Marks of a ministry positioned to succeed in succession (Part 2).
As a leader, it is your privilege to help others actively participate in the advancement of the mission of the ministry.
This is a function specific to your role, and in this role, you cannot falter.
It is your responsibility to foster an environment whereby others are being encouraged, equipped, and released to be significant partners in advancing mission.
You are uniquely positioned to exercise such influence.
In the ministries I studied for Succeeding In Succession, their leaders took an active approach to leadership with a keen attentiveness to God’s purposes for the ministry and their lives. Continually, they prayerfully considered how God was directing and then promptly responded.
The leadership of these leaders was marked by a series of patterned behaviours which were repeated over and over again until each one developed into leadership practice. These practices worked together with the organizational biases and behaviours in Part 1 to position a ministry for sustained organizational health even as a leadership change was experienced.
I have organized these practices into three categories to present them:
Foundational Practices
Acceptance of a call | Prayerful dependence on God | Servant leadership
The first category of practices is foundational to a leadership model that helps position a ministry to succeed in succession. These practices consisted of the leader accepting a call to serve as the leader of the ministry. The leaders studied realized there is no such thing as a self-made leader. They had been called and their calling had been affirmed.
They also maintained a prayerful dependence on God. These leaders were committed to relying on God’s provision, guidance, and direction as they led. Interestingly, this commitment only deepened the longer they led.
The third practice in this first category of leadership practices is servant leadership. The leadership of these leaders was profoundly connected to their sense of calling to serve and they selflessly exercised influence in the lives of others.
Functional Practices
Mission agency | Strategic agency | Culture agency | Communication agency
The second category of leadership practices is a series of functional practices. The leaders in these ministries practiced mission agency. They made themselves available to help advance the mission of the ministry.
They also practiced strategic agency to chart a course to pursue the ministry’s purpose and priorities.
In addition to these two practices, these leaders practiced culture agency to help shape organizational values, convictions, and commitments, and communication agency to communicate the right things to the right people in the right way.
Fundamental Practice
Mentoring leadership
These foundational and functional practices played a significant role in the leadership of these leaders as they helped their ministries sustain organizational health.
Most meaningful to sustained health though is this final leadership practice. This final practice was fundamental to the leadership of the leaders observed.
Each of these leaders practiced mentoring leadership.
These leaders continually helped others respond to God’s call on their lives. Long before—long before—they stepped out of their roles they mentored the emerging and maturing leaders in their ministries.
Long before—long before—they stepped out of their roles they mentored the emerging and maturing leaders in their ministries.
Their mentoring leadership was a significant aspect of their leadership right from the start. Consistently and throughout the duration of their ministry, they invested in the lives of others. They were relational leaders who took the time to discover the leadership potential of the emerging and maturing leaders in the ministry. Then they trained and developed and coached those in their ministry.
Often these leaders led by not leading. They were collaborative and created a team approach to leadership throughout their ministries.
It is your responsibility to foster an environment whereby others are being encouraged, equipped, and released to be significant partners in advancing mission.
These are the leadership practices observed in these ministries. Combined with the organizational biases and behaviours in Part 1 , these practices helped position these ministries for sustained organizational health.
How prominent are these leadership practices in your life and leadership?
Is there one or more practice that needs to your attention at this point? What steps can you take to help cultivate this practice?
An on-demand video series on how succession planning can help ministries advance their mission.
Succeeding In Succession is an on-demand video series on how succession planning can help ministries advance their mission. This series is designed to help leaders and ministries sustain organizational health even as they experience a leadership change.
Everything you need for this series is right here.
There are 10 sessions, plus 5 additional bonus sessions. Each session has its own set of presentation slides and an accompanying handout. Together these act as an interactive learning experience.
You can choose to work through this series over time taking one session at a time or bundle all the sessions together at once for a team retreat or simply pick and choose sessions that will be most helpful for you. The best approach will best fit your context.