For most vocational ministers, it is difficult to think of the idea of leadership transition and/or retirement. Why? Because it means that we are entertaining the idea that someday, we will not hold the leadership position we are currently in. And while that may be a strange thought, the reality is that none of us will retain our current leadership position forever. Whether in a few days or in many years, someone will eventually take our place.
This is why it is so important for leaders to build a leadership runway. I will discuss this concept further in my upcoming book, The Leadership Runway, but the takeaway for today is that every organization needs a leadership runway that enables emerging leaders to take off and established leaders to land.
There are five reasons that we need a leadership runway:
- To refuel
- To redirect
- To retool
- To repair
- To retire