Issue #113, September 4, 2013
Whether it means turning the church over to a young leader, handing over the reins of a family business to the next generation, or releasing our children to be adults, the task of passing on the baton is difficult. Your sons will take the place of your fathers; you will make them princes throughout the land (Psalm 45:16). The verse sounds easy enough, but around the world, more often than not, the baton is not passed well to the next generation. Several things are lacking in leaders who find it difficult to pass on the baton.
Passing the baton is difficult because of insufficient security.
When leaders are not secure in their positions and in who God has called them to be, they will find it difficult to raise up other leaders. Our key verse says, “your sons will take the place of your fathers.” Many fathers don’t want to give up their place! They are proud of what they have accomplished and their sense of personal worth is tied to their achievements. Proud and insecure leaders want their name to remain on the organization forever. Servant leaders accept God’s call as a trust given to them for a limited time. They are not threatened by the gifts and callings of emerging leaders. They are secure enough to give up their “place” by humbly empowering and blessing the next leader.
Passing the baton is difficult because of insufficient vision.
Some leaders simply don’t have a vision for passing on to the next generation what God has entrusted to them. They are shortsighted and see little beyond their own lifetime. Many leaders have developed skill and competency over time. They love what they do and they do it well. They focus on the task at hand and miss the long-term goal. Servant leaders recognize that the vision which God has given to them is much bigger than their time of service. They see that God’s vision is to use their leadership gifts to multiply leaders for the next generation.
Passing the baton is difficult because of insufficient trust.
It is often difficult to trust a younger, less experienced leader with the tasks we have learned to do. The new leader will make mistakes and will probably not do the job as well, especially at the beginning. Servant leaders show faith in God by trusting others. They reflect on their own life journey and acknowledge that they also made mistakes and learned along the way. With this perspective, they learn to trust that God will guide the next leader just as He has guided them.
Passing the baton is difficult because of insufficient training.
Sadly, most of us received very little training in the art of passing on the baton. On the track, coaches run drills to teach the runners the skill of passing the baton. Where are the coaches in our churches, homes and businesses? Servant leaders, even if they have not seen this skill modeled, accept the call to pass on the baton. They look closely at Biblical models for training in this art and ask God for wisdom to do it well. (Our next issue will look more at how we pass on the baton.)
Saul is an example of a leader who failed to pass on the baton. He had personal insecurities and was deeply threatened by the gifts and call of David. His vision focused on his own desire to establish a family dynasty rather than God’s ultimate purposes for the nation. He held tightly to his position of power until his tragic death.
For further reflection and discussion:
- Reflect on the four insufficiencies mentioned (security, vision, trust, training). Which of these is the most significant for your leadership? What steps is God calling you to take to change?
- Reflect on “your place.” What does it feel like to envision someone else in your current position? What does this indicate about your heart and motives in leadership?
- Think about your vision for the group you lead. Is your vision primarily concerned with what happens during your lifetime, or is it a bigger vision of what God will do through future generations? Take a few moments and ask God to enlarge your vision.
- Have you recently taken any steps to show that you trust a younger leader? If so, what was it? If not, what can you do this week to demonstrate trust in an emerging leader?