Wayne Hedlund

Tag: Succession Planning

  • Succession vs Replacement Planning

    Ben at the pond.

    My son loves to fish. Last summer was a fun summer for him. He caught some great fish.  He and his friends even landed a huge snapping turtle! The thing is, Ben has a somewhat unique fishing method. His primary fishing hole is at a pond near our home that has a bridge spanning the middle. He and his friends simply “pick their fish” while looking down over the bridge, and then focus on that catch. They’ve been pretty successful too!

    I was talking with a leader the other day about succession planning for the local church. I told him there’s a big difference between Succession Planning and Replacement Planning. It’s a crude illustration, but I found myself sharing about my son’s fishing methods.

    I likened Succession Planning to what my son does at that bridge on the pond. Pick your fish, then focus on that fish until you’ve successfully hooked and brought it in.

    Replacement Planning is going to be a lot more like the traditional fishing methods most of us amateur fisherman use. Bait, cast, catch a bunch of green stuff. Try again, set the hook, pull in something small and ineffective, try again and again and again, until we catch something close to what we’re looking or hoping for. 

    Every pastor wants to find the right person to replace him when it’s time to pass the baton. The problem is, most don’t think to look for that person until it’s too late. Sometimes I’ll receive a call from a pastor who is ready to resign or move on. They ask me, “Can you help me develop a succession plan?” After a few questions I have occasionally answered with, “No. But I’ll help you work on a replacement plan.” 

    Succession is about finding one or more candidates for pastoral leadership and then mentoring them until one has shown himself ready for leadership. By then, it’s usually obvious to the senior leadership of the church, if not the church itself, that the new lead pastor is in the house. The transition often goes very smoothly for everyone.

    Replacement is about finding one or more candidates who hopefully fit the bill, and putting them in the saddle – with a prayer that they were the right one. Too often, it turns out they aren’t. By the time you find that out, it’s too late and the church is often sidetracked for months or even years dealing with the repercussions.

    Here are a few more differences between succession and replacement.

    Succession Planning Replacement Planning
    Is a process. Is an event.
    Begins 2-3 years before transition. Begins 3-6 months before transition.
    Is proactive. Is reactive.
    Prepares the congregation for change. Surprises the congregation with change.
    Yields expected results. Yields mixed results.
    Values are embedded into the new leader before succession happens. Values are discovered in the new leader after replacement happens.
    The new leader holds a high degree of trust by the congregation. The new leader holds a mixed degree of trust by the congregation.

    You get the idea. It’s wise to begin developing a succession plan for your church sooner than later. You can begin this process at any time and build it into your overall leadership strategy. It doesn’t matter if the Lead Pastor is 35 years old or 65 years old, it’s worth starting now.

    Which plan will your church implement when it’s time to find a new leader?

  • Thursday Quote: 7 Practices – Replace Yourself

     

    My Thursday Quote this week is by Andy Stanley from his book, “Seven Practices of Effective Ministry“. At Elim Gospel Church this book is required reading for all of our leaders and new pastoral staff. The ‘seven practices’ have become benchmarks for how we think about ministry. The following quote is taken from the leadership practice, “Replace Yourself”.

    “Several years ago John Maxwell introduced our staff to the concept of ‘leadership lids.’ A lid is anything that keeps a leader from growing. Maxwell explained that there are certain aspects of your personality that can prevent you from achieving your full potential; therefore, it is important for leaders to identify their lids and do whatever they can to lift them. An organization will have a difficult time rising higher than the lid of its leader.

    We’ve discovered that organizations also have ‘leadership walls’ that prevent others from achieving their potential. Whereas a leadership lid can stunt your personal growth as a leader and may indirectly affect the rest of your organization, a leadership wall can directly stunt the growth of those on your team and, ultimately, create a leadership gap in your organization. Lids may stop leaders from growing up, but walls keep leaders out. They form a barrier that blocks the development of future leaders in your organization.”

    If you haven’t yet read this book, I urge you to do so and also to
    consider purchasing it through my Amazon Affiliate Store right here.

    To learn about other books I am reading or recommend, check out my Transforming Leader Store.

    Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”