The Magnificent ExitSample

Liftoff!

It takes time for an organization to get up to full speed, where the sum of the energy of its people points outward toward its mission. God wants us to be about His business. An organization that exists for its own sake is sad to see. Organizations exist for people, and people for the mission and Kingdom of God. Leaders within an organization exist to serve people in that mission, to provide them with vision, to encourage, course-correct, and release them. As a healthy organization grows, the need for leadership increases. A key role of a leader is to identify and develop leaders to fuel that growth. It cannot be otherwise. Leaders are the rocket fuel for impact.

Something I learned in missions was to leave people with an obedience statement. We called it an ‘I Will’ statement and it’s something folks would say out loud about what they committed to doing as a result of the teaching they’d received. The truth is, we should all be consistently hearing from God and choosing a ‘long obedience in the same direction,’ to quote Eugene Peterson. It’s the small steps we take over sustained periods that make all the difference to our lives.

So, I want to encourage you to create an I Will statement for yourself. What is God saying to you? Perhaps not everything we’ve covered is relevant to your situation, but are there a few thoughts that really resonated with you as you worked through this reading plan? Write them down now and decide to obey God in these areas. If you feel you haven’t heard anything clearly from the Lord yet, then here is a progressive list of action steps I would encourage you to take:

1. With your leadership team or mentor, discuss your leadership pipeline. Is it a vacuum or does it look good? What do you need to do about it now?
2. Identify who in your organization can grow into a senior leadership role over the next three to five years. Look for talent and capacity to develop, not for a finished product.
3. Write down the steps you’ll take to develop these people to their fullest capacity. This will likely be a combination of various goals, such as your intentional input on values and vision, skills growth from outside experts, deepened collegial time around shared meals or adventures to build relational connections, and tests you’ll create for them.
4. Decide to be clear but loving in your regular feedback. Let your encouragement overflow.
5. Look for ‘heavier things’ for them to carry, such as leading teams, making tough decisions, or pioneering something new.
6. Prepare yourself mentally for your handoff. Work on your identity, spiritual maturity, and generosity.

My prayer is that this plan will bring health to you, your organization, and those who will take over from you one day. Our time on this planet is short, and we have much work to do. Go with God.