How do you make good decisions as a team?
I’ve just returned from a board meeting, and on this particular board, we have a financial advisor who regularly joins us. His professional role prevents him from being a full voting member. At one point, I found myself saying, “That doesn’t matter—we never vote anyway,” which is true, as we aim at consensus-based decisions.
It’s interesting to reflect on how the Trinity might relate to one another—imagine the beauty and harmony of their decision-making process. I doubt there’s ever a need for a vote among Father, Son, and Spirit.
While the Bible doesn’t explicitly promote consensus-based decision-making as we define it today—where a decision is only made when everyone agrees—it does emphasise important principles such as seeking counsel, valuing collective wisdom, and preserving unity. These provide valuable guidance for how we approach group decisions in a God-honouring way.
The book of Acts teaches us how the early church made major decisions through group discussion, prayer, and agreement. Here are just a couple of examples.
In Acts 15, the church leaders debated whether Gentile converts should follow Jewish law. After discussion, they reached agreement and issued a joint decision.
Acts 6:1–7: When conflict arose over food distribution, the apostles consulted the whole group, and the decision to appoint deacons was made with approval from all.
I really appreciate how they included the community in the decision-making process. Personally, I believe this is a vital lesson for all of us—both in our teams and our ministry locations. When people are included in major decisions that affect them, it not only leads to better outcomes but also fosters a deeper sense of ownership.
Years ago, while I was serving as base leader, our leadership team came to the conclusion that we needed to raise the housing fees—they weren’t even covering the electricity bills at the time. We could have simply announced the increase and risked facing backlash. Instead, we chose to involve the staff. We presented all the numbers transparently and then broke into groups to wrestle with the figures together. To our surprise, several groups actually recommended raising the fees higher than we had dared suggesting.
In the end, we came up with a balanced solution. Because the community had been included in the process, people felt a much stronger sense of ownership and stewardship. It also turned out to be a powerful teachable moment on shared responsibility and transparency.
Seeking consensus is a good model, at other times a consultative decision is to preferred, but imagine being a pilot or a general in combat. Sometimes the speed of a decision is far more important than consensus or inclusion.
Stephen Mayers and Barry Austin mention four primary decision-making models in their helpful booklet “Resources for Small Groups & Team Building.”
Each of these four models has its time and place. It might be helpful in your teams to familiarise yourself with the different models.
Here are the four styles highlighted on page 42 of the booklet.
Autocratic
Here the leader makes the decision with little or no interaction with team members.
This model is useful when in a crisis or emergency, when time is of the essence; when a decision would have major implications for our mission, vision or values, or in minor decisions.
Consultative
Here the leader seeks the collective wisdom of the team and then makes the decision.
This model is useful in most operational decisions; helpful for developing leaders as they participate in the decision-making process. It helps build trust and ownership. Often used when making decisions about disciplinary action.
Consensus
Here every person on the team must agree; one dissension can stop the decision.
This model is useful when asking the team to pay a large cost or when implementing a process of change.
Democratic
Here every person on team has one vote and a decided majority (51%, 60% ?) carries the decision; the leader does not have veto power.
This model is useful in smaller, not so important team decisions.
Application:
- What model are you personally most comfortable with? Is this due to your personality or have you developed this style because you feel it is best?
- Are you able to function with all four models and do you have personal examples of how these have worked out?
- Share some examples from the Bible and from your own life where an inappropriate model has been used?
- Pray for wisdom for one another in continuing to use the right model for the right situation.
Below are a few considerations, and one movie recommendation!
Consider the Who?
At one point, we faced the sudden death of a national leader in Northern Europe, and were faced with the urgent need to discern a successor. But how do you make such a critical decision in a way that’s both wise and respectful?
At the time, I was part of the Area Circle Team (ACT), and a few of us traveled to the nation. While we already had a couple of potential names in mind, it didn’’t feels right to simply arrive from the outside and “appoint” a new leader. After all, we wouldn’t be living with the outcome of that decision in the reality of everyday life. This experience underscored an important principle: it’s important to know who should be involved in a decision.
We prayed and agreed on a strategy. We invited all staff members to prayerfully consider who among them had already demonstrated leadership initiative and integrity. We asked them to listen for the Spirit’s guidance and to write down one to three names they sensed might be right for leadership. We clarified that this wasn’’t a democratic vote, but rather a process of discernment.
The following day, the names submitted by the staff aligned exactly with the two individuals the ACT had considered. This convergence allowed us to say with confidence: we and the Holy Spirit have decided.
For the new leaders, this was a powerful affirmation. It gave them courage, knowing they had been recognized not only by their peers, but also by the guidance of the Spirit through the collective discernment of the community.
Consider the “Brewers”
When faced with a complex decision, it helps to give people advance notice. Some team members may bring their most brilliant insights — not right at that moment, but after they have had time to reflect. Like a good brew, wisdom often needs time to steep. Make space for those who think deeply and process slowly; they might offer exactly what’s needed.
Consider the God-Factor
As a Christian movement, we must include one essential element in any decision-making model: the God-Factor. In Christian terms, consensus isn’t just about human agreement —it’s about alignment with God’s will, discerned through prayer and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
This includes:
- Seeking wise counsel and collective discernment
- Pursuing unity in the Spirit and in the Body
- Practicing openness to reason and peaceful dialogue
- Committing to prayerful listening for God’s direction
Biblical decision-making does’’t mean everyone always agrees. It means listening well, seeking God’s guidance, and staying united in love, even in disagreement.
For the movie lovers:
Have you ever watched the political action thriller Vantage Point?
The film centers on an assassination attempt on a U.S. president during a global anti-terrorism summit. What sets this movie apart is its storytelling technique: the same 23-minute sequence is replayed multiple times, each from a different character’s perspective, gradually revealing the full scope of a conspiracy.
It is brilliantly done, and I often think of this movie in terms of leadership, – it is so important to get enough data and various perspectives on the table before making critical decisions.