Succession Planning, Part 1: Is Yours Reactive – or Proactive?

Will your ministry or business outlive you — and outgrow you?

Succession planning is a road map for the future of your organization, allowing it to expand and extend its reach.

In its simplest form, succession planning focuses on two big-picture components: the organization’s structure (long-term goals and how to carry them out) and its people (identifying and cultivating young talent to eventually fill key leadership roles.)

Today’s business leaders have developed more proactive succession plans than in the past, thanks to the increasingly global economy and the widening skills gap among employees. Good preparation poises the company to expand structurally and builds depth in its staff.

What Ministries Can Learn From Business

While succession planning is popping up on commercial radar across the globe, ministries have lagged behind, typically falling into a reactive mode with one of three default approaches:

• Arbitrary succession: a leader or pastor is replaced suddenly (whether due to moral failure, illness, or board decision) with no clear transition plan in place.
• Avoidance succession: a talented young leader is not nurtured, but perceived as a threat and is demonized or moved off site.
• Inheritance succession: a senior leader passes his role onto his son or other family member, one who may or may not be qualified.

Fortunately, ministries are finally catching on to the acute need to develop healthy, proactive succession plans to prepare the next generation of leaders and grow their organizations beyond themselves.

The Principle Behind Proactively Investing in People

Both business and ministries alike can call upon best-practice principles to strategically plan future structures. But it is in the second area – developing people – in which Christ-followers can make an especially powerful impact.

Whether you hold a position in the highest levels of management or you are the newest employee at the lowest rung of the ladder, scripture is clear: God gives each person unique gifts. We are to use them and develop them.  Effective succession planning calls for an investment in people.

As you work the portion of your succession plan that develops the next generation, consider this: you’re not preparing an employee for a specific position. You’re not even simply preparing new leaders.

You’re proactively developing up-and-coming talent to equip the Kingdom to move forward.

Growth Point

• Succession planning prepares both your organization and its young talent for growth.

Scripture

• As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace. (1 Peter 4:10, ESV)

Prayer Points

• What kind of succession plan does your organization have in place?
• What skills and knowledge will the next generation need most in order to effectively grow your organization in its next phase??
• What is one proactive step you can take to invest in the next generation?

More on Succession Planning

Succession is Not Cessation

Succession Planning, Part 2: What Experienced Leaders Need to Know

Succession Planning, Part 3: What Young Leaders Need to Know