Leadership Transition: A Crockpot or a Microwave?

When you are engaged in a leadership transition, don't be in too big of a hurry.

When we were considering our leadership transition, we first looked inside the church to see who might be ready and willing.

We had a vibrant young adult ministry called 707. Our young adult leader, Andy Sikora, was clearly called by God, a man of great character, and extremely competent. I remember having a conversation with him as we walked around our building one day. I asked, "Are you interested in talking about being the next Lead Pastor at Cuyahoga Valley Church?"

Andy, as a passionate follower of Christ, said that he would be open to however God leads. But he had questions about stepping into the role.

From my perspective, there were several reasons that Andy had a hesitation about being next in line as the senior leader at CVC. Andy had a growing interest and a developing commitment to a strategy that highlighted a missional community approach to ministry. The CVC strategy was more attractional than the direction he felt compelled to go. Andy was feeling a call to plant a church – a new ministry – in the community in which he lived about 20 minutes away from CVC. Andy also felt that we had some significant personnel issues on our staff that needed to be addressed. He wasn't feeling called to navigate those potential land mines. 

Andy adds, "I was concerned not just with the personnel issues in play but also with the reality that since I had played a role on the team leading a younger generation (and the fact that I was part of that younger group) it would have been difficult for some of the staff to see me as the leader - especially with you staying on in a different role." So, we eventually supported and sponsored Andy in launching a vibrant new church plant, Renew Communities.

   

We felt that other staff members inside CVC were either too old, too inexperienced, or uninterested in the Lead Pastor role. Therefore, we needed to look outside to find our ideal candidate.

We created a detailed job description and called the position "Co-teaching Pastor" while explaining clearly that we wanted this person to move into the Lead Pastor position after a two-year transition process. We posted the job on churchstaffing.com, on our website, and on my blog. We encouraged our church members to share this opportunity in their circle of influence. We also communicated our need to our church affiliated partners.

I honestly was concerned that the position would not attract much interest. After all, who wants to join a church staff where the former senior pastor is going to stick around after the transition? Personally, I would have been concerned that the former Lead Pastor could not actually let go of the reins. People who have a high capacity for leadership are not interested in joining organizations where personnel could have the potential to undermine leadership authority.

We were pleasantly stunned when resumes and applications came flooding in. We received over 600 resumes for the position. Admittedly, some of the resumes were from people who were not exceptional candidates. Others, though, were from people I would classify as first-round draft picks.

We underestimated the number of younger leaders who felt a desire to step into the senior leadership role but who felt like they needed coaching in order to be ready for the opportunity. What I thought would be a reason many people would not apply turned out to be the very reason why some people did. They wanted an apprenticeship in which they were being groomed for the highest level of leadership within the church.

Since we were looking outside to bring in our next Lead Pastor, we developed a rather lengthy process that would take two years. We found that our two-year transition plan was helpful - even vital.

We made clear to our congregation and to our candidate that when we called him, it was not on a trial basis. We called him with the intention truly turning the leadership over to him at the end of those two years. I guess we could have discovered some moral or character issues that would have derailed the process. But barring any moral or ethical issues, we were clear and committed: the person that we were calling would be the next Lead Pastor of CVC. When our congregation voted, they voted with that knowledge in mind.

So, when Chad Allen joined our team after serving in a California church for 20 years, he came knowing that a primary part of his job was to become acclimated to the culture in Northeast Ohio, to the culture of our church, and to the leadership style that I had developed over 25 years of ministry. We didn't expect or desire him to be a leader like me. But he did need to understand my leadership approach. 

We were adopting him and his family into our church family. And he and his family were adopting us. 

Chad also had a big jump to make regarding his leadership. He had grown up spiritually in his previous church. He had moved from volunteering to interning to part-time to full-time and from student ministry to family pastor to teaching pastor. His church, River Oak Grace Community Church in Oakdale, California, was running about 800 in attendance. It was 40-50% the size of CVC. If you think about it, Chad had to take two giant steps up the leadership ladder: 1) from a smaller church to a larger one and 2) from a key staff role to the Lead Pastor role. 

It was my job, our staff's job, and our elders' jobs to help Chad take those steps up the leadership ladder. Obviously, that took time. Rushing the process would have been detrimental to Chad's development as a leader.

For two years, Chad and I met weekly. I tried to share as much information as I could about what I knew about the Lead Pastor role, about our staff and elders, about CVC, about church life at large in CLE, and about the culture of NE Ohio. I introduced Chad to other several of my Lead Pastor friends and we set up ongoing quarterly meetings with them.     

Since Chad was an outsider to our church family, he and his family needed to make quality connections in the church. These kinds of connections take time and intentionality. Because Chad and his wife, Rica, are wonderfully relational people, they began the process of sinking deeper and deeper roots in the lives of CVCers. 

I remember one elder meeting about 1 year into the process. The elders said, "Let's transition now. What are we waiting for?" Chad and I looked at each other and said, "We put a 2 year plan in place to transition more and more Lead Pastor responsibilities to Chad. Every two months or so, Chad gets oversight responsibility of another new department. We are committed to that plan. The plan is working. Let's stick with the plan. We're not ready yet." 

Chad wanted the two years. Plus, I wasn't ready to transition from an emotional or a strategic point of view. We had read that if you want the transition to be successful, then you'd better let the outgoing Lead Pastor set the pace. I had prepared my heart for a 2 year transition. 

I am glad we didn't rush the process.

Mark Miller of Chik-Fil-A and Leaders Serve says, "I would suggest overinvesting in the orientation process when bringing in leaders from the outside."

On his blog, Great Leaders Serve, Miller writes: 

• Be sure the new leader understands your values and how they impact culture. 
• Identify for the new leader the key influencers across the organization. 
• Tell the new leader about cultural norms that may not be apparent. 
• Check in with the new leader often (at least on a weekly basis).
• Make learning their chief priority for an agreed upon time. 
• Give them a heads up on any cultural land mines and how to avoid them.
• Personally introduce the new leader whenever possible, sharing your confidence and excitement about their selection. 
• Encourage the new leader to bring issues and questions to you if they are unsure how to respond.

To do all these things well, you just have to take your time. 

Are you engaged in or thinking about a senior level leadership transition? That's good, even great! Your organization needs a wise succession plan to build on the best from the past and to launch into a bright new future. 

But remember, leadership transition happens best in a crockpot, not a microwave.