Make others succeed


Many organisations have mission statements, visions and taglines. These make up the corporate "dream". The best ones are often succinct. Apple's mission statement is "bringing the best user experience to its customers through its innovative hardware, software and services", which is nice and clear. But its tagline is even more memorable - "Think different".

Sometimes, a little detail in a mission statement is needed to give clear direction. But punchy taglines often work best in practice, because it's what customers, and even more importantly, management and employees can remember and internalise. Otherwise it's just something to plaster on a wall or an annual report that no one actually practises. But if it's internalised... then the dream starts to take shape!


For many years now, the informal motto of my team at work has simply been this - Make Others Succeed. We exist to support the overall business intent, helping the organisation get to where it wants to go. Our focus is not on whether our team looks good, but whether the organisation succeeds. Sometimes that means a courageous or creative "yes we can, and here's how". Other times it means an equally courageous or creative "no, but here's how instead".

Within the team itself, Make Others Succeed means that team members help each other to do well. Individual excellence is important, but the assessment of individual excellence also includes helping newer, less experienced or less knowledgeable colleagues thrive. I have to live up to the same expectations - to hire people better than me, and help team members become better than me, so that the team's success isn't capped by my own limited ability.

The team motto doesn't work for everyone. We have had people choose to leave on the grounds of, why should I be graded and rewarded based on whether someone else succeeds? I understand. It's not an entirely unreasonable position to take. But there are others, on the other hand, who stick with us for years, hopefully because we really believe that Making Others Succeed is a cool and rewarding way to work. 


One super-interesting part of pastor's sermon this week was on a similar theme. Senior pastor quoted Rick Warren:

"If a dream comes from God, it will be so big in your life that you can't do it on your own. If you could do it on your own, you wouldn't need faith".

Big dreams push us beyond our limitations. Because they push us beyond our limitations, beyond our strength and capability, we are compelled to turn to God. We're swimming in water too deep to stand up in. So we have to stop thrashing and struggling... and just float. And when we do that, and take a deep breath, we find that God provides buoyancy! 

In fact, if we then turn our eyes to Him, and move in His direction (instead of just bobbing around), we find that we slowly rise, and rise, and then as we draw near to Him, He takes our hand... and we're walking on water!


But big dreams don't just push us beyond our limitations. They push us beyond our very selves.

Dreams that are only about ourselves are small dreams. I wish I had a big job. A big house. A big car. Or even I wish I had a big cell group. A big ministry. A big mission.

I. I. I. I wish I. But the truly big dreams go beyond I.


Senior pastor observed that in 2 Samuel 7, King David decided that he wanted to build a grand temple for God. This was a noble aim. But God said to David - thanks, but it's not you who will build a temple for me. In fact, I am building a legacy for you. (Read 2 Samuel 7!)

"[God said] Are you the one to build Me a house to dwell in?... The LORD declares to you that the LORD himself will establish a house for you!... Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever" (2 Samuel 7:5, 11, 16)


God then goes on to tell David that his son Solomon will be the one who will build the temple for God. David's response is not to contest this, and claim the glory of building the temple for himself. Instead, he thanks God for this incredible honour of being part of an even bigger dream, not of a physical house of God, but an enduring kingdom for God.

And so David does his part. The Bible records that he makes "extensive preparations" of gold, silver and materials (1 Chronicles 22:14-17) so that Solomon can build the temple in due course. And Solomon does just that years later.


This is the epitome of Make Others Succeed.

This is what it means to have a dream so big, that it needs to go beyond one person, and beyond one person's lifetime. As pastor said, maybe we're 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 years old. Maybe it doesn't seem we have that much time to do a great deal. But that's only because we're capping our dreams to what can be done with our own lives. Those are small dreams.

But if I find more people to share the dream. If I help someone else achieve that dream. If I find or train someone to be better than me, to make that dream come to pass. If I Make Others Succeed. Even if I never see it myself. Those are the big, the worthy dreams.


One day, my children so in love with Jesus, that they are better leaders and examples than me.

One day, a cell family with so many capable, on-fire leaders, that we have to multiply.

One day, a church so full that we have to enlarge the building.

One day, our school in Batam so full of miracles, and such a blessing to people, that they will clamour to get in from miles around.

One day, the nations so joyful in Christ, that we will get onto a bus, declare "God is good!" and everyone will chorus "All the time!"

Some of these I will see. Many I won't. 

And I'm glad I won't. 

Because only that means the dream is big enough, and that in our own small way, we've Made Others Succeed.


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