Because we tend to think that speed and height are dangerous, it might surprise you that the low and slow part of a flight is actually more dangerous and deadly than the high and fast part. Low and slow refers to the takeoff and landing phase and represents only a small portion of the actual flight time. Even on short flights, much more time is spent high and fast than low and slow. In terms of accidental aviation fatalities, 49% happen during landing and 14% during takeoff. That means 63% of fatalities happen during the low and slow phase—on or near the runway—and only 37% occur while the plane is high and fast.

I can’t prove it with data, but my experience tells me similar percentages might also apply to leadership transition crashes in churches and ministries. If we can get the plane off the runway and high in the air, there is less chance of a fatal crash. Likewise, if we can get the leader firmly in the pilot seat with hands on the controls, there is a better chance of a successful ministry.

THE LEADERSHIP RUNWAY

Whether we are taking off or landing, the runway (succession and transition) is the danger zone.

Before we start building our leadership runway, let’s take a moment to consider the most common causes of runway disasters. When the Tenerife Island runway disaster was analyzed, the challenging circumstances were obvious—over-crowded runways, last-minute decisions, impaired vision, and confused communication—but the real problem was pilot error. Every runway disaster is unique, but like Tenerife Island, most are ultimately caused by pilot error. Likewise, in the church world, every leadership transition is unique and challenging, but the most common fatal flaw is “pastor error.”

The aviation industry has identified three common pilot errors that lead to runway disasters: incursion, excursion, and confusion.