4 ways older leaders grow in influence with the next generations

Since passing the baton of leadership at CVC to a godly young man, Chad Allen, I have sensed that my leadership influence might be waning more than I expected. That makes sense. I don't have the same kind of positional influence that I once had. People inside the church and even outside the church perceive me a bit differently now. Terry Pluto, a writer for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, used to call me for insights about his faith column. He hasn't called me in the two years since I passed the baton.

One former Lead Pastor told me that he wishes his previous church would consult with him more. He said, "They have a tendency to think that what we did doesn't work anymore." When I asked him how he deals with that emotionally, he said that outgoing Lead Pastors must accept the fact that our "star fades a little."

A part of that is good for my soul. After all, it's not about me. It's about Jesus and His kingdom. I must decrease and He must increase.

But God did not wire me to be totally content with a diminished role in the lives and ministries of younger leaders. Part of what it means to be created in the image of God is to be a person of impact and influence.

So, our influence doesn't necessarily need to fade away and flicker out.

I am, hopefully, wiser than I was 2 years ago. I certainly have a bit more experience than I did. Plus, I should be even better at abiding in Christ and, therefore, bearing more fruit for His glory.

As long as I am seeking to crucify that fleshly part of me that sinfully wants recognition and appreciation, then I think it's good and even godly to pursue influence with the next generation of leaders. God has given me experiences and wisdom that should be shared.

With that in mind, how, then, do aging leaders in ministry continue to have relevance and impact? What can help us build an anti-dinosaur approach to leadership influence?

1. Ask younger leaders.

Make an appointment with three younger leaders that you, perhaps, had greater influence with in the past than you are currently experiencing. Tap into your relational curiosity.

Ask a series of questions, "How do you think I might become more effective as a coach or a mentor? How could our time together be more profitable for you? How do I, perhaps even unconsciously, communicate in ways that are not as encouraging or empowering as you would like for me to be? What might I do differently to bring added value to the life ministries of younger leaders?"

These could be risky questions to ask. You've got to be emotionally ready to receive the answers in a nondefensive way. But for the sake of your soul and your ministry, encourage younger leaders to give you gut-honest feedback.

2. Interview and imitate older leaders.

Make appointments with three older leaders that are currently having the kind of successful ministry with younger leaders that you want to have.

I recently called a Lead Pastor at a super mega church in the South. I asked him what the secret is to having an effective mentoring ministry to younger leaders. He invited me to attend a retreat in the spring where he will be pouring his life into several younger leaders. I am planning on going and will study the environment, the content, but most importantly, his heart and relational style.

He said that his last few years of ministry after his transition have been among the most rewarding in his life because he doesn't have the pressures of leadership and the "weekly term paper" and because he's figured out a way to have relationships with younger leaders who desires his counsel and influence.

3. Stay educated about current ministry trends and lingo.

We must stay relevant and learn to speak the language that younger leaders speak. I'm not talking about becoming an aging version of a hipster. That is sad to see. Avoid acting younger than you really are.

See, it's wise to cling to some old fashioned principles in ministry. Someone said that to be an effective pastor you must simply preach the word and love the people. It's not our goal to be hip. We must stick to the tried-and-true Biblically-grounded methodology for ministry. In every generation effective pastors simply take the Bible and live, teach, and preach it.

At the same time, we need to be students of the younger leaders we are seeking to influence. What leaders do younger leaders listen to? What books and blogs are they reading? What conferences and seminars are they attending?

It would probably be a good idea to sit down with three younger leaders (who are themselves influential) and ask the above questions. Then, build into your routine work week ways to access these resources so that you can better understand conversations and speak with relevance into their lives.

4. Abide in Christ.

Equipping, encouraging, and empowering younger leaders is part of the fruit that every older leader should want to bear. How do we bear such fruit? Jesus gave us the answer in John 15. We abide in the Vine and He produces His fruit through us.

Since spiritual/relational influence is much more important than positional influence, we need to focus on what will deepen our spiritual walk with Christ and our relational ability to love. The leader with the greatest impact is the one who abides in Christ most deeply, most consistently, most widely, and most purely. As someone wisely said, "If we will take care of the depth of our lives, God will take care of the breadth of our ministries."

Questions: If you are a younger leader, what do you think older leaders can do to be more effective in encouraging and empowering you? If you are an older leader, what are some things you are doing to help you grow in your influence with the next generation?

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