Strategy for SuccessSample

How to move beyond the pioneering phase

What’s your strategy to have your ministry last long term?

Few new ministries make it to the second generation.

There are probably many reasons. However, one primary reason, in my experience, is failing to find your successor and mentor them from the start.

Have you begun to mentor a successor? You may think you have plenty of time. You may be asking yourself, “Why start so early?” Perhaps you don’t want to create a potential threat to your leadership. You may be outshone!

Or you may not have identified a worthy candidate to succeed you. I would suggest that if you don’t have at least one person you are mentoring to succeed, the purpose of your work will never meet its potential.

We grow as leaders and in our vision when significant team members challenge us. We can see this with the twelve on Jesus’ mission team and with the smaller core of three.

For you to know your full capabilities and weaknesses, you need people with the freedom to speak into your life as you do into theirs. If you keep yourself the boss, above and separated from others, you aren’t developing your successor.

I find it hard when a strong emerging leader whom I’ve mentored challenges me. It’s very uncomfortable! However, I grow as a leader when I allow a gifted successor to challenge me and create a new direction from my legacy.

Scripture to ponder –Proverbs 27:17

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

Key Lesson: Seek God for your potential successor from the beginning. Give them opportunities to grow as leaders. Often, they will do things even better than you.