By Tope Banso
SHARE CREDIT WITH YOUR TEAM
“Then the king appointed Daniel to a high position and gave him many valuable gifts. He made Daniel ruler over the whole province of Babylon, as well as chief over all his wise men. At Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be in charge of all the affairs of the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the king’s court” (Daniel 2:48-49 New Living Translation Version).
King Nebuchadnezzar was going to kill the wise men in his kingdom for their inability to tell him his dream and the interpretation. He knew the dream, but he didn’t know the interpretation. But to be sure anyone who interpreted the dream was correct, he insisted that the person must tell him the dream and the interpretation.
Daniel and his companions, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, were among those to be killed according to the king’s decree. When Daniel heard about it, he went to tell the king to give him time, and he would tell him the dream and the interpretation.
Daniel went home, briefed his companions and urged them to ask God to show them His mercy by telling them the secret so that they would not be executed along with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
God revealed the secret to Daniel in a night vision, and he went to tell the king the dream and its meaning. “Then the king appointed Daniel to a high position and gave him many valuable gifts. He made Daniel ruler over the whole province of Babylon, as well as chief over all his wise men. At Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to be in charge of all the affairs of the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained in the king’s court” (Daniel 2:48-49 New Living Translation Version).
This scripture shows that Daniel was a team-player. He wasn’t also a selfish person. After the king had promoted Daniel, as a reward for the dream and its interpretation, he didn’t go about enjoying his new office and the perquisites of office. He didn’t forget his team, his companions. He didn’t take all the reward for interpreting the king’s dream, forgetting his companions.
He remembered that his friends had joined him in asking God to show them His mercy and reveal to them the secret of the king’s dream (Daniel 2:18).
Though the revelation of the dream and its interpretation was given to Daniel, he knew the prayer to God was a joint effort of the four of them – Daniel and his three companions.
Therefore, he petitioned the king after his promotion. He must have pleaded with the king to also reward his companions for the role they played in the divine revelation of the dream and its interpretation to him. The king granted his request and promoted his companions, too.
The fact that Daniel carried his companions along to ask for the mercy of God to reveal the secret of the dream to them in order to avert being executed showed he had team spirit. He could have gone to pray alone, but he didn’t.
Jesus encouraged believers to pray in agreement. He said, “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:19-20 New King James Version).
Back to Daniel’s petition to the king concerning his companions. By this action also, Daniel demonstrated a great leadership skill. He wasn’t self-centred. Don’t be concerned only about yourself. Don’t take all the reward for team work. Don’t deny other team members a share in the credit for performance or success. After all, if the team fails, they’ll also share in the blame! Don’t be a leader who blames your team members for failure, but takes all the credit for team success.
As a leader, acknowledge others’ contribution to your success. Don’t receive and enjoy the credit of team work alone. Mention your team members to your superiors. Call their attention to the contribution, ideas or proposals of your team members. If they can commend them directly, encourage it. It doesn’t reduce you, if you’re the head. It only shows you are secure.
When you magnify others, you’ll be magnified, too. When you try to belittle their role or contribution in the overall success, you may be discouraging them from expressing what is inside them, and you also will become little.
Share credit with your team. It improves your leadership ability. It increases the trust the team members have in you. It motivates them to do more. It enhances overall team performance.
If you’re not born again, repent of your sins today and accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. Whoever comes to Him, He will by no means cast out.
PRAYER POINT: Father, thank you for the team I’m working with and their role and contributions to the success we’ve been achieving. May they receive encouraging reward for their labour.
This is wisdom for living, and it’s worth sharing. Please share.
(For more inspiring messages, visit: www.cedarministry.org).
▪Banso, an Abuja-based minister and pastor, is the head of Cedar Ministry International, and can be reached at any of these addresses:
cedarministryintl@yahoo.com, cedarministryng@gmail.com; or on:
Tel No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
WhatsApp No: +2349081295947