Five Things I Learned From Leadership Succession

5 Things I Learned From Leadership Succession
        

Twenty-something years ago God called me to serve alongside my father in the organization he founded.

Back then, I had no idea that one day I would be called upon to be the next leader.

There have been plenty of bad examples of leadership transitions and succession - especially among family members. The truth is there are no perfect transitions because there are no perfect people or leaders. However, there are some things we got to live and experience by God’s grace that I hope will be helpful for anyone facing a leadership succession scenario.

Have a Plan

Our succession transition was five years in the making.?We were deliberate with informing our board and key constituents and letting them be a part of the process.?There was much prayer and planning so that it did not come across as abrupt.

The Successor Should Build off of the Strengths of Their Predecessor

This was easy for me to do with succeeding my father but could be a challenge for many successors.?

Every leader that has gone before possessed certain strengths and hopefully was able to bring positive elements to the organization.?Build off of those strengths and add continuity to the core values that were already established.?Understand why a fence was built before tearing it down.??

I always have tried to live by the principle of honoring those who went before me. Generally, if you do that, it will go well for you.?A good leadership transition should act as a head start for the successor- not a dead start.

You Can Change Style While Maintaining Substance

Most likely the incoming leader will carry different preferred styles than the one before.

My dad was much more formal whereas I’m inclined to be less formal.?We differed in our writing and communication styles. He gravitated towards ministry leaders and I more naturally attracted marketplace leaders.?

The new leader should be free to adjust certain elements that suit their approach. They must embrace the core values and mission of the organization they’re called to lead.?It is important that the leader and other established constituents work together to prevent mission drift.?

I have been blessed to have my dad (my predecessor) continue to cheer me on, even when I made decisions or expansions that he would not have made.?Under my tenure, we added several new initiatives within the organization while staying true to the original vision. Methods should always be up for review, but the mission must stay intact.

People Are Going to Think What They Think

You’ll never be able to fully change or control other people’s perceptions of you or the organization.?The best advice I would give a successor is to humble yourself, be yourself, and honor those who went before you.?

I once had a guy tell me he felt sorry for me because he felt I was in a no-win situation. He went on to say that if I succeeded in leading after my father, then people would say, “Of course he should do well; look at the foundation that was laid out for him!” But if I failed, he said people would think, “What an idiot!?How could he mess that up?”

I kind of laughed but also groaned at the fact that I’ll never be able to control what or how people thought of me.?I can only show up every day and ask God to help me be my best for His glory.

Different Levels Reveal Different Devils

My first couple of years as a leader were tough.?I encountered spiritual attacks like never before and had to come to grapple with my own anxieties and insecurities that I really never understood previously.

God gave grace for the pace and I was able to get around people who stood with me and prayed with me.?I learned to get “comfortable” with making really tough decisions wrapped in swirls of ambiguity and uncertainty.

It’s so important that stakeholders and predecessors extend grace to the new leader and pray for them often.

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If you’re in the midst of a leadership transition, know that God is for you.?Submit to His purposes and plans, and He will guide you through the process.