The Leader/Subordinate Paradox
Last week I hosted a group of Executive Pastors in Dallas for the second meeting of our Leadwell Executive Pastors Cohort. It was a group of amazing leaders leading great churches from Alaska to Florida. We talked about all kinds of issues from church security to scaling ministry to new rules of engagement. More on some of the innovation in these areas in these future issues. But central to all the conversations were how to most effectively lead well.
As is the case with all Leadwell Cohorts, we bring in resources from across many disciplines. This session we hosted Mike Bonem. Mike has an amazing background including an MBA from Harvard, a season with Boston Consulting Group, a decade as an executive pastor and now work as coach, consultant, author and speaker. Many of you are familiar with his excellent book, Leading from the Second Chair and his most recent title, The Art of Leading Change. If you haven’t read these titles, stop now and get them headed your way. You can thank me later.
The title of this post, “The Leader/Subordinate Paradox,” is one of several principles that Mike lays out in Leading from the Second Chair. If you are a senior pastor or are in another “first chair” leadership position in your church or beyond, resist the thought that this post is not for you. Mike accurately communicated the truth that if second chair leaders don’t lean in to the “leader” side of the leader/subordinate paradox that the church (or any organization for that matter) falls short of its potential. And first chair leaders that best understand and embrace the tension, lead better and leverage the relationship for maximum kingdom impact.
Mike illustrated the principle with five words - opportunity, dance, line, danger and trust. Check out following for nuggets of truth that you can put into play today.
Opportunity
There is an opportunity to partner with the first chair leader for greater impact. When the full set of skills, gifts and passions are engaged, you make better decisions and have greater results.
Dance
We don’t learn to dance overnight and when you have a new dance partner, you have to get accustomed to their style and they to yours. Mike believes that it usually takes three years to really settle in to the right moves. You have to implicitly understand the vision for the church of the first chair leader. And every leader has communication styles and rhythms that have to be learned.
Line
Second chair job descriptions are usually pretty complicated especially when they include the phrase - “other duties as assigned.” Mike illustrates the complexity by drawing a box that depicts the stated boundaries of authority and responsibility. Inside the box are the things that you think you have authority over and outside the box is the stuff that you are expected to do. So understanding the “real line” requires great communiction that asks clarifying questions and keeps short accounts.
Last two words after the info on Leadwell Opportunities
We are almost ready to release our revised Senior Pastor Smart Succession presentation.
We’d love to show share with you how your church’s ministry momentum multiplied through the process. Too many churches tend to stall and retreat and feel that is normal.
Our process helps resolve the current Leader’s Future - helping them move from strength to strength. It helps define the Future Leader - helping the church move from cautious to confident in in selection of the next leader. And finally it helps to find the church’s Winning Ways so that it can move ahead with a forward focus.
When you are ready to talk about your situation, please let us know. We would love to show you the whole process that will help guide your church boldly into its next season.
Just email me directly at greg@ligongroup.com or schedule a call here.
Danger
If you find yourself saying, “If I were in charge …”, check yourself because you may be “leaning too hard” into the leader side of second chair leadership. Remember these two things. First, you may not have all of the information. Second, you may not know all that is going on with your first chair leader.
Trust
Trust is the bottom line. It gets built via the following:
Over time
Keep short accounts
Willingness to be vulnerable
Overcommunicate
Address any friction
P.S. Fall Cohort Launches Filling Up Now
Explore all the tensions in leadership through LeadWell Cohorts. In each experience, leaders gain unique insights from peer learning environments. The wisdom of well seasoned mentors and expert resources from multiple disciplines empower participants to tackle some of the most pressing issues and opportunities of our time. This collaborative community helps leaders bust through their leadership lids and create plans for accelerated results.
2023 Cohorts are Forming Now!
September 2023
Senior Pastor (30s to early 40s)
Fall 2023
August 2023
Cohorts are by invitation only and are limited to 12 leaders and are filling up now. If you are interested in receiving an invitation email me at greg@ligongroup.com or schedule a call here.