Leaders Don’t Just Build Teams — They Build People

Why Multiplication Is the Point

Last Monday night at Indiana Tech FCA, someone asked me a question I don’t get very often:

“Why do you do what you do?”

Not the job description.
Not the title.
Not the tasks.

But the why.
The reason behind the rhythms.
The thing underneath the calling that keeps me showing up with a full heart.

And without thinking too hard, this is what came out:

“I invest and multiply people.”

It wasn’t polished.
It wasn’t rehearsed.
It just came out because it’s true.

Whether I’m standing in a student ministry room, on a football field with a whistle, behind a mic announcing a game, or sitting across from an intern or resident — multiplication is the point.

If something is worth doing with excellence,
it’s worth putting inside someone else.

How My Life Mantra Was Formed

That FCA question stirred up something deeper in me — a conviction that God formed years ago during a season of intense introspection in my early thirties.

Not the kind of reflection where you tweak your résumé.
The kind where you ask:

“What am I actually on the earth to do?”

For months I journaled, prayed, wrestled, questioned, and took honest stock of who I was and who I wasn’t. Out of that season came a single sentence that settled in my spirit like a calling:

“Authentically leading and empowering others to flourishing life.”

That became my life mantra.

Because it named the truth:

My life is not primarily about what I build.
It’s about who I build.

It clarified everything —
what I say yes to,
what I say no to,
what I invest in,
where I put my energy,
and how I lead.

If God has trusted me with influence, then my job is to do more than steward that influence…
I’m called to multiply it.

To develop people.
To empower them.
To equip them for the greater vision God has for their life — not just recruit them into mine.

So when someone asks why I do what I do, the answer is simple:

Multiplication is the point.
That’s the assignment.
That’s the calling.

Multiplication Isn’t a Strategy — It’s a Mindset

Most leaders think about building teams.
But the best leaders build people.

Teams fill roles.
People carry vision.

Teams accomplish tasks.
People shape culture.

Teams help you get things done.
People help you carry the mission forward long after you’re gone.

And here’s the truth:

If the work ends when you leave the room, you didn’t multiply — you maintained.

Jesus didn’t recruit volunteers — He developed disciples.
He didn’t build a staff — He built a movement.
And the movement multiplied because the people did.

Multiplication isn’t a ministry trick.
It’s the heart of the Great Commission.

Multiplication Shows Up Everywhere

In our ministry, we have interns, residents, and students in development — intentionally.
Not because we need extra hands.
Not because we want a pipeline.
But because multiplying leaders is the most faithful way to steward influence.

On Tuesday, I was training a new public address announcer.
Not because I needed a break.
Not because I'm bored.
But because he has what it takes to be great — and someone needs to call that out and cultivate it.

Same thing with football officiating.
Every year, I look for younger officials to invest in because if something is worth doing with excellence, it is worth developing in someone else.

This is bigger than tasks or hobbies.
This is legacy.
This is stewardship.
This is ministry beyond titles.

If you believe something is valuable, why would you keep it to yourself?

Ephesians 4: The Blueprint for Multiplying Leaders

Scripture puts it plainly:

“He gave the apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers
to equip the saints for the work of ministry…”
— Ephesians 4:11–12

The job of a leader is not to do the ministry.
The job of a leader is to develop ministers.

The job of a pastor is not to be the most gifted person in the room.
The job is to draw out the gifts in others.

The job isn’t to get the spotlight.
The job is to hand out torches.

Leadership success is not measured by what you do —
but by who you develop.

Three Marks of Multiplying Leaders

1. They see potential before others see it.

Multiplying leaders notice the quiet kid, the overlooked intern, the student with a spark, the volunteer with heart.

They see not just where someone is —
but who they are becoming.

2. They make room for others to grow.

Multiplication requires margin.
It requires giving away the mic, the whistle, the clipboard, the opportunity.

It requires shifting from:
“I can do this best”
to
“They won’t grow unless I let them try.”

3. They give away what they learned the hard way.

Experience becomes wisdom when it's shared.
Wisdom becomes multiplication when someone else can build on it.

A selfish leader protects their strengths.
A multiplying leader passes them on generously.

The Leadership Question That Won’t Leave Me Alone

Here’s the question that is constantly surfacing in my heart:

“Who am I multiplying right now?”

Not what I’m producing.
Not where I’m succeeding.
Not how I’m performing.

Who.

Because at the end of the day:

Your greatest legacy won’t be what you did.
It will be who learned to lead because you showed them how.

And that kind of fruit doesn’t fade.
It multiplies.