{"id":24485,"date":"2019-10-20T08:30:28","date_gmt":"2019-10-20T15:30:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dminlgp\/?p=24485"},"modified":"2019-12-23T11:28:40","modified_gmt":"2019-12-23T19:28:40","slug":"leading-through-transition-steady-dont-rock-the-boat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/leading-through-transition-steady-dont-rock-the-boat\/","title":{"rendered":"Leading through Transition: Steady Don\u2019t Rock the Boat"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Harvey_Friedman\"<\/a><\/p>\n

When one thinks of transition in a organization’s leadership, it is common to consider the elements surrounding the development and the people in which the transition will affect such as the remaining executive leaders and staff of that said organization. The remaining executive leadership carefully considers the necessary course of action for seeking a new leader to either replace its missing component.<\/p>\n

At times the new recruit is brought in to fill a void in the leadership structure, and other times, he or she is brought in to tackle an organization challenge with a defined purpose and direction, and to lead a significant transformation, such as restructuring, turnaround, or the start-up of a new division<\/em>[1]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The effects of the transition look the same in the corporate sector as well in the public sector, including churches. In both sectors, the newly hired leader has to get up to speed quickly, understand the organization, navigate the culture, build relationships, assess and lead new teams, and understand their own personal leadership strengths and needs in the context of this new role.<\/em>[2]<\/a><\/p>\n

For newly hired leaders in middle management, the dynamics may be quite complicated. When the new leader is a part of a restructuring or a turnaround, it is essential for the senior leadership and middle leader to have a unified direction. The complication comes into play when the senior leader\u2019s style of leadership is one that thinks \u201cinaction is a viable choice,\u201d[3]<\/a> and the action occurs in the realm of the middle management. Nevertheless, when senior leaders acquire the failure to launch or failure to nerve, middle leaders have to find their space while not rocking the boat. In other words, middle leaders have to find a way to do their responsibilities and leadership functions while avoiding disturbance in the leadership fabric of the organization.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The safest place for ships is in the harbor, but that\u2019s not why ships were built. \u2013 Anonymous<\/p>\n

\n

Up Close and Personnel<\/h3>\n

The difficulties of leading from the middle in after a transition became a reality several years ago. While being hired to fulfill a position in which lead critical ministries of the small family orientated church and restructuring the church\u2019s already established ministries, direction, and clarity direction from leadership was much to be desired. Informed the church was in a state of dying and needing foundational establishment of set ministries and doing the process some leaders may to \u201cget off the bus.\u201d One of the important factors learned through years of church planting, and church consulting is not to assume you have the answers for a church from merely observing it from the outside. Thus, instead of diving directly into restructuring the ministries immediately, an established plan had to be implemented to take time to learn the ministries, its leaders and the foundation and culture of the church.<\/p>\n

The beginning stage of the plan set a safe pace for the ministry leaders to trust the process of the transition with new leadership. Though, the senior leadership wanted to change ministry directions, quickly ignoring the importance of the relational element of the leaders who have been with the ministry for over twenty plus years. The church was need for some change, in spite of this, the <\/em>dilemma has less to do with the specificity of given problems, the nature of a particular technique, or the makeup of a given group than with the way everyone is framing the issues.[4]<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The senior leader had only been hired at the church within the same year and it was his first time in such a leadership role. Later it was discovered senior leadership had experience failure to nerve and was now utilization the new position of middle leader to push forward quickly an agenda without considering the culture and relational nature of the church and the members.<\/p>\n

When crisis situations arose in the church, the senior leader no longer had a voice nor a position of influence. Either caused by his absence or demand for respect of power, the congregation began to seek out others to walk them through life and ministry crisis. At times it was a saga unfolding in the hallways of the church, and the senior leader found himself lost in identity, purpose and focus. Counsel was no longer welcomed and he eventually resigned from ministry.<\/p>\n

Lessons Learned<\/h3>\n

During the transition, the ability to navigate the water of leadership allowed for respect of senior authority while still walking in the character of a well-differentiated leader. The understanding that presence of leadership is essential. Presence does not reside in physical or economic strength but in the nature of his or her own being, so that even when leaders are entitled to great power by dint of their office, it is ultimately the nature of their presence that is the source of their real strength. Leaders function as the immune systems of the institutions they lead\u2013not because they ward off enemies, but because they supply the ingredients for the systems\u2019 integrity.[5]<\/strong><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Leading in and through transition takes fortitude, commitment and learning oneself amid responsibilities and positional duties. A leader leading in any capacity must be a \u201cwell-differentiated leader.<\/p>\n

They must be:<\/p>\n