7 principles for equipping your successor
Preparing your successor is a coaching, mentoring, equipping, encouraging, training, discipling, and training relationship that is specifically designed for the lead pastor role. But don't just think about getting the next lead pastor ready for a role. That's merely short-term thinking. Focus on helping him lean forward to break the tape at the finish line of his life so that he will hear a "Well done!" from Jesus on the Day. Your role in his life needs to be more than just a professional relationship. Your role needs to be that of a spiritual friend who is going to care for his spiritual, relational, emotional, intellectual, physical, and rhythmic success.
2. Follow best practices.
It will help you immensely if you become increasingly familiar with the best practices to invest in next generation leaders. Make a list of books, blogs, and podcasts that will equip you to equip a new generation. Then prioritize those tools that you will use in order to pour into the life of the next lead pastor.
3. Be a proactive leader, not a pastoral responder.
You will be tempted to stay caught up in the busyness of ongoing ministry to the neglect of your investment in the next leader's life. But remember, toward the end of his ministry, Jesus spent increasing amounts of time with decreasing numbers of people. So, to follow His pattern, it makes sense for you to spend what some people might think would be an inordinate amount of time with the next leader. Some needs may have to go unmet and some phone calls may have to go on returned as you invest most deeply into the life of your successor.
4. Remember that the relationship trumps the task.
Focus on relationship before you focus on the training. Have fun together. Eat together. Play together. Go to conferences and seminars together. Help your spouses connect together. Actively be involved in the spiritual walk of your successor. Retreat together. Be intentional. The person you are coaching needs to hear words like these: "I believe in you." "I am for you." "I love you." Yes, the project is to help that person replace you. But in ministry, it always should be "people over projects."
5. Create a high relational – high challenge environment.
You have invited this new leader into a high challenge environment because you're asking him to take over organizational leadership. But if it is not also a high relational environment then you are simply creating a command culture. Hopefully, what you have created (or are creating) is a high challenge and a high relationship environment which creates a coaching culture. Ask yourself, "What steps do I need to take to make moving to a high relational – high challenge environment possible?" Focusing on the task at the expense of the relationship will derail the process. A task orientation is necessary because there are technical aspects to the succession plan and need to be addressed. But the relational aspect cannot be overstated or ignore.
6. Maintain and model a proper rhythm.
Think of the tick tock of a grandfather clock. The pendulum rhythmically swings back and forth. On one side is being, abiding, relating. On the other side is doing, working, tasking. We need a rhythm in our lives. We also need to keep in mind the rhythm as the transition takes place. Encourage an appropriate rhythm in the life of your successor.
7. Be a holistic example.
Make sure that the new leader is able to observe you in many ministry contexts. Enjoying breakfasts. Having lunches. Hanging out with your family. Exercising. Engaging people in the church foyer. Doing weddings. Handling funerals. Leading elder meetings. Organizing staff meetings. Praying. Doing devotions. You get the idea. You want your successor to see you in many environments. It's not because he's going to be a copycat. Often times, people need to see "a way" so they can find "their way."
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