Is it time to leave the second chair?
Bonem and Patterson’s Leading from the Second Chair is a great book that outlines how to lead when you are not the leader of an organisation. It has wonderful insights into following well, challenging appropriately and finding contentment. The book draws on the experience of executive pastors, yet has takeouts that can be applied to anyone in a strategic leadership role within a Christian organisation.
“The second chair is a complex and challenging role to fill, but you probably know that already… It is all about leading and managing your way through a set of paradoxes.”
But what if it is time to leave the second chair and step into the “first chair”?
Photo: Paula Schmidt
There comes a time for many in the second chair where they wonder if they have the ability to step into the first chair. This could be for many reasons. There could be pull factors that make the new role look attractive. For example, it could be an exciting new opportunity to serve in a role that is closely aligned with your purpose and values; an opportunity to serve in a role that uses your unique gifts; or an opportunity to step into a more challenging role. There may be push factors that make the new role look more attractive. For example, increased tension with colleagues, your boss or key stakeholders; a workplace culture that you are not aligned to; a lack of stimulation in your current role; or feeling overworked and/or under-appreciated where you are currently. Whether or not these push or pull factors are good reasons to leave is a matter of discernment.
Whatever the reason for considering the new role, no one is ever fully ready to move to the first chair. Moving to the first chair always involves stepping into increased complexity and ambiguity, balancing stakeholder tensions and an increased awareness that you don’t know it all. So, if you are ready to learn on the run, eat some humble pie, and seek support in the right areas and in the right way, you may have what it takes to step into the first chair. Here are some questions you could ask yourself:
Can I deal with increased complexity?
Increased complexity will come in many forms – cognitive, emotional and relational. Typically, the problems that make their way to the most senior role require strategic agility to solve. The ability to align people, systems and stakeholders with an ever-changing external world is cognitively, emotionally and relationally challenging.
One of the challenges of leading in the first chair is balancing the needs of stakeholders. The first chair has multi-directional relationships. To be effective in the role, the first chair needs a good relationship with the board or governors/elders, trusting relationships with the leadership team, the broad support of employees and volunteers, plus the trust of members, customers, partners and other relevant stakeholders. These interests rarely align. Someone with a need to please others will find this aspect of the role especially challenging, as they may feel pulled in every direction.
Can I make wise decisions without seeing the whole picture?
Along with an ability to deal with increased complexity is a need to make wise decisions without knowing all the detail, or being able to predict the future with accuracy. Many senior leaders struggle with delegating to others or making a decision where there is ambiguity. However, first chairs will never have enough information and will always feel like there is too much information. Their challenge is to be able to ask the right questions and work with people they trust to be faithful with the detail. Refraining from jumping to conclusions or being overly rigid. Instead, turning to God to manage the ambiguity constructively.
Can I learn what I don’t know quickly?
Stepping into a role or organisation that is new will always mean that you are faced with problems you have never solved before. Rather than letting that put you off, you need to have the confidence and the ability to know that you can solve problems you have not seen before. Sometimes this can be pretty challenging, as it requires inward renewal. That is, actively growing through repentance, reflection and learning.
Humility is one of the key traits of being a good learner. The Holy Spirit will guide you to new mindsets, strategies and behaviours if you have an attitude of humility. Beating yourself up over mistakes or lack of knowledge will stifle your growth. Likewise, fear of trying new things will limit your capacity over time.
Are my identity and self worth in Christ?
A key part of weathering the storm of leading in the first chair is having your identity and self-worth in Christ. There will be many failures, disappointments and even crises when leading in the first chair. Having your ego in check, with a prayerful dependence on God, is a wonderful antidote to the temptations of leadership – being overconfident, ego-centric or prideful, comparing yourself with others or even being overly pious.
Knowing that when you make mistakes, you have a loving heavenly Father who knows you, cares for your and is transforming you to be the leader He wants you to be means you can face any challenge with a non-anxious presence.
Is now the “right time”?
It is never the “right time” to leave your current role, especially if you have been executing it with faithfulness and fruitfulness. When discerning whether to move, you could consider:
· How can this new ministry use my gifts at this time versus what I am doing now? What does faithfulness look like?
· What will I be leaving behind? Has the ministry been fruitful?
· Have I invested in raising up a successor(s) with the character and competence to be fruitful?
· Have I developed self-sustaining systems? Are others empowered to act without me?
Leading from the first chair is not for all, but there is a great need for fruitful and faithful leaders to lead ministries. If not you, who?
by Yvette McDonald
Yvette McDonald is the Director of Elixan Consulting, a people strategy business she founded after working 20+ years in human resources in the corporate sector. She lives in the Inner West of Sydney with her family and is passionate about seeing leaders flourish. Elixan Consulting works in the corporate sector and with faith-based organisations to provide unique solutions for aligning culture with strategy, organisational design, leadership development and employee engagement.
