Leadership Transition: Be Generous to Your Successor
Be generous with trust-building
- Endorse and encourage the new leader often.
- Publicly and privately affirm them, even when they make mistakes.
- New leaders battle doubts (acceptance, style, comparison to predecessor).
- Affirmation helps them find their rhythm despite resistance from some.
Be generous with listening & affirmation
- Change creates uncertainty and emotions.
- Take time to listen, affirm the goodness of change, and give the team grace to process.
Be generous with internal relationships
- Release your relational ties.
- Help create strong new ties between the team and the incoming leader.
Be generous with your network
- Share your connections, resources, and relationships.
- Networks are vital assets for new leaders; holding them back stifles success.
- Secure leaders open doors to new friendships, territories, and knowledge.
Reflection
- Which area (trust, listening, relationships, networks) is hardest for you?
- Ask the Lord for guidance in growing generosity during transition