In a recent article for Pastors.com, Justin Lathrop talks about ways to invest appropriately in preparing the next generation of leaders for your ministry. He writes:
“There are many leaders who spend no time or energy investing in the next generation—not even allowing them to have a seat at the table. There are some leaders who allow the next generation to have a presence at the table, but they aren’t willing to let them contribute to the conversation. Then there are a few select leaders who realize the potential a next generation leader has and voluntarily give up their seats on a particular project or decision. Essentially, these are the leaders who create a ripple effect into the lives of potential leaders for generations to come.
“I want to be that kind of leader. As I started to really chew on this idea, I thought I’d share a few characteristics of giving up your seat leadership:
“• Leaders who allow their staff to spearhead projects or ministry ideas.
“• Leaders who put aside their own ideas to support the ideas of a staff member.
“• Leaders who serve the needs of their staff more than their own personal agenda.
“• Leaders who allow their staff to fail and provide the help to identify what went wrong—and then help pick up the pieces.
“• Leaders who care more about seeing their team succeed than losing their own leadership role.”
(Click here to read the full article.)