Leadership Transition

This is a presidential election year here in the United States. When our president is elected there is a peaceful transition of power that is shown around the world. In debate, it appears that the leaders hate each other, but they respect the office.

There are leadership transitions that happen in various business. The board of directors might remove one CEO and install another. A church might change pastors. A president of a company might be promoted to CEO and there are multiple transitions.

Moses was about to die, and the Lord had revealed to him that it was time to transition to Joshua. Joshua had been Moses’ right-hand-man for a good while – his protégé if you will. Check this out….

⁷ Then Moses called for Joshua, and as all Israel watched, he said to him, “Be strong and courageous! For you will lead these people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors he would give them. You are the one who will divide it among them as their grants of land. ⁸ Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (Deuteronomy 31:7-8 NLT)

Leadership transitions can be bumpy. It takes great effort on behalf of both the leader who is making the exit and the one entering the vacated position to make things work properly. It is humbling to be replaced. I have learned that failure doesn’t define me, but it can help make me better. I know what it’s like to be let go (aka “fired”). It is emotional and often the things that go through a person’s mind are unhealthy and skewed by intense emotions.

Leadership transitions often reveal character in a person that was there all along but hidden from view. I can turn on the news and hear stories of CEO’s let go or company presidents who were fired and their response can be very revealing to their character.

In “God’s Economy”, leadership is about serving. I believe leadership is about serving others, especially the ones we’re charged with leading. Leadership transition should be smooth, if the leader has been serving with diligence and humility. If I make leadership about me, I will be full of myself and transition will be devastating.  I want to be a leader who leads out of my following Jesus. I want to exhibit grace, peace, love and hope to those who would follow my lead.  Leadership transition should be one servant leader handing the reins to another servant leader – and that should actually go smoothly.

Pressing On!

Dwayne