There are different roles for each player on a team. And even in the spirit of humble cooperation with each other, we still have a sphere of influence that is ours alone to own. And faithfully owning our role is the only way to advance true goodness.
Of course, we don’t want to be prideful or arrogant – assuming our way is the best way and that we have nothing to learn from others. We don’t know it all and there’s much wisdom in hearing the perspectives of others and receiving instructive feedback.
At the same time, staying open to learning and seeing things in new ways doesn’t mean we neglect the responsibility of our role – deferring it to others in the name of being a “team player.”
For instance, a leader does well to surround himself with many advisors, even those smarter than himself. But at the end of the day, the buck still stops with him regarding the decisions made. He owns his role as leader and doesn’t concede it to others regardless of how smart they might be otherwise.
And this is true even with the lowly intern in the proverbial mailroom. If his job is to manage the number of copies made, then he should do this with the full authority given to him in this role – not giving out extra copies just because some associate asked him to.
Whatever it looks like, we invite much chaos when we don’t faithfully and fully own the various roles God has given us throughout our life and relationships. It’s a false humility to try to play nice with others while passively abdicating our authority in the process.
In the end, remain humble and open to the influence of others. But don’t let trying to be nice cause you to surrender the authority God has given you. Faithfully own your role and do your part to advance the good.
