Have you ever had a staff member tell you that they don’t need any additional leaders because they already have enough? As a leader of a church or organization, that’s the last thing you want to hear from your staff.
Several years ago, I was a campus pastor at a large multi-site church in the southeast. We were in a season of growth, and the need for leaders was high. I had been consistently pressing this issue with my staff and everyone was clear how important this was for us as a church.
As I was walking through the halls one day I stopped by the office of one of our directors. I casually asked him, “Do you have some new potential leaders you and your team are developing you’re excited about?” His response shocked me. He said, “Nah, we have enough leaders right now.”
Over the past eight years, I’ve worked with hundreds of churches, helping them to establish a leadership development strategy. And, as I’ve interacted with different staff leaders, you would be surprised how many tell me, “We have enough leaders right now.”
When I hear a leader say this, I hear three things.
- First, “I don’t have a vision for my area, or department, to grow.”
- Second, “I’m not praying, or asking God to help us reach more people, and grow our area of ministry.
- 3rd, “I’m not really committed to looking for, engaging, or developing the untapped leadership talent in our church.
The “I have enough leaders” mentality, can lead to a leadership crisis if you were to suddenly lose some key leaders, or if your church were to quickly grow by a significant number.
Our job as senior leaders is to reframe the thinking of our team regarding the constant development of new leaders. So, here are three foundational lessons you can build into the thinking of your team, to help them consistently work towards the development of a strong leadership bench.
Lesson #1 – We develop for vision, not for need
Many leaders are accustomed to only developing enough leaders for the need of the moment. They only think about leadership development when they lose a leader or their area grows suddenly and there is a demand for more leaders. They only focus on leadership development when there’s an evident and immediate need. But, we have to encourage them develop for vision, not just for need.
I think this is, in part, what Paul was helping Timothy understand when he said in 2 Timothy 2:2. “The things that I have entrusted to you, teach to reliable men who will teach others also.” This one verse represents four generations of replication. So, Paul was saying, “Timothy, don’t just develop a leader. Develop a leader who develops a leader, so that there is a constant replication of leaders that will meet the leadership demands, not just of today, but of tomorrow, as well.”
ACTION STEP: Ask your key leaders how many leaders they currently have, and how many additional leaders they would need if their area were to grow by 20 percent. And then, encourage them to start developing leaders towards tomorrow’s vision, not just today’s need.
Lesson #2 – We look for willingness, not just readiness
Often times when someone needs a new leader, they look around the organization and say, “Oh wow, no one is ready.” Well, that shouldn’t be a surprise, because they’ve not been getting anyone ready.
Sometimes, our leaders are hard-pressed to see leadership potential in people, because they’ve been trained to look for readiness, rather than willingness.
When you focus on readiness, you have to find a person who already possesses the skills to step in with little or no preparation. But, when you focus on willingness, you’re looking for a person who may not have the skills yet or may not even have the character yet. But, they’re open to getting involved, and they show some level of promise. Then, your role is to help them define their logical next step in their leadership journey. Our team of leaders has to understand when you only look for readiness, you’re restricting yourself to doing leadership placement, not leadership development.
It’s fascinating to me that Jesus always seemed to recruit people who weren’t quite ready. In Matthew 9, Jesus looked at Matthew, a tax collector, who everyone despised. And he said, “Hey, come follow me. I want you on my team.” What was Matthew doing when Jesus recruited him? He was collecting taxes. No one would say that he was ready to be one of Jesus key disciples. But, there was something in his spirit. He was willing.
Jesus took a risk on people. He asked them to take on a role, to get involved in an entry-level commitment. He didn’t recruit Matthew and send him out immediately to start sharing the Gospel with the world. Rather, he got him on the team, started working with him and helped him take his next step. And, eventually, he became a leader. So, if you want to build a strong pipeline of leaders, focus on willingness, not just readiness.
Action Step: Ask your team to make a list of people in your church or organization, who aren’t quite ready, but they demonstrate a willingness. This may include a 12-year-old, a 15-year-old, it may be a 75 year old. Then beside those names, have them write out the characteristics of leadership they see in those individuals that could be developed.
Lesson #3 – We understand that leadership development is a slow process
Someone who really gets the heart and soul of leadership development understands that it’s an extension of the discipleship process, and it just takes time. We want leadership development to be fast, easier, and linear. But it’s not. It’s slow, it’s messy, and it’s customized to the learner.
So, this means we need to be involved in the lives of people who may not be leading for another 12 to 24 months. But, we’re walking with them to move them in the direction of leadership. Jesus took three years to develop his disciples before He fully released them. We’ve gotten accustomed to leadership development being a three day or three-week process.
The core of my message is this: The church must get back to disciplining leaders again. Yes, it’s slow. Yes, it’s messy. But, I thank God for the people, 40 years ago in my life, who believed in me enough to walk with me, challenge me, be patient with me and, ultimately, disciple me into leadership.
