Lesson 8: Pay for Big-Name, Proven Free Agents As Needed

When all else is said and done, even the best teams have a few holes. To fill them, they have to go outside their current roster and Minor League system to hire a few big-name, proven free agents who are winners. The same is true for any organization and church. Money must be reserved to make a few key hires of this sort. In baseball, it encourages the players that the GM is serious about doing well, and it energizes the fans, who believe great things can happen. In a church, this kind of free agent pickup makes the team better and shows the staff and members that the GM is not settling but rather striving to be as effective as possible.

Lesson 9: Play Ball

The team has to play. They have to take the field, put their agendas and egos aside, show up early, stay late, practice constantly, hustle, work hard, and get the job done. If not, then the organization has to evaluate lessons 1–8 and make changes.