Winning Teams – And Weakest Links


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By
Robert
J.
Tamasy 

May
19,
2025


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A
time-honored
adage
tells
us,
“A
chain
is
only
as
strong
as
its
weakest
link.”
A
chain,
whether
wrapped
around
someone’s
wrist,
restraining
an
aggressive
dog,
or
suspending
a
heavy
object,
cannot
serve
its
purpose
if
one
or
more
of
its
links
are
weak.
This
principle
also
is
true
for
many
areas
of
life

such
as
building
and
sustaining
strong
teams,
whether
on
athletic
fields
and
arenas
or
in
the
marketplace.

Another
truism
that
applies
here
is,
“One
person
can’t
make
a
team,
but
one
person
can
break
a
team.”
In
other
words,
the
most
gifted
and
talented
member
of
a
team
cannot
guarantee
the
team’s
success.
But
the
failure
of
one
individual
on
the
team
can
contribute
greatly
to
its
downfall.

Years
ago,
I
had
the
privilege
of
going
to
Brazil
for
a
series
of
meetings
with
business
and
professional
leaders
wanting
to
learn
how
to
represent
Jesus
Christ
more
effectively
where
they
worked,
using
CBMC
strategies.
During
one
session
I
used
the
sport
of
soccer
(futbol)
as
an
example.
When
all
the
players
are
playing
their
positions
in
a
unified
way,
victory
can
often
be
achieved.
However,
if
even
one
player
fails
to
do
his
or
her
job

especially
the
goalie

defeat
is
probable.


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Using
that
analogy,
I
explained
to
my
friends
in
Brazil
the
key
to
fruitful
marketplace
ministry
was
not
relying
on
a
single
individual,
which
had
been
the
case
in
the
past,
but
recognizing
their
various
strengths,
making
allowances
for
one
another’s
weaknesses,
and
determining
how
to
assign
various
responsibilities
while
striving
toward
the
same
goals:
To
present
Jesus
Christ
as
Savior
and
Lord
to
those
they
encountered
through
the
workplace,
and
to
help
followers
of
Jesus
to
become
fruitful
disciples.

The
Bible
is
not
a
sports
guidebook,
but
it
says
much
about
the
importance
of
teamwork.
For
instance: 


All
play
an
important
role
on
the
team. 
Imagine
if
the
percussionists
failed
to
perform
their
parts
in
Peter
Tchaikovsky’s
rousing
“1812
Overture.”
Or
if
two
keys
on
the
piano
were
terribly
out
of
tune
when
a
virtuoso
pianist
was
playing
Beethoven’s
“Moonlight
Sonata.”
The
results
would
not
be
good. “The
body
is
a
unit
though
it
is
made
up
of
many
parts,
and
though
all
its
parts
are
many,
they
form
one
body.
So
it
is
with
Christ….
God
has
combined
the
members
of
the
body
and
has
given
greater
honor
to
the
parts
that
lacked,
so
that
there
should
be
no
division
in
the
body” 
(1Corinthians
12:12-31).


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Teams
provide
support
when
needed. 
Even
on
a
good
team,
things
do
not
always
go
smoothly.
A
struggling
team
member
can
benefit
from
the
support
and
encouragement
of
others
on
the
team, “Two
are
better
than
one,
because
they
have
a
good
return
for
their
work.
If
one
falls
down,
his
friend
can
help
him
up.
But
pity
the
man
who
falls
and
has
no
one
to
help
him
up!…
Though
one
may
be
overpowered,
two
can
defend
themselves.
A
cord
of
three
strands
is
not
quickly
broken” 
(Ecclesiastes
4:9-12).


Everyone
can
make
a
unique
contribution. 
Some
members
of
a
team
may
receive
more
attention,
but
each
one
contributes,
from
the
CEO
to
the
custodian.
We
need
them
all. “…Do
not
think
of
yourself
more
highly
than
you
ought,
but
rather
think
of
yourself
with
sober
judgment
according
to
the
measure
of
faith
God
has
given
you.
Just
as
each
of
us
has
one
body
with
many
members
and
these
members
do
not
all
have
the
same
function,
so
in
Christ
we
who
are
many
form
one
body,
and
each
member
belongs
to
the
others.
We
have
different
gifts,
according
to
the
grace
given
us…” 
(Romans
12:3-6).


©
2025.
Robert
J.
Tamasy
has
written 
Marketplace
Ambassadors:
CBMC’s
Continuing
Legacy
of
Evangelism
and
Discipleship;
Business
at
Its
Best:
Timeless
Wisdom
from
Proverbs
for
Today’s
Workplace;
Pursuing
Life
With
a
Shepherd’s
Heart, coauthored
with
Ken
Johnson; 
and The
Heart
of
Mentoring, coauthored
with
David
A.
Stoddard.
Bob’s
biweekly
blog
is:
www.bobtamasy.blogspot.com.


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Reflection/Discussion
Questions

  1. Have
    you
    ever
    been
    part
    of
    a
    team

    at
    work,
    in
    sports,
    or
    a
    community
    endeavor

    when
    one
    or
    more
    members
    consistently
    failed
    in
    carrying
    out
    their
    responsibilities?
    What
    was
    that
    like?
    How
    did
    you
    feel
    about
    it?
  2. How
    do
    you
    respond
    if
    asked
    to
    perform
    a
    role
    on
    a
    team
    that
    you
    feel
    ill-equipped
    to
    do?
    Is
    it
    best
    to
    simply
    decline
    the
    assignment?
    In
    what
    ways
    can
    you
    help
    to
    identify
    how
    you

    and
    others

    fit
    best
    in
    pursuing
    the
    team’s
    broader
    objectives?
  3. Does
    the
    analogy
    of
    how
    the
    human
    body
    functions,
    with
    its
    different
    parts,
    help
    in
    having
    a
    better
    understanding
    of
    the
    dynamics
    of
    how
    an
    effective
    team
    works?
    Why
    or
    why
    not?
  4. In
    what
    ways
    can
    we
    be
    certain
    to
    recognize
    the
    contributions
    of
    each
    team
    member,
    especially
    those
    whose
    roles
    are
    not
    as
    visible
    or
    prominent?


NOTE:
If
you
have
a
Bible
and
would
like
to
read
more,
consider
the
following
passages:
 Exodus
35:30-25;
2
Chronicles
30:12;
Nehemiah
4:13-17;
Mark
6:7;
Acts
1:8


Challenge
for
This
Week

Take
some
time
to
evaluate
yourself
in
terms
of
how
well
you
function
as
part
of
a
team.
Are
you
recognized
as
an
effective
team
player,
or
do
you
prefer
to
operate
independently?
Even
if
your
personality
is
such
that
you
work
best
on
your
own,
how
can
you
strive
to
become
a
stronger
member
of
a
team
when
necessary?


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For
help
in
assessing
your
strengths
and
weaknesses
in
terms
of
being
part
of
a
team,
ask
for
feedback
from
a
trusted
friend,
or
mentor,
accountability
partner,
or
your
CBMC
peer
advisory
group.

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