WHAT?

Based on the subject line, I am guessing that perhaps you are thinking this is a message about the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023 and how you might think about preparing for each.  

I understand why you might think that … but I have a little different angle to explore with you based on my interactions with Jim Collins through the years.

I was first exposed to Jim Collins a couple of decades ago when he spoke at Leadership Network’s Exploring off the Map Conference in Denver, CO. During that session he shared insights from his yet to be published book, Good to Great, including the “who’s on the bus and are they in the right seats” illustration that has shaped the staffing conversations of most church and corporate executive teams since.

And then about ten years ago, I had the privilege of sitting in a room in Boulder, CO with Jim and 12 senior pastors in a much more intimate setting that included dialog and peer interaction. My personal journal from that session is chock full of insights that have shaped my thinking and leadership and I was reminded of one of those in a conversation not too long ago with David Ashcraft, from Lives Changed by Christ, a thriving multisite church in Pennsylvania.

David had recently announced his plan for succession after having grown LCBC from 150 on an original campus to over 19,000 (60% of pre-COVID) on 19 campuses. When I asked David what some of the defining moments were for him as he anticipated the transition, he pointed back to the conversations with Collins in that same Boulder boardroom. In particular, he referenced Collin’s statement that “level five leaders leave at the right time and they leave in such a way that things are better when they’re gone than they would be if they had stayed.” 

Granted that can feel a little deflating on the surface like it discounts the contribution that you make in your season of leadership. But David went on to say, “It helped when I began to see my leadership as a relay and not a marathon. I was not called to go the distance then collapse but rather to run my leg of the race well and make a strong hand-off to the next member of the team.”

Earlier this fall I hosted a group of 50-something senior pastors from great churches that are going and growing and innovating in this season. They are very much engaged in the here and now of their churches. None of these leaders are part of the “great resignation crowd.” However, the leaders are also beginning to explore, dream, evaluate, etc. as they think beyond their season in the lead pastor seat.  They were all asking, “How do I serve with strength where I am while I plan for what’s next?”

SO WHAT?

In one of the calls leading up to that cohort gathering, a conversation about the tensions of this season surfaced. Included were identity, focus, timing, in or out, move or stay and preparation.

Here are some of the questions that shape the tension:

• Identity – Where does my current role end and my next season persona begin?
• Focus – In this last leg of the relay, where do I focus on church and where do I focus on me?
• Timing – Is there a “hard chronological stop” or is there a “revealed right moment?”
• In/out – Will the best successor come from our current team or from somewhere else?
• Move/stay – Do I need to move to a new church, a new community or is there a way for me (and my family) to stay?
• Preparation – Am I prepared to stop and is my successor prepared to start?

True success is in many ways demonstrated by an effective transition.  Easy to say … not so easy to execute.  

NOW WHAT?

I’d like to personally invite you to join me for our next Leadwell Accelerator: Succession Tensions. This virtual event takes place on January 18 from 10:00 until 11:00 am CST. My guests will be Steve Stroope, Steve Poe and Bob Merritt who have all recently navigated the journey of the handoff to the next senior leader of their churches. 

I’m so excited about this opportunity! I hope you’ll consider joining us for a candid conversation about the tensions associated with preparing for the next season of ministry. You can go here to learn more details and to register for this FREE experience click here  Also receive a free download of the Smart Succession Starter Checklist at registration.

Looking forward to seeing you “next year!”

Greg