includes ministry leaders, parents, the church body, and even kids! How can we as ministry leaders partner with and encourage parents in their race? How can we equip volunteers and the church body as a whole to understand their roles in the faith development of children? How can we empower kids to own their faith and pursue it in their daily lives? Let’s remember we’re all on the same team, running for the same goal. Here’s a good place to start when it comes to partnering with today’s parents. 
2. True excellence requires preparation and dedication – We only see the 2-minute race in the pool or the 30-second vault jump, but Olympic athletes prepare and train loooooong before they step up to compete. Focused training, special diets, modified schedules, intense mental focus, and so much more goes into preparing to compete at the Olympic level. Others may only see the Sunday-morning efforts you make, but we all know the work that goes into ministry behind the scenes. The prayer, the planning, the craft-example-making, the supply-sorting, the volunteer-coordinating, and so much more that goes into making Sunday mornings happen. So major props kidmin leaders, for your preparation and dedication to your calling. Your hard work is not in vain. (And if you want help with your planning and preparation, check out this brand-new Complete Children’s Ministry Planner!)
3. They will always find something to critique. Does anyone else find it ironic when Simone Biles completes an absolutely incredible routine that literally no one else in the world could do, and the judges/commentators say something like, “Oh she’ll lose a point for that wobble.” Seriously?! Even when you’re the best in the world, others will still find something to critique. Even when you’ve done all you can and had a great Sunday morning or special event, someone will always find something to complain about in your ministry and/or leadership. When that happens, evaluate the feedback and learn from it when you can. Then hold your head high and keep moving forward. (And if you can create an open, intentional system of continued feedback from your volunteers with a system like this one, it makes feedback that much easier to hear and respond to!)
4. Celebrate the wins, even if they’re different than what you expect. This might be my favorite part of the Olympics. Watching athletes recognize their medal placement, then standing on the podium to celebrate that achievement. When was the last time you celebrated – with yourself or with your team – something that God did in your ministry? Celebration is a spiritual discipline, and it’s an important task we often overlook in our hustle to get to the next thing. Also, let’s learn to celebrate each other – across churches and ministries – as we all remember we’re on the same team. Here are 6 people to celebrate with as a new semester begins, and use this Sunday Celebrations journal to document your celebrations every week!
5. Maintain a global perspective. The Olympics bring together nations from around the world, reminding us of the beauty of diversity and the importance of a global perspective. In children’s ministry, we can teach our kids about God’s love for all people, encouraging them to appreciate different cultures and to understand that we are part of a global church family. Even the church down the road from you (or the ministry down the hall) may adopt a different ministry philosophy or go about discipleship in a different way. But we’re all pursuing the same goal of helping kids grow deeper in their faith, and it’s important for us to remember our ministries and churches are not the center of the universe or the end-all, be-all of expanding God’s kingdom.
6. We all do better with a mentor or coach. Behind every successful Olympian is a dedicated coach. In children’s ministry, we can play the role of mentors and spiritual coaches, guiding children in their faith journeys, offering support, and helping them develop their God-given potential. But we as ministry leaders also need coaching and mentorship of our own. I’ve experienced a variety of coaching methods, strategies, and personalities, and every time, I’ve grown as a leader and as a believer. Some coaches I have personal experience learning from and would highly recommend checking out: Joy Canupp, Josh Denhart, INCM Leadership Coaching Program, and Jim Wideman. And make sure to follow @everyonedoesbetterwithacoach on Instagram for a new book releasing this September with wisdom and insight from some of the country’s best ministry coaches!