Issue #114, September 18, 2013
Relay races are often won or lost in the process of passing on the baton. If the baton is dropped or fumbled at this point valuable time is lost. Servant leaders aim for a smooth transition as expressed in our key verse for this series: “Your sons will take the place of your fathers; you will make them princes throughout the land (Psalm 45:16).” Note the instruction, “You will make them…” This instruction is clearly to the “fathers,” the current leaders. Servant leaders recognize that the primary responsibility of passing the baton to the next generation lies with them. They do this in several ways.
Pass the baton consciously.
Passing the baton is a conscious choice made by a leader with foresight. Many leaders focus only on what they hope to accomplish in their own leadership but servant leaders look ahead to what God has for the next generation and accept His call to empower that generation. They acknowledge that they are called only to run one lap of the race and are continually looking for other runners to whom they can pass the baton. They pray fervently for God to raise up other workers for the harvest and watch carefully to see who around them God may be calling to take their place. They are very conscious that a key part of their role is to develop “princes throughout the land.”
Pass the baton carefully.
The process of passing the baton is not as easy as running the race and requires great care. Servant leaders carefully prepare for transition, knowing that many races are lost in the process of passing the baton. They prayerfully select leaders and invest their lives in the next generation. They begin their leadership with the end in mind. They recognize that it takes time and energy to build leaders and gradually increase the amount of authority and responsibility given to the next generation. They coach and provide training and allow room for mistakes to be made. Servant leaders understand that “you will make them princes” is God’s commission to them and requires careful attention.
Pass the baton completely.
When the time is right to pass the baton, servant leaders pass it completely. Perhaps one of the most difficult tasks of leadership is releasing power to the next generation especially when the work has been a God-given passion for the older leader. But servant leaders make themselves available for counsel and recognize that their primary role now is to encourage and pray for the emerging leader. They resist the powerful temptation to take back the baton at the first sign of struggle. This in no way implies a lack of oversight or appropriate structures of accountability but it does mean that there must be a clean and clear transition. Make a public announcement and celebrate as appropriate. Make it clear to all that the baton has been passed.
In the race of leadership we are not only called to consciously, carefully, and completely pass on the baton, but if we do it well and early enough, we will have the incredible privilege of standing on the sidelines, cheering on the new runner and offering words of encouragement as they pick up speed. This is one of the greatest joys of a servant leader and I pray that we may all experience it.
Elijah is an example of a leader who passed the baton on to young Elisha. Elijah consciously selected a young leader and invested his life in his successor. He carefully groomed Elisha in the final years of his leadership and when the time was right he completely passed the baton to him.
For further reflection and discussion:
- Have I consciously thought about what will happen when I’m no longer in my position of leadership?
- Have I identified a person or persons who can take my place?
- What am I currently doing to invest in those leaders to enable a smooth transition?
- Does the organization I am leading have a plan in place for transition of leadership? If not, what steps do we need to take to develop one?
- What will it mean for you to hand over the baton completely? What are appropriate levels of accountability or oversight for the next generation?
- Sometimes as leaders, we have the privilege of passing the baton on several times during our lifetime as we move from one leadership role to another. If you have already had this experience, reflect on how successfully you passed the baton on to those who followed you. What did you learn which will help you do better in the next transition?