Embracing the NOW: 5 Ways to Pass the Leadership Baton to the Next Generation
I get the honour and privilege to meet with leaders in various of contexts, ministries, and generations throughout North America. I don’t say this as a humble brag or to puff myself up but to share with you what I am experiencing and my leadership insights with you. I hope you get my perspective too…
With that said, I have found a resounding trend of the urgency + importance of raising the next generation of leaders in businesses, churches, and organizations. Rather than share the urgency with you (as I hope you would agree with the facts, trends, and figures on this important issue), I want to share five important ways on HOW to pass the leadership baton to the Next Generation:
Move from decision making to intentional mentoring
Please hear me, this isn’t about position, money, or roles. This is about shifting responsibilities. Senior leaders need to allow young leaders to make decisions. Senior leaders need to learn HOW to become intentional mentors. We see this in leadership development, professional career advancement, and discipleship strategies. Mentoring is ONE of the keys for 21st Century development.
In fact, this theme has been a key trend in a research project we are working on with the PAOC. Here is an infograph outlining this reality.
How are you becoming a mentor?
Move from curriculum based teaching to life-long discipleship pathways
Due to the need for mentoring, discipleship needs to change (In fact, discipleship is already changing/morphing). There is more and more resources coming out about the need to move towards life-long discipleship journeys rather than curriculum based teaching. I know this may be a difficult shift for some but this is a necessary one.
In one of my working groups with the Strategic Vision Committee (SVC) with the PAOC, we have come up with benchmarks of what life-long discipleship can look like. Take a look:
SVC Discipleship Benchmark Guide
Discipleship Journey with DUCO
What do you think about moving generations towards life-long journeys rather than curriculum based discipleship?
Move from task-based leadership to call-based servanthood
This is a big one. Older generations think passing the baton is to give younger generations more tasks. This is helpful but won't help in the long run. In other words, task based leadership is the lowest common denominator when it comes to developing leaders. And, especially for local churches and ministries, we need to move from task to calling. We need to help leaders develop by understanding, discovering, and walking out calling. This is so important.
How are you helping congregants/members/leaders understand, discover, and walk out their calling?
Move from institutionalism to family-based development
Younger generations love this one. For millennials and younger, institutionalism represents inertia, rigid systems, and old models. With that said, institutionalism can be good IF experimentation, innovation, and creativity can be utilized when older generations allow it. Personally, I think we need both. In fact, we need ALL generations working together. How does this happen? This happens WHEN:
When each generation embrace their unique roles for present day context,
When each generation can walk in humility to understand each other,
When each generation can learn from one another in intentional ways,
When each generation realizes we are family, not an institution.
Move from generationalism to intergenerationalism
Unfortunately, I have heard TOO many times, “I think we need to return to (fill in the blank)…” or “If only we had (so in so) in leadership…” or “Do you know how we did this in (put the year/date)…” or “I wish we can do (whatever you want to put in here) this way.” or “Why are older generations so rigid?” These, unfortunately are generational answers. These are WRONG answers to WRONG questions. Moving forward, we need to ask,
“How can I learn from other generations?”
“How can we re-engage in the Great Commission?”
“Are we making decisions with the facts (stats, research, study) or my feelings (preference, history, bias)?”
“Are we principle based OR preference based?”
What conversations are you having? Generationalism or Intergenerationalism?
Obviously…
The time to act in courage is NOW.
The time to learn from each other is NOW.
The time to bring out the best in each other is NOW.
The time to re-engage the Great Commission is NOW.
The time to experiment, innovate, and create is NOW.
The time to experience the best days in ministry/business/churches are NOW.
How will you embrace the NOW?