October 4. The MLB Does Not Play The NFL.

As leaders, we build teams. Our teams are built with internal and external partners. As an example, the entertainment industry includes professional baseball. Those associated with the Kansas City Royals represent an internal team. But the New York Yankees are a part of the team as well.

This is true because both are members of the Major League Baseball organization. If the Royals did not have other teams to play, there would be no entertainment. The teams have their own way of approaching challenges and capturing opportunities. Because of their competitive nature they will not likely help one another out on the field.

A leadership team from one industry might be able to approach a leadership team from another industry though. Could leaders from the National Football League help those teams in baseball? When disputes arise in your organization do you have an external team that you trust to come to your aid?

It might be that we tend to focus on our competitive and independent nature? The stronger our value proposition is the more we rely on both resources, the internal and external, to handle our internal challenges. Where does the same challenge continue to show its face for your team or clientele?

Maybe it is time to consider finding a trusted external resource to help. Leadership on your team has different levels. On some teams there is a focus to increase everyone’s ability to lead. Do you need more leadership levels, more internal leaders or possibly some external leadership assistance? What is the first thing that you can do about it in the next seven days?

As a brother or sister of Christ, we are not going to be exempt from holding different opinions about things. That is true whether it is the color of carpeting being chosen, the interpretation of scripture, or of one's actions.

We read, “And I ask you, my true partner, to help these two women, for they worked hard with me in telling others the Good News. They worked along with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are written in the Book of Life.” Philippians 4:3 NLT. Even those whose names are written in the Book of Life have disagreements.

But we have a true partner to help us. Have we invited that partner to help us or are we still relying on ourselves and our own perceptions to find a resolution? Where do we continue to find a challenge in our own lives? Maybe that is the first place to look and invite our true partner to help us.

That just might be the grand slam. Metaphorically speaking, if anyone can hit a grand slam or throw a hail Mary pass for a touchdown, it is Jesus. What is the first thing you can do to get an external viewpoint about your challenge in the next seven days?

Let us pray, Heavenly Father, you are the great Creator of every partner that we come into touch with. You provided us Jesus Christ as the example of the greatest partner there is. You send us the Holy Spirit to be our partner in this world.

Open our hearts to our internal partners and open our eyes to see when external partners are needed. As we walk this earth today, we ask you to place partners before us. Build our relationships with our partners upon our relationship with Christ. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen