Succession Planning: “One Size Fits All” Is Bad Counsel

Note: This is the fourth of 11 blogs featuring practical wisdom from the new ECFA Governance Toolbox Series No. 4: Succession Planning. Free to ECFA members, you can download the resource and video by clicking here.

Randon Samelson’s helpful book on biblical strategic planning describes a leadership succession plan that actually worked!

Breakthrough: Unleashing the Power of a Proven Plan outlines a six-step plan from 1 Chronicles 28-29. That passage is the narrative for King David’s baton pass to his son, Solomon, that included the blueprints to the temple. The result? The temple was completed. Solomon thrived. Outgoing CEO David did not whine in the background.

Skip the six-step plan, warns Samelson, and you’ll face at least three problems when approaching givers. (And you must keep donors in mind in your succession planning.)

But note: the David to Solomon succession plan is just one plan—it’s not the only plan. “One size fits all” is bad counsel. Check out Moses and Joshua, Elijah and Elisha, and Paul and Timothy (2 Timothy 2:2).

Principle No. 4: Model Successful Succession in the Boardroom First also reminds us: “As the board goes—so goes the organization.”

While boards expect their CEOs and senior team members to have stellar succession plans in place, it’s rare when boards excel at their own succession planning. The best boards anticipate their future leadership needs and build board succession planning into their DNA.

Principle No. 4 lists three aspirations on board succession, including: “We are developing a quality ‘pipeline’ of likely board prospects so when relocation, death, or the incapacitation of a board member requires filling an unexpired term, we are ready.” 

Check it out here: 

DOWNLOAD: ECFA Governance Toolbox Series No. 4: Succession Planning – 11 Principles for Successful Successions: “Every CEO is an Interim CEO.” The toolbox includes 
   • Read-and-Engage Viewing Guide (20 pages) – photocopy for board members
   • Facilitator Guide (10 pages)
   • 4 short videos (4-5 minutes each)
   • Additional resources and succession planning tools

BOARD DISCUSSION: While certain biblical examples of leadership successions are not necessarily prescriptive for your unique situation, what are some foundational biblical principles you can glean from David and Solomon or Paul and Timothy or others?

MORE RESOURCES: Follow the “40 Blogs. 40 Wednesdays.” color commentaries on Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom. Click here.

Succession Planning: Is Your CEO Thriving or Just Surviving?

Note: This is the third of 11 blogs featuring practical wisdom from the new ECFA Governance Toolbox Series No. 4: Succession Planning. Free to ECFA members, you can download the resource and video by clicking here.

Dr. Richard Swenson suggests you deactivate your home answering machine, or record this message:

“Please wait for the beep and hang up.” 

He says we need more margin (and less phone interruptions) in our lives. He defines “marginless” in his must-read classic, Margin: Restoring Emotional, Physical, Financial, and Time Reserves to Overloaded Lives.

Marginless is fatigue; margin is energy.

Marginless is red ink; margin is black ink.

Marginless is hurry; margin is calm.

Marginless is anxiety; margin is security.

Marginless is culture; margin is counterculture.

Marginless is the disease of the new millennium; margin is the cure.

“Margin” is a big idea in the third of 11 principles in the new ECFA Governance Toolbox on succession planning: “When your CEO’s lifestyle…is characterized by workaholism (often self-induced), an inappropriate physical condition or habit, a plateaued spiritual life, excessive travel, an out-of-whack work/family life balance, and other unhealthy practices—your leader’s tenure will often be shorter than God’s plan.”

Principle No. 3: Inspire Your CEO to Thrive With a God-Honoring Lifestyle asks: Is your CEO thriving?  

“An effective succession planning process begins by ensuring that your board invests time (and accountability) in CEO care. When your CEO lives and models a God-honoring and healthy lifestyle, he or she will likely serve your ministry longer with greater faithfulness and fruitfulness. And potential internal candidates will already affirm and practice this core value.”

William Vanderbloemen and Warren Bird, co-authors of NEXT: Pastoral Succession That Works, begin their book with this profound alert: “Every pastor is an interim pastor.” And we would add, “Every CEO is an interim CEO.”

Vanderbloemen and Bird recommend that boards create sabbatical policies, mandate vacations and day offs, and inspire leaders to be in accountability groups. They examined almost 200 pastoral succession case studies. “Too many successions are on the heels of a moral or financial failure. And nearly every one of those failures happened because the [leaders] were (a) tired and (b) didn’t have anyone to talk to about their personal fatigue.”

Principle No. 3 lists six policy considerations and three questions on thriving. Check it out here:

DOWNLOAD: ECFA Governance Toolbox Series No. 4: Succession Planning – 11 Principles for Successful Successions: “Every CEO is an Interim CEO.” The toolbox includes 
   • Read-and-Engage Viewing Guide (20 pages) – photocopy for board members
   • Facilitator Guide (10 pages)
   • 4 short videos (4-5 minutes each)
   • Additional resources and succession planning tools

BOARD DISCUSSION: Reflect on the theological implications of “every CEO is an interim CEO.” Will our CEO leave when he or she is thriving, or just surviving?

MORE RESOURCES: Follow the “40 Blogs. 40 Wednesdays.” color commentaries on Lessons From the Nonprofit Boardroom. Click here.