The Power of Language in Defining and Developing Teams

Abstract

Christian leadership resources focus on the alignment of individual efforts toward shared goals, attempting to capitalize on the proven benefits of “team” performance. Research in social psychology highlights the emotional impact of language in the crafting of mission and vision statements, which could lead to the success or failure of alignment efforts. This article assimilates research from social psychologists with existing team and organizational theory and distills the principles into usable material for church leadership. The review and assimilation of new data validate the known values of “team,” while offering insight into the development of goals and the crafting of vision and mission statements.