Issue #112, August 21, 2013
Wherever I travel in the world I find that developing, equipping and releasing the next generation is a significant challenge for parents, church and business leaders. Yet handing over leadership to younger leaders is one of the greatest things servant leaders can do for the sake of the Kingdom of God. We’ll devote the next several issues to the priority and process of passing the baton, an image of how leadership is passed to the next generation. The baton is used in a relay race to signify the end of one runner’s effort and the beginning of another. A key verse for this series is Psalm 45:16, Your sons will take the place of your fathers; you will make them princes throughout the land. In the natural world it is easy to see that fathers raise sons who grow up to take their place. In the realm of leadership the same is expected of all servant leaders. My leadership effectiveness is not simply about myself and doing well as a leader. Rather, it is determined by how successfully I pass the baton to those who will follow. Why is this process crucial to my success as a leader?
Passing the baton is the only way to grow new leaders.
Think for a moment about how you developed your leadership ability. Was it by reading a book on leadership or practicing? I can guess with certainty that your answer is that you learned leadership by practice. Someone gave you a responsibility or assignment, and you learned how to do it. The only way that we will be able to grow new leaders is to allow them to learn in the same way we did. Giving responsibility allows others to grow and develop. Selfish leaders do all the work themselves; servant leaders pass the baton.
Passing the baton is the only way to multiply leaders.
Servant leaders are desperately needed in every home, business and community. We not only need to grow a new generation of servant leaders, we need to multiply them! One son is not enough in leadership! We need more than one son in the natural realm and we need more than one “Timothy” in our realm of leadership. If we do not multiply leaders we cannot fulfill the Great Commission. Two billion persons still wait to hear the Good News of Jesus. We cannot reach them alone but each of us can pass the baton to several others. Servant leaders are passionate about the multiplication of other leaders.
Passing the baton is the only way to finish the race.
Our leadership journey is not a single lap around the track; it is simply one leg of a much longer race. We will finish our portion, but not the race. The only way for the race to be completed is for us to pass the baton well to the next runner. Selfish leaders see their leadership as one lap around the track. Servant leaders know they are not finished until they have served the next generation by passing the baton to the next runner.
Paul is an example of a servant leader who ran well and passed the baton to the next generation. He not only reproduced himself in Timothy’s life, but multiplied leaders such as Titus and Luke. He visualized the baton being passed to several generations as he said, And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others (2Timothy 2:2).
Wherever you are on your leadership journey, take a moment to reflect on how you will measure the success of your leadership. Where are you in the process of putting your baton into the next runners’ hand?
For further reflection and discussion:
- Why is it not enough for us to simply run our race well? What is the result if this is our only focus?
- Read Paul’s words to Timothy (2 Timothy 4:1-22) as he comes to the end of his leadership race. In what way does this passage reflect Paul’s passion to multiply leaders? In what way has he prepared to finish his race? Does he view his impending death as the end of his ministry?
- In your leadership, how close are you to the finish line? What steps is God calling you to take now to pass the baton to others?
- Have you identified others who will carry on your work after you are gone? Are you deliberately investing in their lives to prepare them?